This is the most commercially developed type of fuel cell. It is being used in such diverse applications as hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, office buildings, schools, utility power plants, and an airport terminal. F. These fuel cells also can be used in larger vehicles, such as buses and locomotives. Proton Exchange Membrane. This cell operates at about 1,200 degrees F. Solid Oxide.
Some developers also see solid oxide use in motor vehicles.
A 100-kilowatt test is being readied in Europe. Two small, 25-kilowatt units are already on line in Japan. One type of solid oxide fuel cell uses an array of meter-long tubes. Other variations include a compressed disc that resembles the top of a soup can. Long used by NASA on space missions, these cells can achieve power generating efficiencies of up to 70 percent.