Competitive Advantages
Competition for Zinc Air Fuel Cells are the traditional power source technologies - batteries and engines. However, as shown in the comparisons below, ZAFC's have the potential to offer the advantages of batteries and engines, without the disadvantages.
ZAFC vs Batteries
ZAFC vs Internal Combustion Engines
ZAFC vs Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cells
ZAFC vs Batteries
PAC’s Zinc Air Fuel Cell offers significant advantages over batteries:
Batteries |
Zinc Air Fuel Cell |
| Strengths | Strengths |
| • Silent Operation | • Silent, clean operation |
| • Relatively clean | • Suitable for indoors |
| • Suitable for indoors | •Scalable |
| • Scalable | •Low maintenance; no tracking of acid and lead content |
| Weaknesses | |
| • Short run times | • Long run times (fuel supply) |
| • Long recharge times (e.g. 8 hours) | • Short re-fueling times (in minutes) |
| • Require maintenance | • Waste is re-cycled into re-useable fuel |
| • Variable lifetimes | • Consistent lifetimes |
| • Disposal/harzardous waste issues | • Fuel re-cycling |
| • Large footprints/heavy | • Small footprint, light weight |
| • Charge status issues | • Consistent charge |
| • Derate over time (low shelf life) | • No derating (long shelf life) |
| • Low specific energy (e.g. 3wh/kg, 40 wh/lter) |
• High specific energy (200 wh/kg, 225 wh/liter) |
ZAFC vs Internal Combustion Engines
PAC’s Zinc Air Fuel Cell offers significant advantages over internal combustion engines:
Internal Combustion Engine |
Zinc Air Fuel Cell |
| Strengths | Strengths |
| • Run time limited only by available fuel supply |
• Run time limited only by available fuel supply |
| • Ability to re-fuel quickly | • Ability to re-fuel quickly |
| • Low cost | • Low cost |
| Weaknesses | |
| • Outdoor only siting | • Outdoor unrestricted siting |
| • Limited siting regulations | • Indoor siting |
| • Require exercising | • No exercising requirements |
| • Dirty and noisy | • Clean and silent |
| • Pollution issues | • No pollution (emissions) issues |
| • Fire / Explosive Hazard | • No Fire / Explosive Hazard |
ZAFC Technology vs Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cells
PAC’s Zinc Air Fuel Cell offers significant advantages over conventional Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cells:
Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cells |
Zinc Air Fuel Cell |
| Strengths | Strengths |
| • Clean, quiet operation | • Clean, quiet operation |
| • Indoor siting (except for the Hydrogen) | • Indoor siting |
| • Ability to re-fuel | • Ability to re-fuel |
| Weaknesses | |
| • Too expensive to commercialize now | • Low cost materials/components |
| • Expensive materials/components (ie: platinum catalyst) |
• Long life time |
| • Limited operating life times | • Re-cycling of fuel |
| • Exercising requirements | • No exercising requirements |
| • Limited durability | • Durable, suitable for motive applications |
| • Limited shelf life | • Long shelf life |
| • Compressed gas distribution, leakage / handling / shipping / storage issues |
• No fuel distribution/gas leakage / handling / shipping / storage issues |
| • Expensive fuel sourced mainly from fossil fuels |
• Low cost fuel – not from fossil fuel sources |
| • Siting issues due to Hydrogen fuel | • No siting issues due to fuel solution |
| • No defined disposal logistics | • Defined re-cycling and disposal logistics |
| • Hydrogen = “Fuel of the Future”, but not suitable now |
• Fuel cell and fuel suitable for commercialization now |