ABSTRACT
Fuel cells have emerged as a vital alternative energy solution to reduce societal dependence on internal combustion engines and lead acid batteries. Fuel cells promise signicantly improved energy efciency with zero or low greenhouse gas emissions, and they are expected to play a key role in the hydrogen economy. While these benets provide reduced fuel consumption and environmental impacts, fuel cells also offer several other advantages that facilitate their use in a wide range of applications. Advantages over competing technologies include, for example, quiet operation, improved power density compared to batteries, and modularity, i.e., similar efciencies for small and large units. Commercial use of fuel cells for some applications is a reality today; however, key challenges remain before achievement of wide-spread implementation of fuel cells across a multitude of uses. Some of these challenges will be naturally overcome with increased fuel cell use and production volumes. Government incentives are enabling demonstration projects to reduce the initial market reticence for unproven technology. The operating experience being gained has highlighted opportunities for improved designs to be implemented in successive iterations of fuel cells. As production volumes increase, manufacturing processes are being improved, and costs are being reduced.
