Climate challenges drive global governments to explore environmentally friendly power sources, including renewable technology like electric cars.
Fuel cell technology, which generates water from oxygen and hydrogen, is gaining popularity as a future energy source. Despite its potential, fuel cells have pros and cons, and their usage and production require careful consideration.
Here, we will explore some benefits and disadvantages of fuel cells.
Benefits Of Fuel Cells
They Reduced Oil Dependence
With the ability to produce hydrogen domestically, FCVs may lessen our reliance on foreign oil. These sources include renewable resources like water, biogas, agricultural waste, and fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.
As a result, our economy would become less reliant on foreign trade and less susceptible to shocks related to rising oil prices in the unpredictable oil market.
They Create Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Vehicles running on petrol and diesel produce greenhouse gases (GHGs), primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), a factor in climate change. Heat and water are the only emissions from pure hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles (FCVs).
The process used to produce the hydrogen for FCVs may produce greenhouse gases (GHGs). Nevertheless, it has fewer greenhouse gases than standard petrol and diesel cars.
They Create Fewer Air Pollutants
Highway cars are mostly responsible for the emission of dangerous particles and smog in the United States; on the other hand, fuel cell vehicles that run only on hydrogen produce no such pollutants. Pollution from the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels is present, but it is far less than that produced by driving traditional cars.
Durable and Energy Efficient in Comparison to Fossil Fuels
The hydrogen fuel cell technology provides a reliable, highly efficient power source. Hydrogen has the highest primary energy output by weight of all the mainstream fuels.
High-pressure fluid and vapor hydrogen have a gravimetric power density almost three times higher than diesel and liquefied natural gas. It has the same volumetric power density as natural gas.
Minimum Charging Time
The battery packs in hydrogen fuel cells charge at a rate comparable to that of older internal combustion engines (ICE) and much faster than that of electric automobiles that run on rechargeable batteries.
Electric vehicles require many hours to charge fully, but hydrogen fuel cells may be recharged in less than five minutes. Due to their short charging times, hydrogen-powered cars offer the same level of mobility as traditional vehicles.
Disadvantages of Fuel Cells
: Fuel cells are costly to produce since catalysts (platinum) are expensive.
Inadequate infrastructure to facilitate hydrogen distribution
Many fuel cell technologies on the market today are still in the prototype stage and still need to be tested. The production of hydrogen is costly and not readily accessible.
What Is Meant by Fuel Analysis?
Fuel analysis guarantees that fuels satisfy industry and consumer demands and legal and environmental requirements. ISO and ASTM International are standard development organizations for gasoline quality and analysis.