Fuel Cell Overview
Although not new in concept, fuel cells have received considerable attention lately for their potential as clean and reliable electricity generating devices. Fuel cells cannot yet compete economically with more traditional energy technologies, but rapid technical advances are being made. Fuel cells will certainly be widely used in future decades.
What is a fuel cell?
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device used to create electricity. Much like the batteries that are found under the hoods of automobiles and in CD players and flashlights, it converts chemical energy to electrical energy. But unlike a typical battery, which holds a limited fuel supply in a sealed container, a fuel cell requires an ongoing supply of fuel to create a continuous flow of electricity. The fuels, hydrogen and oxygen, are fed to the two terminals of the fuel cell and a chemical reaction occurs which produces electricity along with heat and water. Fuel cells have great potential for a variety of applications, including transportation as well as stationary and portable power uses.
Fuel cell parts and applications
A typical fuel cell system for stationary power applications has three main parts: a fuel cell stack, a fuel processor, and the power electronics. The fuel cell stack combines streams of hydrogen and oxygen, which react and create electricity. The fuel processor produces a supply of hydrogen fuel, separating it from other elements, such as carbon in fossil fuels, to send pure hydrogen gas to the fuel cell stack. The power electronics convert direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity. A fuel cell system may also have a heat recovery system to harness excess energy for producing electricity.
Fuel cells have many potential shapes and sizes suited for diverse applications. The three main applications of fuel cells are: transportation (as in personal or commercial vehicles), portable uses (for backup generation and small electronics), and stationary installations (in large buildings and military bases).
Learn more about fuel cell parts and applications in Fuel Cell Technologies.
Fuel cell benefits and barriers
Fuel cells have a number of environmental, social, and other benefits. While they currently face market barriers due to their early stage of development, fuel cells have the potential to be more economically viable in the near future.
Because a fuel cell only consumes fossil fuels within its system, it does not release many gases into the environment. Gases that are released, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), are emitted in very low quantities. This environmental benefit may be enhanced if fuel cells can eventually use hydrogen produced by electrolysis from renewable energy sources.
Fuel cells may also be more reliable than current fossil fuel energy production, and have the added benefit of reducing dependence on foreign fossil fuel imports.
Learn more about fuel cells’ advantages and drawbacks in Fuel Cell Benefits and Barriers.
Massachusetts installations
While fuel cells are not as widely used in Massachusetts as other clean energy technologies, several important fuel cell systems have been installed to-date. Learn more about Fuel Cells in Massachusetts.
Learn more
The federal government and nonprofit organizations have a wealth of information available to the public on fuel cells. Learn more about fuel cell technologies, research and development, and challenges.