Hydrogen Fuel Cells: An Alternative to Electric Batteries?

What are hydrogen cells?

 

A fuel cell generates electricity effectively and cleanly by utilizing the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels. The only byproducts of hydrogen are the fuel heat, water, and electricity. There are a range of advantages of fuel cells. For modern-day development, fuel cells are essential. 

 

Hydrogen Cells and automobile Industry

 

In essence, hydrogen vehicles are vehicles with electric engines that use oxygen and hydrogen renewable sources to power their engines. As a result, hydrogen is used as the energy source at these “hydrogen stations” to charge these hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

 

What happens inside a hydrogen fuel cell?

 

The anode receives fuels, such as hydrogen, while the cathode gets air. In a hydrogen fuel cell, a catalyst at the bottom of the anode divides hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons.  After that, these separate hydrogen molecules travel in distinct directions to the cathode. A current of electricity is produced when the electrons pass through an external circuit. Protons go through the electrolyte to the cathode, where they combine with electrons and oxygen to form heat and water. This is the fundamental process that takes place within a hydrogen fuel cell.

 

What are the advantages of hydrogen fuel cells?

 

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can be described as very quiet, extremely energy-efficient, free of pollutants, and perform and have a range compared to that of gasoline-powered vehicles. These vehicles possess smooth power combined with cutting-edge technology which makes for an enjoyable ride for the drivers.

 

 Additionally, refueling the car takes only three to five minutes. 

Popular car models, such as sedans and compact SUVs, are offered for sale or lease by major automakers which are powered using fuel cell technology. Stakeholders are working to guarantee that drivers have widespread access to hydrogen as the number of vehicles rises in the industry. 

 

Performance-wise,  Compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell automobiles are quieter, more energy-efficient, emit no emissions, and have a comparable range. Although purchasing a fuel cell vehicle can be more expensive than buying a conventional car of a similar size,  purchasing a fuel cell vehicle is good. 

 

Disadvantageous of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

 

Although hydrogen is arguably the most common element in the world, it cannot exist naturally. it must be separated from carbon-based natural gas or extracted via electrolysis from the liquid. Both of these procedures which require extraction of hydrogen require a significant amount of power and the procedures are very expensive.

 

Collecting hydrogen is also a challenge because Compared to the transportation and storage of coal and natural gas, the transportation and storage of hydrogen is far more complicated.

As all of you know Hydrogen has obvious safety issues and is a very flammable fuel.

 

Hydrogen fuel cells or Electric batteries?

 

In contrast to batteries, which are now the industry standard for passenger cars with restricted size, hydrogen fuel cells are more adaptable and can be utilized in end-markets that require heavy machinery and long-distance transportation, like mining, construction, and trucking. 

Hydrogen fuel vehicles are also powered just like normal vehicles. Hydrogen vehicle drivers can refuel their vehicles in a short period. It is an advantage of hydrogen fuel vehicles. This feature attracts the audience for hydrogen fuel vehicles. But the only issue is that there are not enough infrastructure facilities  ( filling stations ) for hydrogen fuel vehicles.

 

When compared to traditional automobiles, hydrogen fuel vehicles also have enormous storage capacities. The capacity of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle technology to store and refill a significant amount of energy might be really helpful for vehicles such as SUVs and trucks.

 

Conclusion 

 

In summary, the fact that hydrogen can be created domestically from resources including natural gas, coal, solar energy, wind, and biomass means that hydrogen-powered vehicles have several advantages. It’s no secret that the majority of cars release dangerous pollutants into the atmosphere. Particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides are among the emissions from gasoline and diesel cars that contribute significantly to this pollution. Fuel cell electric vehicles that run on hydrogen produce only warm air and water (H2O) instead of any of these dangerous pollutants. So it makes sense to get a hydrogen-powered car if you are a nature lover.

 

Vehicles powered by hydrogen have additional drawbacks, such as higher production and fuel storage costs. To satisfy consumer expectations, lightweight vehicles’ hydrogen storage should typically allow for a driving range of more than 300 miles. Currently, storing this much hydrogen on a vehicle requires a larger tank at a higher pressure than other gaseous fuels since hydrogen has a lower volumetric energy density than gasoline. Also, the initial cost of hydrogen fuel vehicles is so high when compared to a conventional vehicle. In summary, hydrogen fuel cells are an appropriate option for larger vehicles and longer journeys.

 

References and further readings

 

https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/fuel-cells#:~:text=A%20fuel%2C%20such%20as%20hydrogen,creating%20a%20flow%20of%20electricity.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric cars | DriveClean (no date). https://driveclean.ca.gov/hydrogen-fuel-cell#:~:text=Performance,performance%20as%20valuable%20vehicle%20characteristics.

Hydrogen cars: What are they and their advantages? (2023). https://www.repsol.com/en/energy-and-the-future/sustainable-mobility/hydrogen-cars/index.cshtml.

Hydrogen fuel cell electric cars | DriveClean (no date b). https://driveclean.ca.gov/hydrogen-fuel-cell.

Etch, T. (2022) Advantages and disadvantages of fuel cells. https://techetch.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-to-fuel-cells/.

‘The importance of both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles: Complementary Technologies for cutting oil use and carbon emissions Complementary Technologies for cutting oil use and carbon emissions on JSTOR’ (no date) www.jstor.org [Preprint]. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep17282?seq=3.