Hydrogen Fuel & Fuel Cell FAQ's - Our History & Future

HISTORY
In 1839, the first fuel cell was conceived by Sir William Robert Grove, a Welsh judge, inventor and physicist. He mixed hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of an electrolyte, and produced electricity and water. The invention, which later became known as a fuel cell, didn't produce enough electricity to be useful.
In 1889, the term "fuel cell" was first coined by Ludwig Mond and Charles Langer, who attempted to build a working fuel cell using air and industrial coal gas. Another source states that it was William White Jaques who first coined the term "fuel cell." Jaques was also the first researcher to use phosphoric acid in the electrolyte bath.
In the 1920s, fuel cell research in Germany paved the way to the development of the carbonate cycle and solid oxide fuel cells of today.
In 1932, engineer Francis T Bacon began his vital research into fuels cells. Early cell designers used porous platinum electrodes and sulfuric acid as the electrolyte bath. Using platinum was expansive and using sulfuric acid was corrosive. Bacon improved on the expensive platinum catalysts with a hydrogen and oxygen cell using a less corrosive alkaline electrolyte and inexpensive nickel electrodes.
It took Bacon until 1959 to perfect his design, when he demonstrated a five-kilowatt fuel cell that could power a welding machine. Francis T. Bacon, a direct descendent of the other well known Francis Bacon, named his famous fuel cell design the "Bacon Cell."
In October of 1959, Harry Karl Ihrig, an engineer for the Allis - Chalmers Manufacturing Company, demonstrated a 20-horsepower tractor that was the first vehicle ever powered by a fuel cell.
During the early 1960s, General Electric produced the fuel-cell-based electrical power system for NASA's Gemini and Apollo space capsules. General Electric used the principles found in the "Bacon Cell" as the basis of its design. Today, the Space Shuttle's electricity is provided by fuel cells, and the same fuel cells provide drinking water for the crew.
NASA decided that using nuclear reactors was too high a risk, and using batteries or solar power was too bulky to use in space vehicles. NASA has funded more than 200 research contracts exploring fuel-cell technology, bringing the technology to a level now viable for the private sector.
The first bus powered by a fuel cell was completed in 1993, and several fuel-cell cars are now being built in Europe and in the United States. Daimler Benz and Toyota launched prototype fuel-cell powered cars in 1997.

Hydrogen, it's everywhere.
It's in the water we drink and bathe in, the water we swim in on hot summer days. It's in the rain that falls from the sky, the snow we sled on in the winter, and it's in the very oceans that support the life of our planet. It is the most plentiful element on earth and it has the distinct possibility of becoming the energy carrier that will fuel our culture far into the future. Read on for just a sampling of the ways smart engineers are working to harness the fuel power of element #1 on the periodic table.

The Benefits of Hydrogen Over Fossil Fuels
The benefits of ditching fossil fuels for hydrogen are many, of course. Burning fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil to heat and cool our buildings and run our vehicles takes a heavy toll on the environment, contributing significantly to both local problems such as elevated particulate levels and global ones such as a warming climate. The only by-product of running a hydrogen-powered fuel cell is oxygen and a trickle of water, neither of which will cause any harm to human health or the environment.

The High Cost of Building Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles
Reining in manufacturing costs of fuel-cell vehicles is the first major issue the automakers are addressing. While several have fuel-cell prototype vehicles on the road—Toyota and Honda are even leasing them to the public in Japan and California—they are spending upwards of $1 million to produce each one due to the advanced technology involved and low production runs. Toyota hopes to reduce its costs per fuel-cell vehicle to around $50,000 by 2015, which would make such cars economically viable in the marketplace. On this side of the Pacific, General Motors plans to sell hydrogen-powered vehicles in the United States by 2010. Another problem is the lack of hydrogen refueling stations. Major oil companies have been loathe to set up hydrogen tanks at existing gas stations for many reasons, ranging from safety to cost to lack of demand. But obviously the oil companies are also trying to keep customers interested in their highly profitable bread-and-butter product: gasoline. A more likely scenario is what is emerging in California, where some 38 independent hydrogen fuel stations are located around the state as part of a network created by the nonprofit California Fuel Cell Partnership, a consortium of automakers, state and federal agencies, and other parties interested in furthering hydrogen fuel-cell technologies.

Burning fossil fuels such as gasoline or diesel adds greenhouse gases to the earth's atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat and thus warm the earth because they prevent a significant proportion of infrared radiation from escaping into space. FCVs powered by pure hydrogen emit no greenhouse gases. If the hydrogen is generated by reforming fossil fuels, some greenhouse gases are released, but much less than the amount produced by conventional vehicles.FCVs have the potential to strengthen our national energy security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. The U.S. uses about 20 million barrels of oil per day, at a cost of about $2 billion a week. In fact, half of the oil used to produce the gasoline you put in your tank is imported. Hydrogen can be derived from many sources, such as methanol, natural gas, and gasoline, as well as renewable resources such as water. This flexibility would make us less dependent upon oil from foreign countries.

Public Acceptance
Finally, fuel cell technology must be embraced by consumers before its benefits can be realized. Consumers may have concerns about the dependability and it's safety, just as they did with the first automobiles-which were considered a radically different techology at the turn of the century.
Think about it. The world that we've created for ourselves—with all of our technological developments—is fraught with hazards. But it's also filled with potential—a cornucopia of good ideas that can make our lives better, easier and richer. The caveat here is that it isn't just automatic, it requires attention and intelligent use.
We have all learned to handle dangerous but useful tools in our daily lives. We don't think twice about slicing a loaf of bread with a sharp knife, striking a hot match to light a candle or driving down the road in a car filled with a tank of explosive gasoline. We don't think about their dangers because we've learned to be smart and judicious in their use.
It is much the same case with hydrogen—new to us as a motor fuel, proper handling and safety techniques will require a learning curve. Engineers have done their part and developed safe and effective processes for transporting, storing and dispensing the fuel. It's up to us as users to be cognizant of the rules and to follow them. Visit us at Hydro-Force Fuel, LLC to learn how we have taken this bold step in safely converting your current vehicle to use Hydrogen Fuel as an alternative fuel source.