Fuel cell industry revenues surpassed $1 billion in 2012, with Asian pacific countries shipping more than 3/4 of all fuel cell systems shipped globally. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that transform chemical energy in fuels directly into electrical energy. Fuel cells work in the same way as batteries do, except they don't need to be recharged. A fuel cell produces electricity using the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels in a clean and efficient manner. Only electricity, water, and heat are produced when hydrogen is used as a fuel. Fuel cells offer high efficiency and low environmental impact power generation. This article will explain to you about Fuel Cells which will be helpful in preparing the Environment syllabus for the UPSC Civil service exam.

What is a Fuel Cell?

• A fuel cell is a device that uses a chemical reaction to generate electricity.
• A positively charged ion (Hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (oxygen) are used in fuel cells.
• Fuel cells come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they all have a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte that permits positively charged (hydrogen) ions to travel between the two sides.
• Fuel cells differ from batteries in that they require a constant source of fuel.
• Direct current (D.C) is produced by both batteries and fuel cells.

Fuel Cells- Working

• Fuel cells are similar to batteries in that they do not run out of power or require recharging.
• As long as fuel is available, they create electricity and heat.
• A fuel cell is made up of two electrodes sandwiched around an electrolyte: a negative electrode (or anode) and a positive electrode (or cathode).
• The anode receives fuel, such as hydrogen, while the cathode receives air.
• A catalyst at the anode of a hydrogen fuel cell divides hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons, which travel along distinct pathways to the cathode.
• The electrons travel through an external circuit, causing electricity to flow.
• Protons go through the electrolyte to the cathode, where they combine with oxygen and electrons to form water and heat.

Fuel Cells - Advantages

Low Emission

• At the source, a fuel cell powered by pure hydrogen emits no pollutants.
• A stationary fuel cell power plant produces less than one ounce of pollution per 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity produced, according to recorded statistics.

No Noise Pollution

• Fuel cells are extremely quiet – about 60 decibels, or the volume of a regular conversation – because they do not rely on combustion and have few moving parts.
• Fuel cells can be placed indoors or outdoors without being noticeable because noise pollution is virtually minimized.
• Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are the least polluting of all fuel-consuming cars, emitting zero pollutants when in use.

High Efficiency

• Fuel cells are essentially more efficient than combustion systems because they generate energy electrochemically rather than burning fuel.
• Using hydrocarbon fuels like natural gas, fuel cell devices today reach 40-50 percent fuel-to-electricity efficiency.

Energy Security

• Hydrogen can be made from domestic resources, removing the requirement for foreign oil imports.
• Fuel cells are a type of distributed generation that allows the country to shift away from dependency on high voltage central power generation, which is subject to attacks and natural catastrophes, because they do not need to be connected to the electrical grid.

Constant Power Supply

• Fuel cells help vital communications networks by supplying critical connections and constant power during weather events like hurricanes and snowstorms, which can knock down the power grid.
• Over the last few years, fuel cells have demonstrated their worth by supplying consistent backup power to schools, hospitals, and grocery shops, all of which deliver critical goods and services to communities.

Durability

• Fuel cells can be placed everywhere power is needed, whether on rugged terrain or in extreme conditions.
• Portable fuel cells have proven themselves in combating the military, providing soldiers with crucial power while emitting minimal heat and noise.

Scalability

• Fuel cells are modular and can be built up to meet a facility's power requirements.
• Larger fuel cells can be coupled together to produce multi-megawatt outputs, while smaller fuel cells can be used to meet specialised power needs in residential, telecommunications, and small business settings.

Light Weight And Longer Life

• Portable electronic gadgets, such as laptops and cell phones, are being created with fuel cells.
• Fuel cells have a substantially longer operational life than batteries, and they are lighter than equivalent battery systems because they have a higher energy density.
• Fuel cells do not need to be recharged; as long as fuel is available, the system will generate energy continually.

Fuel Cells - Disadvantages

Hydrogen Extraction

• Hydrogen, while being the most plentiful element in the universe, does not exist on its own and must be collected from water or separated from carbon fossil fuels.
• Both of these processes demand a substantial amount of energy to complete.
• This energy may be greater than that obtained from hydrogen alone, as well as being more costly.
• Furthermore, this extraction usually necessitates the use of fossil fuels.

Requires Investment

• Hydrogen fuel cells require investment to reach the point where they can be considered a truly viable energy source.
• This will also necessitate political will to devote time and resources to research and development in order to advance and mature the technology.
• Simply put, the global problem for widespread and sustainable hydrogen energy development is determining the most cost-effective way to incrementally establish the "supply and demand" chain.

