Fuel cells are one of the crucial links in the hoped for hydrogen economy, Hydrogen is an energy storage medium, a fuel, like gasoline it’s chemical energy must be converted to work by some means. In the case of a combustion engine, as we all know, fuel is combined with atmospheric oxygen and burned at high temperature, producing heat and exhaust gasses, the exhaust gasses we’re suffocating the world with. By contrast, a fuel cell oxidizes fuel, the cleanest being pure hydrogen and converts it directly to electricity and water at relatively low temperatures. In it’s simplest terms, to quote Wikipedia

Fuel cell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device. It produces electricity from fuel (on the anode side) and an oxidant (on the cathode side), which react in the presence of an electrolyte. The reactants flow into the cell, and the reaction products flow out of it, while the electrolyte remains within it. Fuel cells can operate virtually continuously as long as the necessary flows are maintained.

Fuel cells are different from electrochemical cell batteries in that they consume reactant from an external source, which must be replenished^[1] – a thermodynamically open system. By contrast, batteries store electrical energy chemically and hence represent a thermodynamically closed system.

Many combinations of fuels and oxidants are possible. A hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as its fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as its oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols. Other oxidants include chlorine and chlorine dioxide.^[2]

Another distinct advantage of fuel cells over conventional internal combustion engines is mechanical simplicity; virtually no moving parts. Add the near carbon neutral operation to this and the advantages over current motor tech is compelling, to say the least. Funny how the choices societies and individuals make may have profound unanticipated consequences. The first fuel cell was demonstrated a842. Again, from Wikipedia;

The principle of the fuel cell was discovered by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1838 and published in one of the scientific magazines of the time.^[16] Based on this work, the first fuel cell was demonstrated by Welsh scientist and barrister Sir William Robert Grove in the February 1839 edition of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science^[17] and later sketched, in 1842, in the same journal.^[18] The fuel cell he made used similar materials to today’s phosphoric-acid fuel cell.

The ready sources of petroleum extracted for transportation fuel first in the US probably doomed both the fuel cell and electric transportation, too bad for us and our grandchildren, but now as always necessity is the proverbial mother of invention (no, Frank Zappa stole the term). And so below We present a short summary of current developments from fuel cell world.

There are new teeny tiny fuel cells for your pocket

Taiwan unveils hydrogen-powered mobile phone chargers

Taiwanese researchers said Friday they have developed hydrogen-powered mobile phone chargers, in a development that could boost the island’s efforts to become a player in green technologies.

New electrode materials bring town the temperature and embrace cruder fuels

New Sulfur- and Coking-Tolerant Material Could Expand Applications for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

PhysOrg.com) — A new ceramic material described in this week’s issue of the journal Science could help expand the applications for solid oxide fuel cells – devices that generate electricity directly from a …

Umm, hello dubious folks, the sky actually is blue.

Warming, heat waves projected to grow worse with large regional variability

(PhysOrg.com) — While long-term projections call for higher temperatures and heat waves even more intense than previously thought, considerable geographic variability is also in the forecast, according to a study published …

Vinous hydrogen, right in my backyard.

Renewable hydrogen production becomes reality at winery

(PhysOrg.com) — The first demonstration of a renewable method for hydrogen production from wastewater using a microbial electrolysis system is underway at the Napa Wine Company in Oakville. The refrigerator-sized hydrogen …

Amazing what you can run through a fuel cell.

Sugar + weed killer = potential clean energy source

A spoonful of herbicide helps the sugar break down in a most delightful way.

God forbid we should ask Americans go go slower.

300 mph: New Land Speed Record for a Hydrogen Powered Vehicle

(PhysOrg.com) — One of the complaints that many have with regard to vehicles powered by alternative energy is the fact that they don’t really have a lot of speed. However, this does not necessarily have to …

Again with the nano.

Harnessing nanopatterns: Tiny textures can produce big differences

(PhysOrg.com) — Research at MIT has uncovered new information about how nanoscale patterns on the surface of a material can produce significant changes in the way it interacts with liquids. The discovery …

Lowering costs, we like that, unless its Wallmart.

Smaller isn’t always better: Catalyst simulations could lower fuel cell cost

(PhysOrg.com) — Imagine a car that runs on hydrogen from solar power and produces water instead of carbon emissions. While vehicles like this won’t be on the market anytime soon, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers …

With the optimization!

Researchers make progress in optimizing solid oxide fuel cells

While our standard of life increases, so does the worldwide energy demand. In this vein, the application of technologies based on fuel cells is put forward as an alternative to the massive consumption of fossil fuels. One …

Cutting emissions by 50% first time out. Give this five to ten more years and we cyclists will all be breathing easier.

Britain’s first dual fuel bus will cut emissions by half

A consortium brought together by low carbon experts at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is today launching the first bus in the UK to run on clean, biomethane gas.

And again with the nano, doing more with less. We may never get all the way to doing everything with nothing, but its clear we’re doing more and more with less and less.

Carbonized TiO2 nanotubes with semimetallic properties increase the efficiency of methanol fuel cells

(PhysOrg.com) — Mention of nanotubes usually means carbon nanotubes. But not all tiny tubes are made of carbon. For example, layers made of nanoscopic titanium dioxide have proven to be useful materials for biotechnology, …

The more familiar you are with this tech now, the less disoriented you’ll fell when in comes home to roost. Five to ten years and you wil own several fuels cells from chargers and battery replacements for your portable devices to, if all goes well, big ones running cars , trucks and buses cleanly quietly and efficiently. Imagine what your town or city will sound and smell like when this happens.

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