In a press release, ISRO said, “The objective of the experiment was to assess the operation of the Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel cell in space and to gather data to inform the design of systems for future missions.”
During the brief test aboard POEM, 180 W of power was generated from hydrogen and oxygen gases stored in high-pressure vessels, offering valuable insights into the performance of various static and dynamic systems within the power system, as well as the underlying physics, according to ISRO.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells produce electricity directly from Hydrogen and Oxygen gases, along with pure water and heat. It is an electric generator which works on electrochemical principles, as in batteries, as against the combustion reactions employed in conventional generators. The ability to produce electricity directly from fuels without any intermediate step renders them very efficient. With water as the only byproduct, they are totally emission free. These features make them ideal candidates for space missions involving humans where electric power, water and heat are essential since a single systems can meet multiple requirements in the mission.
ISRO also said that the fuel cells have “significant societal application potential”.
“They are also considered to be the most appropriate solution to replace the engines of various types vehicles in use today and to power standby power systems. Fuel Cells can provide range and fuel recharge time equaling that of today’s conventional engine, which gives them a distinct advantage over batteries, and are expected to facilitate emission free transportation,” it added. Fuel cell is an ideal power source for the space station as it provides both power and pure water, ISRO added.