Fuel Cell Advantages
So given that fuel cells are glorified batteries, why does everyone seem to be excited about fuel cells? The basic reason comes down to flexibility. While batteries are an incredibily useful portable energy source, they also impose several key limitations when they are used:
- They have a finite capacity based on the amount of reactant stored in the battery (the electrodes)
- Once the anode is depleted the battery must be recharged, which means running electons through the battery to force the normal reaction backwards to reconstitute the electrode
- The capacity of a fuel cell is only determined by the capacity of your fuel tank
- Once your fuel tank is depleted you can refuel it instead of waiting to recharge
In addition the better functionality, the ability of fuel cells to use hydrogen as fuel opens up a number of exciting options for the broader energy system of society, also known as the “hydrogen economy”.