Fuel Cell 101
What is the fuel source for a fuel cell?
What is Hydrogen and oxygen
T/F: Both Fuel cell vehicles and battery electric vehicles use an electric motor
What is true
Which type of transportation emits the most emissions?
Trucking (light and heavy duty, passenger trucks and long haul trucks)
T/F: Hydrogen is easier to ignite than other flammable gases, like methane and propane?
False, although hydrogen is very flammable, it isn't the most flammable and disperses quickly , which helps from it ever getting to the concentration is needs to ignite
Do hydrogen fuel cells emit any pollutants?
What is no
What are the products of the reactions in a fuel cell?
What is Water and Electricity
How long does it take to get refill/charge your vehicle for each?
what is for a fuel cell - a few min, battery - hours
why is it hard to use batteries for trucks or rails?
you need a LOT of power and that would be a very heavy battery
Will hydrogen cause asphyxiation (replacement of oxygen causing someone to suffocate)?
No - it is very light and disperses quickly
T/F: Hydrogen is an energy carrier
T/F: There is only one type of fuel cell
What is False, there's proton exchange membrane fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, alkaline exchange membrane fuel cells , solid oxide fuel cells, and phosphoric acid fuel cells
What is the typical mileage an electric vehicle can reach?
What is ~300 miles
T/F: Fuel cells are more efficient than a combustion engine
True, a combustion engine is less than 40%
What part of the process is the most challenging for safety: making it, storing and transporting it, using it?
What is storing and transporting
What is the most common way of making hydrogen?
What is from natural gas (i.e. steam methane reforming)
How many reactions are occurring in a fuel cell?
What is two
Which vehicle is more efficient?
What is a Battery-powered vehicle. For instance, Teslas have ~80% efficiency, whereas fuel cell vehicles are lower than than that, ~60%
What mode of transportation is hydrogen fuel cells used the most in?
What are forklifts
Why is it so hard to detect a hydrogen gas leak?
What is it's odorless, colorless, and tasteless
What is a major barrier for hydrogen grow in the clean energy landscape?
What is cost
When was the first fuel cell made?
What is the 1800s (1839 to be exact)
Besides low emissions, what are som benefits to both fuel cell vehicles and battery electric vehicles?
What is They're quieter, they have less maintenance costs, they can scale pretty easily
What are the components needed for using hydrogen in rail?
What are a fuel cell, a battery, and an electric motor
T/F: In the presence of hydrogen, some metals (like steel or titanium alloys) can actually become more brittle?
What is true
How do you store hydrogen?
What is in tanks, geological caves and/or pressurizing it to become liquid