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Fuel cells are electrochemical cells that convert the chemical energy of a fuel and an oxidizing agent to electrical energy through a pair of redox reactions. The electricity produced can be used to power small appliances as well as automobiles and even industrial and residential buildings.
In most cases, the redox reaction of a fuel cell takes place between hydrogen, which acts as the fuel and oxygen, which acts as the oxidizing agent.
Advantages of Using a Fuel Cell
A fuel cell comes with a wild variety of advantages that makes using it worth it. Here is a list of the advantages that a fuel cell has.- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: Using petroleum and natural gas produces a lot of greenhouse gasses: Though there is production of carbon dioxide in fuel cells, the quantity is pretty low.
- High Reliability: Fuel cells can work continuously since hydrogen and oxygen are available in abundance.
- Flexibility in installation and operation: Fuel cells do not need much space to install and once installed, they can operate independently and only need routine maintenance.
- Development of renewable energy resources: Fuel cells mainly use hydrogen and oxygen from the atmosphere to produce electricity. The carbon dioxide released can be converted back to oxygen and used again.
- Reduced demand for foreign oil: Using fuel cells reduces the demand for oil and petroleum from foreign countries. We can save a lot of our national budget, which can be devoted to scientific and technological research and development.
- Improved environmental quality: Since fuel cells do not have much harmful emissions or do not produce any kind of waste, it improves the environment quality around it.
Applications of Fuel Cells
Here are a few applications of fuel cells in our day-to-day life.- Fuel cells are extensively used as the primary and backup power source for commercial and industrial campuses as well as in residential buildings. It is also often used as a source of power in remote areas.
- Fuel cells are often used for powering vehicles which run on electricity. They may even include heavy machinery including forklifts, tractors and trucks for logistics
- Fuel cells are also used to power personal vehicles. In fact, car models like Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity and Hyundai Nexo among many others are powered by fuel cells.
- Fuel cells are also used in mobile power generation stations. In fact, several rockets and space shuttles developed by NASA are powered by fuel cells.
- Many boats, be it a luxury yacht, or a military stealth submarine, depend on fuel cells for their power source.
