What Is The Most Promising Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology For The Future Of Sustainable Energy

Introduction

In recent years there has been an ever growing requirement for a sustainable method of storing and generating energy, due to increasing populations and developing economies. As a result of technological advancements, there are a multitude of appliances and vehicles reliant on a lightweight, energy efficient method of energy storage. As well as meeting the requirement of being lightweight and energy dense, it is becoming more important that these storage methods do not have a negative impact on our environment. For this reason, the current methods of using batteries in portable appliances and internal combustion engines in vehicles must be replaced. We have already seen the effects of hydrocarbon combustion on the environment, the main issue with which being the CO2 emissions and resultant increase in global warming. As a result, it is vital that research is done into making other energy storage methods more viable. It is important that for any energy storage method, it must be suitable for a range of applications, for example in transport, industry, portable appliances and space travel. The main sources of storage that show promise are fuel cells. This is mainly due to the primary advantage of fuel cells they do not require recharging with external electricity, but rather only require a constant supply of fuel and oxidiser (FuelCellToday, 2012). Fuel cells also provide other advantages such as releasing lower emissions and higher efficiencies. The aim of this article is to make a justified conclusion on the most promising fuel cell, one which could soon find itself in widespread use for sustainable energy generation, in an attempt to reduce the world s fossil fuel combustion and consequential CO2 emissions.

The need for alternative energy sources

It is well known that since the industrial revolution there has been a rapid increase in CO2 emissions due to human activity. This is thought to account for the steady increase in the average temperature of the earth, and if measures are not taken in an attempt to counteract this, there will undoubtedly be serious consequences for the future of our planet. Automotive exhaust emissions are among the largest sources of urban air pollution (P.P Edwards, 2007), therefore it is vital to find an alternative, sustainable source of fuel for use in vehicles that is viable in the near future. It is popular belief that fuel cells fit this descri ption. However, the use of fuel cells in not limited to vehicles. Fuel cells have been considered for use in stationary and portable energy generation, and have even been used in military applications. It is for this reason that Hydrogen energy is being considered as a serious competitor to fossil fuels. Energy security is extremely important today (P.P Edwards, 2007). There have been concerns over the security of energy sources due to the scarcity of fossil fuels, and their inevitable loss. In contrast, hydrogen is the third most abundant element on earth, and although it is primarily found in compounds rather than in elemental form, it can be generated using a variety of sustainable energy sources, such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. These methods are primarily used to provide electricity for electrolysis, forming hydrogen from water. This keeps the whole process sustainable, and the only emissions come from the production of the cell (P.P Edwards, 2008).