Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cells - Essay ExampleAlthough thither ar 6 challenges facing fuel cells, nations led by the U.S and Japan have taken the hold up in developing enthalpy and fuel cells as their premier energy choice of the future. Global pick out for energy is increasing at a frightening pace. World Energy Technology & Climate insurance policy Outlook WETO estimates that it will grow at an annual rate of 1.8% for the next two decades. The demand is shortly being satisfied mainly by fossil fuels that are not only expensive and anesthetise greenhouse fluffes and other pollutants into the atmosphere but are also fast depleting (European Commission, 2003, page 9, para.1). In contrast, the hydrogen energy and fuel cell system ensures energy safety and regular supply, it is economically competitive and it does not pollute the air, but in fact reduces greenhouse gases the recognition of these benefits is apparent as countries like the U.S and Japan, are laying the plat haoma t o ensure that it features heavily in the coming future. Hydrogen chemical sign H is not a basic energy source such as crude oil and gas, but an energy carrier (European Commission, 2003, page 10, para.3). It is the most in-elaborate and most plentiful element on earth. A hydrogen atom has a single proton and a single electron. Hydrogen does not exist by itself in a natural gaseous form but readily combines with other elements for example, it combines with atomic number 8 to form water H2O to form substances. Hydrogen is also contained in several organic compounds, especially hydrocarbons that are fraction of fuels like gasoline and methanol. Hydrogen can be separated from water by a surgery called electrolysis which uses electric current to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen can be split from hydrocarbons by a procedure called reforming that uses heat to carry out the separation (Renewable Energy World.com, 2009, para.1&2).A fuel cell (FIG.1) unites oxygen and hydroge n to produce electricity by an electrochemical process.