Hydrogen Power Blog

Abhishek Agarwal


A lot of talk has been going around in this country about use of alternative fuels and particularly a lot has been said about the hydrogen fuel that runs on hydrogen fuel cells. But do we have a clear understanding of how the hydrogen fuel cell works? Definition can be made very simple or on other hand it can be explained in a very complicated terminology .In the cell the conversion of chemicals namely oxygen and hydrogen into water happens in the fuel cell and in this process electricity is produced. A battery is a similar device that works on the electrochemical principle. A battery stores all its chemical inside its compartment and conversion of these chemicals happens inside resulting in the production of electricity. After the chemical inside finishes the battery stops producing electricity and is considered “dead”. Eventually it is either thrown or recharged.

Fuel Cell: Does it “die”

Unlike the battery, in case of fuel cell the cell never dies – as long as the flow of chemical is maintained in the cell, the fuel cell continues producing electricity .Oxygen and hydrogen are the most commonly used chemicals in the fuel cell. The end product of hydrogen fuel cell is water vapor and that is a big advantage. There are many types of fuel cell which has been produced; main among them is the polymer exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The department of energy is concentration on this type as it has the potential of being used for vehicle applications

The positive thing about PEMFC is that it has a high power density with relatively lower operating temperature (ranging from sixty to eighty degrees Celsius or 140-176 degrees Fahrenheit) .Due to its low operating temperature it doesn’t take much time for the fuel cell to warm up and start producing electricity. That is big plus point for PEMFC.

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is another promising prospect that can be used for powering the vehicles. This is another type of fuel cell that has similar feature with regard to operating temperature. But they are relatively less efficient and are more expensive. This is due to the fact that DMFC requires a good quantity of platinum to act as a catalyst

Hydrogen Fuel Cell: An Emerging Technology

Hydrogen fuel is the new generation of alternative energy. This is due to the fact that hydrogen fuel cell burns cleanly and also runs efficiently .Thus the dreams and hopes of supporters of alternative fuel energy seems to be coming alive They can see a clean and an efficient vehicle that runs fantastic and has very low and safe emission .

John DeLellis


Business executives in other major oil and automobile companies scrambled to create crash programs to drastically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and fit into the plan.  The plan was to accelerate breakthroughs in how homes and businesses used energy, and how automobiles were powered. Within the next few weeks there will be some companies offering business opportunities in this new, exciting and profitable field of hydrogen conversion kits for cars and trucks.

Fuel cells are very high efficiencies in converting chemical energy to electrical energy since they not constrained by the maximum Carnot cycle efficiency as combustion engines are.  Hydrogen cars use a chemical reaction rather than a burning process for motive power Conventional cars burn fossil fuel and Hybrid Cars use smaller amounts of the same fuel to charge their batteries.  Using hydrogen as a supplemental fuel like use in hydrogen for cars concept is a safe and sound and efficient alternative that’s offered right now.  General Motors will also continue to invest in hydrogen fuel cell technology, which — when commercially deployed — will reduce automobile emissions to non-polluting water vapor.

Hydrogen cars do however; have the potential to be better cars than Hybrid Cars in several ways so we need to compare their known characteristics.  Hydrogen fuel burns both hotter and faster than fossil based fuel and is therefore much more efficient.  Hydrogen car fuel is not just a subject for exploring new energy horizons it opens up new possibilities in our mode of travel.  Hydrogen fuel generates lower engine operating temperature and there is no emission of hazardous fumes by its use.  Hydrogen fuel cells attract more attention because hydrogen is supposed to be pollution free.  Hydrogen fuel cell cars, water power cars, whatever you call them it all comes down to the same thing and that’s cheap clean fuel.

Hydrogen for cars is not a new concept, in fact it has been around for a long time, but due to pressure from the big oil companies it has been suppressed and kept out of the public eye.  The hydrogen for cars is later used by the fuel cell to transform its chemical energy into electric and mechanic energy to drive the car.  In the past people have been reluctant to use hydrogen technology, but now because of the unstable oil and gasoline prices and the poor state of the economy it seems that everyone is looking for alternative energy and cheaper fuels, and hydrogen for cars is gaining in popularity as a way to cut the high cost of motoring.

Roger Vanderlely


The capacity to mass produce hydrogen powered vehicles and the fuel required to run them has been available for many years, yet industry experts still estimate that the technology is 10 to 20 years away from being a mainstream fuel supply.  This is not due to a lack of experience by manufacturers in the production of Hydrogen fuel cells, or vehicles that run on them.

