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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is a fuel cell?

    A fuel cell is an “electrochemical device that produces electricity without combustion. The optimal energy carrier for fuel cells is hydrogen (which can be extracted from methanol, natural gas, water or petroleum products). When hydrogen is combined with oxygen (from air) it produces electrical energy. The conversion process is environmentally benign: only heat and water are emitted as by-products. Environmentally, hydrogen is the optimal energy carrier for fuel cells, because fuel cells that run on hydrogen have zero emissions.

    By the nature of its electrochemical reaction, a fuel cell can be more than twice as efficient as an internal combustion engine. A conventional engine burns fuel to create heat and in turn converts heat into mechanical energy and finally electricity. A fuel cell produces electricity, water and heat directly from hydrogen and oxygen. Fuel cells are like batteries in that they are electrochemical devices, but unlike batteries do not need recharging and will continue to operate as long as they are provided with fuel (hydrogen).

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  • What is a fuel cell stack?

    A fuel cell stack is a number of fuel cells stacked together like a sandwich using bipolar plates (an anode and cathode combined in one). One advantage of fuel cell technology is to achieve any desired power output you need only stack fuel cells of a certain output together.

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  • What is a fuel cell power system?

    A fuel cell power system is the complete set of components that integrate with the fuel cell stack so that electricity is produced. The fuel cell requires other systems to make it a complete power source, including air, fuel and control systems.

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  • What are PEM fuel cells?

    PEM is an acronym meaning Proton Exchange Membrane. In a PEM fuel cell the electrolyte is a proton (H+) conducting solid polymer membrane. They are also known as PEFC (polymer electrolyte fuel cell) or SPFC (solid polymer fuel cell).

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  • What are the advantages of PEM fuel cells?

    PEM fuel cells display the highest power densities of any of the fuel cell types, which makes them particularly attractive for transportation and portable applications where minimum size and weight are required. They contain no corrosive liquid electrolyte and can be robust in construction and are modular and scalable in design. They are low temperature fuel cells which usually operate below 100 degrees C. This means that unlike high temperature fuel cells such as solid oxide, which operate at ~600 degrees C they can be fabricated from cheaper, less exotic materials. The low temperature of PEM fuel cells can also be an advantage when low thermal signature is desired. PEM fuel cells also have the advantage of potential application across a very wide range; from portable power at a few watts to hundreds of kilowatts for vehicular and stationary power.

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  • What things can PEM fuel cells be used to power?

    PEM fuel cells can be used in portable electronic and electrical devices, such as laptops or power tools, to generate heat and power for domestic and distributed generation, to provide auxiliary and back-up power in a wide range stationary and transport applications and to provide propulsion power to motorbikes, cars, buses, submarines, unmanned vehicles and light aircraft.

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  • When will fuel cells be commercially available to consumers?

    PEM fuel cells are at the pre-commercial and early market entry stage today, poised to enter a wide range of markets, but their actual entry in to specific markets will depend on a number of factors. We are already seeing the introduction of fuel cells in a commercial context – the motive sector for example is now in the fleet trials stage of product role out, and fuel cell systems are being fielded for back-up power application in the telecoms sector.

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  • Where does the hydrogen come from to fuel PEM fuel cells?

    Hydrogen is an energy carrier not a naturally occurring fuel and must be produced from hydrogen containing feedstock. Hydrogen can be produced from an extremely wide range of sources, but most of the world’s hydrogen is presently produced by reformation of natural gas. Hydrogen is also commonly produced by the electrolysis of water. Electrolysis requires electricity, if that electricity is produced by renewable means; the hydrogen produced is as low carbon as it is possible to be.

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  • What about using hydrocarbon fuels to produce hydrogen - doesn’t this still produce greenhouse gas and other emissions? Why not just burn the natural gas?

    There are much less polluting emissions formed by the reformation of natural gas than by burning it, although carbon dioxide production is about the same. The key thing is the energy conversion at the point of power production. If the hydrogen is burned in an internal combustion engine there is no real benefit, if the hydrogen is fed into a PEM fuel cell, with its much higher efficiencies, the amount of carbon dioxide produced can be much less. Well-to-wheel, using hydrogen produced from natural gas to feed a fuel cell produces 30% – 50% less carbon dioxide than just burning the fuel to provide the same amount of energy.

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  • How safe is hydrogen?

    Hydrogen is no more or less dangerous than other flammable fuels, including petrol, LPG and natural gas. In fact, some of hydrogen’s properties actually provide safety benefits compared to petrol or other fuels, for example it dissipates very quickly and is difficult to ignite. However, all flammable fuels must be handled responsibly. Like petrol and natural gas, hydrogen is flammable and can behave dangerously under specific conditions. Hydrogen can be handled safely when guidelines are observed and the user has an understanding of its behaviour.

    Over 50 million tons of hydrogen are produced every year and hydrogen’s safety record is excellent.

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