What are the various CHALLENGES facing hydrogen fuel cell technology??

Question

What are the various PROBLEMS facing hydrogen fuel cell technology??

What are the various OBSTACLES facing hydrogen fuel cell technology??

Answer 1

1) Cost - Fuel cells are expensive, and the batteries that normally go into the vehicles (most fuel cell cars are "hybrids") are also expensive, and heavy. A lot of progress has been made in batteries recently, and some in fuel cells.
2) Fuel - Where does it come from and how do we get it where we need it? Traditional stations aren't set up for hydrogen, though the system is not too different from CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) systems. a) if we get the H2 from methane or other fossil fuels, there's still emissions to be dealt with (just upstream of where they used to be) and b) if we get it from electrolysis, the process isn't terribly efficient and we really need to be using renewable/clean energy to do it (both creating the H2 and compressing it).
3) Cold temperatures can create some problems, although a lot of progress has been made.
4) Range - It takes a lot of H2 to make even a compact car go 500 miles. Higher pressure tanks and other storage scenarios are under development.

Answer 2

Hydrogen may have a place, but it is not what it is being painted to be. The challenge would be to produce and use hydrogen more efficiently than new battery technologies. In practical terms, this is just about impossible, as research continues to produce better batteries.
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What is largely missing from the public discussion of Hydrogen fuel cells is that Hydrogen, in the form available to us, is not a fuel. It is, in fact, just like a battery. Start with water, add electricity, and get hydrogen. Then at the fuel cell, we get water and electricity back out.
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This is a reversible chemical process, exactly what happens inside a battery. The hydrogen simply "carries" the energy provided by the electricity. There is no energy gain - only the energy provided by the electricity is available. Except this process is much LESS efficient than a battery.
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Batteries are better than 80% efficient. The hydrogen process (remember, the WHOLE process has to be considered - you can't pretend hydrogen magically appears) is usually less than 40% efficient.
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The only advantage hydrogen had was fast fueling, compared to batteries that take hours to charge. But this advantage is now negated by the introduction of batteries that can charge in ten minutes. (Example - see the batteries in this electric car: http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com )

Answer 3

The source of the fuel is the major challenge for such technology. You will need to get it from a source that is naturally formed, and very abundant in the environment. Water then become the favourite choice for being the source of hydrogen gas. However, as the H-O bond is very strong, we would need to device a technique that can efficiently produce hydrogen gas in high yields.

Hydrogen storage is also a main concern. Gases occupy a larger volume than liquids, so that means cars that use hydrogen fuel would need to refill its tank faster than cars that use petrol. If we want to pack more gas into the tank, we would also like to consider the material of the tank as more gas means higher pressure. Hence, we need to device a method to store hydrogen in other forms that occupy lesser volume, and at the same time, release the gas everytime we need it. This will also means lesser chances of hydrogen gas exploding in the chamber.

=P

Answer 4

You put more energy making the Hydrogen then you get out. You use way more fossil fuel producing the hydrogen gas.

Answer 5

requested and responded, is a court of regulation you may want to be held in contemp of court. no, it proves not something that we do not already comprehend, geeze, get off of this.. The gasoline cellular is a least 3 circumstances as previous as you're. the problem is , H2 isn't a gasoline. allow me say this back, H2 isn't a gasoline. H2 is a battery. Why, because H2 would not exist in the international everywhere, similar to Lithium batteries do not exist, guy ought to MAKE both one in each of them.

Answer 6

Cost

Answer 7

It takes more energy to separate hydrogen and oxygen than the product would provide.

2H2O + E --> 2H2 + O2