Cost of Raw Materials

• Fuel cells and some types of water electrolysers often require precious metals such as platinum and iridium as catalysts, which means that the initial cost of fuel cells (and electrolysers) can be significant.
• Some people have been put off by the expensive expense of hydrogen fuel cell technology.

Regulatory Issues

• Regulatory issues pertaining to the framework that defines commercial deployment models also provide a hindrance.
• Commercial ventures may struggle to achieve a financial investment choice if there are no clear regulatory frameworks in place to help them comprehend their cost and revenue bases.

Overall Cost

• Hydrogen fuel cells now cost more per unit of power than alternative energy sources, such as solar panels.
• Although hydrogen is more efficient once created, the cost is now a barrier to broad use.
• This cost has a knock-on effect on future expenses, such as the price of hydrogen-powered automobiles, making widespread adoption improbable for the time being.

Hydrogen Storage

• Hydrogen storage and transportation is more difficult than it is for fossil fuels.
• As a result, additional expenditures for hydrogen fuel cells as a source of energy must be considered.

Infrastructure

• The infrastructure for this power source already exists because fossil fuels have been used for decades.
• Large-scale adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology for automotive applications would necessitate new refueling infrastructure, while start-to-end refueling is likely to be employed for long-range applications such as HGVs and delivery trucks.

Highly Imflammable

• Hydrogen is a highly combustible fuel, thus safety concerns are warranted.
• At concentrations ranging from 4 to 75 percent, hydrogen gas burns in the air.

Fuel Cells - Applications

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

• Fuel-cell vehicles offer a high energy conversion efficiency and near-zero pollution, with CO2 and water vapour being the sole emissions, compared to vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.
• In terms of enhanced efficiency and easier and faster refueling, fuel-cell-powered EVs (electric cars) outperform battery-powered EVs.
• Diesel buses are a common mode of transportation in India, and they generate considerable amounts of SPM and SO2.
• As a result, fuel-cell powered buses and electric cars might be adopted relatively quickly to significantly reduce urban air pollution and improve urban air quality.

Power Generation

• Nonrenewable fuels are used in conventional large-scale power plants, which have major negative ecological and environmental consequences.
• Fuel cell devices are ideal for decentralized power generation on a small scale.
• Commercial buildings, hospitals, airports, and military installations in distant places can use fuel cells to provide combined heat and power.
• Fuel cells have a 55 percent efficiency compared to 35 percent for traditional power plants.
• The emissions are substantially lower (the sole emissions being CO2 and water vapour).
• Fuel cell systems are modular (i.e., additional capacity may be added very easily as needed) and can be set up anywhere electricity is needed.

Airplane

• The world's first propeller-driven airplane powered entirely by a fuel cell took to the air in 2003.
• The fuel cell was designed as a stack so that it could be integrated into the plane's aerodynamic surfaces.
• In 2007, a Horizon fuel cell unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) achieved a new record for the longest distance flown by a tiny UAV.
• In February 2008, Boeing researchers and industry partners performed experimental flight tests of a piloted airplane powered only by a fuel cell and lightweight batteries across Europe.

Fuel Cells - Related Initiatives

National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020

• The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 intends to promote hybrid and electric vehicles throughout the country in order to ensure national fuel security.
• From 2020 onwards, an ambitious goal of 6-7 million hybrid and electric vehicle sales per year has been set.
• To jumpstart this nascent technology, the government intends to provide fiscal and monetary incentives.
• The government intends to provide financial assistance to buyers who purchase hybrid and electric automobiles.

FAME India Scheme

• Since April 1, 2015, the Department of Heavy Industry has been administering the FAME India scheme, which stands for "Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in India."
• The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan includes FAME India.
• FAME's main goal is to stimulate the use of electric vehicles by giving financial incentives.
• The scheme provided subsidy benefits to vehicles in most segments, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, electric and hybrid cars, and electric buses.

Conclusion

Fuel cell technology has been predicted to be the future for over a century. Because of current advances in material sciences, it may become a reality in specialised applications in the future decades. India, along with the United States and the United Kingdom, has the most publications on fuel cell technology. New diagnostic procedures are being developed by scientists to assist optimize the cost and longevity of fuel cell installations. It's critical to be able to support novel catalysts that lower costs, improve performance, and increase the stability of catalyst systems. Novel fuel cell technologies based on alkaline conducting membranes, for example, are an important area for lowering the total cost of fuel cells and generating new markets.