The first Hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle was built in the 1960s by General Motors in the United States.  Hydrogen fuel cells were also used in space by NASA in the 1960s.  Given the impressive pedigree and early development of this fuel, why is it not yet a commercial reality?

The facts are that Hydrogen is a very dangerous substance, and these dangers are present not just at the consumer end but all the way through production, transportation and storage.  A tank of pressurized Hydrogen in many ways the same as a time bomb.  Any damage to the structure of the vessel containing the Hydrogen could result in a powerful explosion, even from relatively small tanks like those that would be fitted to automobiles.

There is also the issue of using electricity to produce Hydrogen in the first place.  This itself is quite energy intensive and involves losses of energy at each stage of transformation from one form to another, such as when electrical energy is converted into chemical energy to form the Hydrogen molecules.  Even if this electricity was generated from clean sources such as solar panels, it could be used directly to charge batteries or supply a grid with greater efficiency than for producing Hydrogen.

So what is the future of the fuel cell?  Fuel cells do not have to run only on Hydrogen.  They can be run on many different fuels, including methanol and ethanol.  Both these substances can be produced at a far lower electricity cost than Hydrogen.  These fuels do produce Carbon Dioxide emissions however, though these could be neutralized by use of biofuel crops to produce the fuel in the first place.

Unless we are able to produce virtually limitless amounts of energy the Hydrogen economy is unlikely to emerge.  Our time would be better spent discussing the serious development of the Ethanol economy.  This technology is proven, safe and far cheaper than its Hydrogen counterpart and can be easily mated with current battery powered electrical systems.

Roger Vanderlely

For more information on biofuels, carbon reduction, energy saving ideas, kids activities and solar power facts, visit my website, http://www.green-planet-solar-energy.com.

Gregg Hall


The world in its run for progress and mechanization has almost exhausted all non-renewable energy sources that Mother Earth had provided. Global warming, depleted water sources and increased pollution have paused serious threat to the well-being of mankind. We are now looking desperately for renewable energy sources and alternate fuel. In our tryst the latest addition is hydrogen fuel cells. Developed as a part of the space program initially, more and more car manufacturers are now edging towards adopting Hydrogen Fuel Cells to power the cars.

What are Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

The hydrogen fuel cell is same as our battery cells except for the fact that in case of hydrogen fuel cells the power is produced only when hydrogen is fed to the fuel cell. The electricity produced in hydrogen fuel cell is dependent on the rate of Hydrogen flow to the cell and also on size of the hydrogen fuel cell.

What are the advantages of Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

Although along with electricity it produces heat and water, the hydrogen fuel cells produce a lot less heat than the traditional rod cells. Hydrogen fuel cells are a lot more efficient than the gasoline engines by about 20 to 30%.

These cells can be created in different sizes and as a result can be used to power smaller instruments like an MP3 player to factory buildings and towns.

For the automobile industries the biggest challenge today are its dependence on gasoline and the rate of pollution. Hydrogen fuel cells if used as internal combustion engines for cars can reduce the petroleum dependency and environmental pollution.

Not just for cars, hydrogen fuel cells can be used to power remote areas, provide electricity where roads have not yet been built and in general alleviate the living conditions. It can also be used as a portable source of energy.

It is estimated that hydrogen fuel cells may replace the traditional batteries all together in the next 50 to 100 years. If it has been successful in the space programs, it is quite evident that it will leave its mark in day-today life as well. Different government and environment agencies are also supporting the use of hydrogen fuel cells. However with all boons comes its accompanying bane. To produce hydrogen we need energy. Fossil fuels are widely used to produce that energy. Now as we all know fossil fuel too is a non-renewable energy source. So the need of the hour is a lot more research so that we can get hydrogen from a renewable energy source in order to power hydrogen fuel cells in generating electricity.

However there is no denying the fact that today we need such energy alternatives like hydrogen fuel cells that are customizable, can be used everywhere, can power anything from a small walkman to a town and the best of all reduces pollution and generated less heat. As we all know it is time that we do away with global warming!

Jack Stone asked:


The round trip is a net loss isn’t it? We use electricity to convert H2O into H and O.

Then in a hydrogen fuel cell car, we RE-convert the H and O back into H2O again.

So it is a round trip.

But since every mechanical device LOSES energy through friction and heat and waste, the round trip from H2O to H & O and back to H2O LOSES energy.

Isn’t this right? So how will a hydrogen economy run the country or replace oil-burning cars?

josh k asked:


When it comes down to it, which would have a better market and wider consumer base. I was thinking along the lines of Hydrogen fuel-cell refueling station or solar panel installation business. There are strides being taken in hydrogen automobiles and also in solar technology and cost. So which is a better idea? Thanks for your help.