The fuel cell works through electrochemistry, so it achieves a higher efficiency than combustion engines
Hydrogen is considered the fuel of the future, which is why there are more and more filling stations in Europe that make it possible to refuel this type of vehicle with ease and speed. While it is practically impossible to find a gas station in Spain where hydrogen can be refueled, the arrival of this fuel is part of the main decarbonization plans, so that hydrogen plants will soon become a reality.
The operation of a fuel cell car, simplified to the maximum, would be the electrochemical process that takes place when hydrogen is mixed with oxygen. During this mixing, electricity is generated that goes to some batteries and from the batteries to the engine, the only emission being water vapor and nitrogen.
Safety when using hydrogen vehicles starts with the safety of this connection itself. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements in the universe, it is the lightest and also non-polluting. Like all fuels, it requires proper handling. But no further than the correct use of petrol, diesel or natural gas. Likewise, hydrogen storage tanks are specially designed to ensure the safety of hydrogen vehicles.
With regard to the production of hydrogen for use as an alternative fuel, there are currently several methods. The president of the Spanish Hydrogen Association, Javier Brey Brey, explains to ABC which are the most developed and the most “eco”.
A first method is the so-called “steam reforming of natural gas”. This process “combines methane (the main component of natural gas) with water vapor to produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen through an endothermic chemical reaction (it requires adding heat to the process). It has been the traditional method, and the one most has been used to produce the hydrogen that the industry asked for.”
A second method is by electrolysis of water. For example, the water molecule is dissociated into its components (hydrogen and oxygen) using electricity. Known for decades, “it is now making a strong comeback due to the improvement in electrolysis and the reduction in the price of renewable electrical energy that we have had in recent years,” said the president of the Spanish Hydrogen Association.
Burning natural gas (combined with oxygen in combustion ratios) would not produce hydrogen, but carbon dioxide and water (and thermal energy, or, of course, heat), which are the only products of the complete combustion of a hydrocarbon.
Once the methods of obtaining hydrogen are known, the next question arises as to where the energy needed for the production of electrolysis comes from, so that the whole process runs as efficiently as possible.
According to Brey, the goal is to produce hydrogen through electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources. In this way, hydrogen would not only be exempt from emissions during use, but also during production.
The efficiency of the electrolysis process is more than 80%. This means that for every kWh of electricity we use, we get at least 0.8 kWh in the form of hydrogen (gross calorific value).
Each kWh corresponds to 3.6 MJ and the higher heating value of hydrogen is 141.86 MJ/kg. “If we do some simple calculations, we see that with 1 MWh it would be possible to produce more than 20 kg of hydrogen (equivalent to about 2,500 km of autonomy in a fuel cell vehicle)”.
For those who doubt whether hydrogen production is polluting, the answer is that it will depend on the method used for production. For example, Javier Brey explains that “currently, hydrogen is mainly obtained by reforming natural gas with water vapor, a process that emits CO2 (if biogas were used in this process, the net carbon dioxide emissions would be zero). But these production was traditional, aimed at the industrial sector that consumes hydrogen».
As renewable energy sources are implemented, the availability of renewable and cheap electrical energy is increasing. And so, “if hydrogen is obtained by electrolysis of water and the electricity used in this process is of 100% renewable origin, hydrogen will be free of polluting emissions, not only in its use but also in its generation.”
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electricity in an efficient, quiet and reliable manner; it also produces heat and water.
The fuel cell does not work by combustion, but by electrochemical means, therefore it achieves a higher efficiency than combustion engines. They have no moving parts, so they do not cause noise or vibration and are easier to maintain. In addition, they generate no polluting emissions or greenhouse gases; plain water.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
