Background
A fuel cell is a device that generates energy from a certain type of fuel, mainly hydrogen.

For a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen, the two inputs undergo a reaction that will eventually form water. The hydrogen atoms will split into hydrogen nuclei (protons) as well as electrons at the anode. The hydrogen nuclei will pass through a membrane and join with oxygen atoms as well as the electrons given off earlier to form water. The electrons that are separated from the hydrogen atoms will pass through a circuit to provide electrical energy for different applications such as cars, light bulbs, hand-phones and other mini devices.

Many countries are currently researching on fuel cells. These countries include America, United Kingdom, Japan, China as well as Singapore. In Singapore, there are projects set up by students to do research on fuel cells. DaimlerChrysler has also launched fuel cell projects in Singapore.

A typical hydrogen fuel cell(right). Photo courtesy of Han Ming

Introduction
Fuel cells can be used in various applications, from mini hand-phone chargers to powering buildings.There are three main types of applications, namely stationary power, transport as well as portable power. Since fuel cells usually need hydrolysis to produce hydrogen for fuel, solar power can go hand in hand with fuel cells. Solar cells receive energy in the day; stored in the form of hydrogen, and used by fuel cells at night.

Stationary power
Stationary power refers mainly to fuel cells powering up buildings. Fuel cells can be used as either a primary power or backup power in case of a blackout. Fuel cells can practically be used in any building. Besides powering up buildings, they can also serve as a power for telecommunications since fuel cells are very durable and produce less noise and environmental pollution than conventional energy generators.

Transports

A lot of research was put into the application of fuel cells in various transports. These transports include not only cars, buses, but also others such as airplanes, trains, boats and even spacecrafts. Cars are the primary target for fuel cells in transport. Companies such as DaimlerChrysler and other major companies are working on fuel cell car projects. In the near future, hydrogen supply stations will be set up and cars will use fuel cells for energy due to the fact that they are environmental friendly.

A bus which runs on fuel cells, but such technology is still in the experimental stages(left). Photo coutesy of Gnsin

Portable power
Some fuel cells are very small compared to the ones in cars or those used for powering up buildings. They can provide energy for hand-phones as well as for other applications such as laptop computers and mp3 players. As long as there is a constant supply of fuel, energy will always be produced. Many companies worldwide have researched and shown the application of fuel cells in this area. In Singapore, powering up of minor applications such as hand-phones and radios are being featured on TV.All these applications show that fuel cells have great potential for development.

Tank for storage of liquid hydrogen. Hydrogen filling stations use the same typeof tanks to store the hydrogen in(below). Photo coutesy of Claus Ableiter

Analysis
There are many key advantages of fuel cells. Firstly, the fuel cell is an environmental friendly energy source. It does not use coal or oil which results in the pollution of the environment, global warming and other environmental problems. It releases neither toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, nor a lot of greenhouse gas such as methane or carbon dioxide. In the production of hydrogen fuel cells, the byproduct is water, which is harmless to the environment. There is a great abundance of hydrogen in water which covers more than half of world’s surface. The amount of hydrogen in space is the most compared to all other elements. Hence, the fuel for fuel cells will not run out like coal, natural gas and oil. Hence, the cost of hydrogen will not inflate like coal, natural gas and oil which will run out in years to come.Fuel cells are also highly efficient in producing energy, more effective than producing energy by combustion in diesel and gas engines, and will not produce a lot of noise compared to combustion engine which generates great noise pollution. It can help to reduce noise pollution on roads, and can have much longer operating times as compared to batteries.

The main reason for fuel cells not being able to be commercialized at this stage despite the numerous advantages it have over conventional fossil fuels is due to their high cost of production. The catalyst for hydrogen fuel cells is platinum, a rare expensive metal. Due to its high cost, fuel cells cannot really be commercialized at present. It is also difficult for the distribution, storage and transportation of hydrogen with current technology, making it quite hard to have hydrogen supply stations, also a hydrogen leakage can be very dangerous. Fuel cells are bigger in size than normal batteries, hampering the area which it can be used in, also it cannot function well in temperatures below 0 degree Celsius because water will freeze and damage the fuel cell permanently, making it not as good an option for use in temperate countries too.