Once they have completed their lifespan, fuel cells can be disassembled and the materials recycled. The abundance of hydrogen in the universe means that hydrogen fuel cells are a renewable source of energy.
They are also a clean method of energy production, although there are still some concerns over the use of fossil fuels for hydrogen extraction as well as the potential carbon footprint associated with hydrogen transportation, for example.
However, hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to be a completely green and renewable source of power, with the only by-products being heat which can be used elsewhere and water. In addition, fuel cells do not run down or need recharging like batteries, so long as there is a constant source of fuel and oxygen.
Hydrogen has the highest flammability range and lowest ignition energy point of any fuel, leading to obvious concerns over the safety of hydrogen fuel cells. Part of the reason for this is the speed at which hydrogen dissipates up into the air. There have also been tests done on hydrogen fuel tanks in vehicles, simulating a collision and being shot at point blank range.
The military have even strapped a rocket propelled grenade to the side of hydrogen fuel tank to simulate a direct hit and also simulated shrapnel damage. In all cases, hydrogen fuel was found to be no more dangerous than liquid fuels and in most cases less so.
In fact, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could be argued to be safer than battery electric vehicles BEV. The energy in a BEV does not vent into the atmosphere as with hydrogen, meaning that there is a danger of neighbouring cells catching fire or exploding at a later point. It is also difficult to extinguish a BEV battery fire, which produces toxic fumes. Of course, hydrogen fuel cells have been widely used for forklift trucks for over a decade without any major incidents, while thousands of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are on our roads already.
When used outdoors, hydrogen is deemed safer than other fuel types, but it can still be dangerous where it is stored or held in a place where it cannot escape. There are a lot of manufacturers who have investigated hydrogen fuel cell technology and some have created hydrogen-powered cars in small numbers, but could they meet our future transport needs? Hydrogen has been used to power engines for years and is the most abundant element on our planet, while the ability to produce a lot of power in a small device means that hydrogen fuelled cars could travel much further than all-electric vehicles.
There are also the benefits with regards to emissions, making it the cleanest fuel available. However, this also means that many manufacturers are investing in electric vehicles rather than hydrogen. Another barrier to uptake is the lack of infrastructure, with too few hydrogen fuel stations for drivers to use as they can with petrol and diesel refuelling. Despite these difficulties, there are a number of reasons why hydrogen fuel cells could be the future of the car; not least the environmental benefits, refuelling times compared to battery charging, and the abundance of fuel.
However, to truly become the future of the car, hydrogen fuel cells need investment in the technology and the supporting infrastructure to allow readily-available refuelling. Until that happens, hydrogen fuel cells will not be able to compete with EVs or petrol and diesel. Hydrogen fuel cells have been used for many decades for a wide range of applications, from small electronic devices to vehicles.
Hydrogen is the cleanest available energy and is not as hazardous as you may think. Hydrogen fuel cells are already widely used for vehicles such as forklifts, but there is a need for improved infrastructure before they can really challenge for a place as the primary method of fuelling our transport needs. However, with many very real benefits, hydrogen fuel cells look set to be part of the power generation future in some form. Renewable energy comes from sources or processes that are constantly replenished.
Hydrogen fuel cells, based upon Francis T. He later published Energy: the Solar-Hydrogen Alternative, describing his envisioned hydrogen economy where cities in the United States could be supplied with energy derived from the sun. Department of Energy. Professor T. IEA activities included the research and development of hydrogen energy technologies. The maiden flight lasted 21 minutes. At the turn for the century, this had not been a problem, as the only suitable roads for driving were in towns.
But after the First World War, nations started to build highways and roads to connect their towns. Car owners soon wanted to venture out further than the electric cars could take them. The discovery of plentiful crude oil resources reduced the price of petrol, making gasoline more affordable. But electric cars did not disappear — nor did the use of hydrogen as fuel. They simply faded out of the mass consciousness until the s gas crisis and environmental concerns brought them back to the fore.
However, hydrogen fuel cells used to power cars with electric motors are two to three times more efficient than gas-fuelled internal combustion engines. Moreover, they have zero-emissions and, because they have few moving parts, are quiet and vibration-free. Hydrogen is one of the most plentiful elements in the universe. It can be extracted from natural gas, coal, crude oil, etc.
The hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water can be easily and cleanly split apart by electrolysis, ideally using electricity from clean sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines. The resulting hydrogen can be compressed for storage and use in fuel cells. It was a Welsh physicist, William Grove, who in invented the first simple hydrogen fuel cell. Grove recombined hydrogen with oxygen — the reverse of the process of electrolysis — to produce electricity with only pure water as a by-product.
Francis Bacon, a chemical engineer at Cambridge University in the U. K, whose interest was piqued when he read the papers published by Grove some years earlier, dramatically advanced the technology in the s. Ballard has filed over international patent applications relating to hydrogen fuel cell technology since the company started using the PCT in Photo Ballard Power Systems.
Researchers are now working on many types of fuels cells, as shown by the hundreds of international patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty PCT for fuel cell-related inventions over the last few years. Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell.
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