By Elijah Chia
(INCHEON NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, n.d.)
Hydrogen fuel cells are able to solve the issue of harmful emissions being produced from transportation. Many forms of transport today still use fossil fuels that are not renewable and create pollution that contributes to climate change, and global warming as a whole. They release harmful emissions (CO2) when burned for energy, which gets released into the atmosphere and further warms the earth. However, fuel cells can help solve this problem by providing a way of producing energy without any emissions, or harmful byproducts, potentially replacing fossil fuels and drastically reducing pollution.
Hydrogen fuel cells are a type of electrochemical cell. This means that it converts energy between electrical and chemical forms. Or in other words, convert the fuel or chemical energy and oxygen into electrical energy. They utilize the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen gas in order to produce electricity, which can be used to power vehicles, houses, and machines. Additionally, hydrogen is known as a highly reactive fuel and can react violently with oxygen. However, this reaction doesn’t take place at room temperature and instead can only be done through the help of an external energy source (such as a spark). Hydrogen is also a very light gas and requires the fuel cell to be pressurized in order to store a large amount of hydrogen in a small space.
Furthermore, hydrogen can be accessed by all and is not restricted to geographical locations, unlike current fuel sources today like oil. Where only a few countries have access to oil reserves, hence allowing them to have a dominant role in this specific market. This results in a very high demand for these natural, non-renewable resources, practically forcing the continuation of digging them up, which requires more money, and time and ultimately further contributes to global warming due to the emissions that come from the machines being used. The further development and widespread implementation of hydrogen fuel cells may significantly reduce the number of harmful emissions being released into our atmosphere, providing better air, and potentially solving the issue of global warming.
However, hydrogen fuel cells at the moment are very expensive, due to them being a relatively newly developed technology. This makes both improving fuel cell technology and using them (transport-wise) very costly. As a result, people are often more inclined to use other types of cars because they are deterred by the high cost of ownership, as well as the lack of support for this new technology. Unlike regular petrol cars with easily accessible gas stations, hydrogen fuel-powered cars have little infrastructure in place for them to refill. In California (the place of most hydrogen fuelling stations), there are only 40 fuelling stations, and the cost per kilogram (kg) is an average of $13.99 (USD), compared to regular petrol which is only $5.60 per kilogram (specific to California).
As of right now, hydrogen fuel cell technology is not the most viable, and still needs time to further develop and cement itself as a sustainable alternative. This technology needs more widespread implementation before it can be used practically amongst people. Doing so will also help decrease the cost of using hydrogen fuel cells in general. They have shown great potential to be used in many forms of transport, and even commercial usage inside people’s homes. Since hydrogen fuel is so light, it requires less mass (of fuel) to travel the same distance as other forms of fuel. This makes it especially viable for long-distance forms of transport that can be used in boats or big vehicles that import/export goods on a global scale.
To conclude, currently, hydrogen fuel cells cannot be considered practically due to the expensive costs that come with buying and using them. However, it shows great potential in being able to really cut down on harmful emissions coming from transporting people or goods worldwide.
References:
The truth about hydrogen fuel cell cars. (n.d.). Edpuzzle. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://edpuzzle.com/media/615c0c8e69fbad419050e795
Spiegel, J. E. (2020, October 16). Fuel cells: Pros and cons. Yale Climate Connections. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2016/11/fuel-cells-pros-and-cons/
An Introduction to Hydrogen Fuel Cells. (n.d.). Edpuzzle. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://edpuzzle.com/media/615c0c1b482ef841669467a5
Hydrogen-Oxygen Fuel Cells. (n.d.). Edpuzzle. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://edpuzzle.com/media/615c0b3f4ecf9041a7b0c453
How Hydrogen Fuel Cells Work. (n.d.). Edpuzzle. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://edpuzzle.com/media/615c0c1b0c1cb0417bc1af27
Fuel Cell Demo. (n.d.). Edpuzzle. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://edpuzzle.com/media/615c0c1b471cef415aff8b2c
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