Relation between component technical parameters and fuel cell power plant characteristics

The impact of applied technology improvements on fuel cell power plant operational and cost characteristics is determined. The results of this evaluation are intended to identify to DOE those areas which will provide the most significant payoff for long range research and development activities. The phosphoric acid fuel cell is emphasized and small multikilowatt on-site power plants as well as large multimegawatt systems intended for dispersed utility application are investigated. In addition, since complete power plants are considered, the potential improvements in major ancillary subsystems, such as fuel processing and power conditioning, are evaluated in terms of their impact on the entire system and its potential for meeting the requirements of various applications is presented and discussed.