Flash Forge has been working with the Indian industry supporting strategic sectors like Defense – Indian Navy, Indian Railways and power engineering systems, including atomic energy, for past three decades.

Flash Forge is an ASME U stamped approved vendor has presence in many countries of the world.

Global warming and high pollution in the country has directed the group to work on the solution and to lay the foundation stone for the commercialisation of Fuel Cell applications in India.

A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by a chemical reaction. Every fuel cell has two electrodes, one positive and one negative, called, respectively, the anode and cathode. The reactions that produce electricity take place at the electrodes. The fuel cell produces green energy by taking hydrogen and oxygen. The formation is due to the chemical reaction inside the fuel cell. The end product produced by the fuel cell is pure water.

Implementation of fuel cell in mobile and stationary applications would save energy, help conserve nature and improve the quality of life for human beings, and yet provide the much needed electricity for the smooth conduct of the daily routine.

The technology group decided to diversify for application into railway traction and submarine propulsion systems.

Diversification in to PEMFC fuel cell energy application is also meeting the demand for Indian Railway requirements for hydrogen based hybrid locomotives systems. The application of PEMFC is also adopted for airless propulsion for submarines. Other top research institutes from India and abroad have also joined Flash Forge as working group members for the current project and are eager to work on implementation of the fuel cell in future development of its applications under ‘Make in India’ program.

The focus of Flash Forge is on PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell or Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell), which has proven acceptability for mobile application.

The fuel cell contains polymer electrolyte, which allows the flow of protons and stops the flow of electrons through it. The anode side of the fuel cell is fed with hydrogen under specific pressure condition while the cathode needs oxygen or air to complete the reaction. The flow of hydrogen and oxygen to their respective electrodes is carried out through channels made on metallic/composite/graphite plates called channel plates or bipolar/monopolar plates.

In between the plates and the membrane there is gas diffusion layer, which evenly diffuses the gas to the catalyst, which is placed either on GDL or on the polymer membrane. The reaction at both cathode and anode is processed due to the presence of platinum on the membrane or the GDL.

The hydrogen on reaction with platinum produces H+ (protons) and e- (electrons). The protons flow through the membrane to reach the cathode side of the cell whereas the electrons cannot pass through the membrane and have to follow the outer circuit to reach the cathode side. On reaching the cathode the protons, the electrons and oxygen with the help of platinum react and complete the reaction by producing water. The external flow of electron generates current.

To implement the fuel cell application on mobile system, Flash Forge has created a team of working group members. FFPL provides custom technology solutions to clients through five divisions, collaborations and Joint Ventures with high-tech global companies.

(Flash Forge Private Limited, Visakhapatnam. Tel: 0891-3292232/2709373. Email: enquiries@f-f.co.in)