Fuel Cell Applications

In theory, a fuel cell can power anything that runs on electricity. The following applications can take particular advantage of a fuel cell's attributes. Below you'll find an explanation of why fuel cells have been eagerly pursued for development in these fields.

Most vehicles today rely on an internal combustion engine (ICE) that burns fossil fuels to generate motive force. While adequate, this system has many unpleasant side-effects (see: Why Hydrogen?). The ICE is also a poor fit to the demands of a vehicle. Electric motors are much more suitable because they deliver their maximum torque at low rpm, just when a vehicle needs it most. And when a driver heads downhill or puts on the brakes, an electric motor can double as a generator to recapture that energy and covert it back to electricity for subsequent use.

Unfortunately, the short range and tedious recharging of the 1st generation, battery-powered electric cars have tainted the notion of an electrical vehicle in the public eye. But these problems can be overcome when a fuel cell powers the vehicle's electric motor. A hydrogen tank can be refueled in about five minutes, and has a similar range to a conventional automobile. While handling hydrogen gas requires specific precautions, it is just as safe to fuel your car with hydrogen as with gasoline or natural gas. To learn more about fuel-efficient automobiles, explore the Hypercar^® Vehicle.

Fuel cells are attractive in stationary applications for a variety of reasons. They deliver unparalleled fuel efficiencies, especially in Combined Heat & Power (CHP) applications where the waste thermal energy is harvested for HVAC or industrial purposes. The Durst building at 4 Times Square New York, NY, employs fuel cells to power its base load with these benefits in mind.  In addition, their fuel cells offer a new level of reliability: if a blackout occurs, they will keep essential mechanical components and external landmark signage online. This assurance of highly reliable power led The First National Bank of Omaha to run their mission-critical credit card transaction unit with fuel cells. Their managers know that blackouts aren't just annoying—they're expensive. Hewlett-Packard estimated that a fifteen-minute outage at one chip fabrication plant would cost the company $30 million, or half the plant's power budget for an entire year. In addition to clean, quiet operation, fuel cells offer highly reliable, high-quality electricity.

Fuel cells will find their first widespread use in portable electronics. These "micro fuel cells" offer far higher energy densities than those of comparably sized batteries, allowing a typical laptop to operate unplugged for ten hours or more. Micro fuel cells also offer the added appeal of eliminating the need for battery chargers and AC adapters, as they require refueling instead of recharging. This process could be done via "hot-swapping" whereby the device does not need to be turned off to get a new full tank of energy.