What's the status of FCV research?

6/22/2010 2:04 PM EDT

While FCVs are really a cool idea, I have to say that using compressed gaseous H2 seems a losing proposition. In a past life, I worked for a major H2 PEM fuel cell company, and was as much in love with the idea of FCVs as anyone. However, the thermodynamic laws behind the processing/transportation/compression/etc of hydrogen make if unappealing from an energy balance point of view. I once took umbrage at a colleague's use of the term "fool cell" to extract the essence of our situation, but have come to agree with him. Without some MAJOR MAJOR breakthroughs in hydrogen "production," transportation, and storage (both on-vehicle and at refueling sites), the FCV will remain impractical, ineconomical, unsustainable, and not even "green." Sorry to be a wet blanket.

6/24/2010 4:12 AM EDT

I think that they can be if we want them to be. The issues of creating distribution sites may be simpler than we think but they may not be the greenest things at first. In Europe full scale submarines are running on Hydrogen fuel cells. The technology can be scaled up and down readily. In one of my workshops is a welding torch with Hydrogen and Oxygen as the fuel, both produced in a simple electrolytic cell. Yes, it draws quite a bit of current to do so but if each dispensing site could produce the hydrogen this way it would not need to be transported and re-handled which is what increases risk so much. The issue is of course, that the world at this point is often short of water as well as fuel and until the population plateaus that will continue to be an issue. I think on balance however FCV's can have a very real and exciting future. Like so many choices we face, will-power and bold decisions will solve the difficulties - because they are not tecnical ones.

6/25/2010 6:05 PM EDT

Hydrogen and fuel cells will not be viable for quite a while and perhaps never. The fundamental question is where do you get the hydrogen? Today most hydrogen comes from natural gas. That may not work if there is a huge demand for hydrogen.

Storing and transporting the stuff is the next big problem. Hydrogen sources are hardly ever where you need to use it.

There was a good article in Scientific American a few years ago on alternate fuels. Their conclusion was that there were very few niche uses of hydrogen that made any sense, but for sure you would never use it in a vehicle!

9/21/2010 1:56 AM EDT

hydrogen will never be as cheap as pure electric, though. fuel cell assemblies are just as, if not more expensive than batteries, so the car cost would be equal. using electricity to make, store, and transport hydrogen, and then turning it back to electricity is a 25% efficient process, at best. charging and discharging a battery is over 95%, easily. you will be paying for 4x the electricity you're actually receiving. that's also assuming there's no middlemen in the production/storage/transportation/fuel stations getting profits at each step.

and range? same as battery power, plus the "convenience" of having to drive around looking for a hydrogen station instead of, you know, anyone's garage.

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1/9/2012 1:41 AM EST

However, fuel cell technology faces another greater challenge along with above two problems.
Waste or exhaust of the Fuel cell vehicle is water(I do not know other chemical components) which is dangerous. How can we handle this?
Any expert answer this?