Hydrogen and fuel cells
Fuel cells are very efficient energy converters that may fit perfect into a sustainable society.
Vision
Fuel cells are very efficient energy converters that may fit perfect into a sustainable society. Substituting internal combustion engines, steam turbines or batteries they could be used in widely different applications, e.g. in vehicles, for combined heat and power production, or in portable electronic devices (lap tops, cell phones). The varying applications will use different types of fuel cells. The fuel cell itself is considered very environmentally friendly, being silent and with its only products being water, heat and electricity.
Challenges
Although the principle of the fuel cell is known since many years, most of the fuel cell techniques are not yet mature. In order for the fuel cells to be commercially viable life time and reliability of the systems must increase, while costs must decrease. For the fuel cells working at low temperatures (< 200°C) it is essential to reduce the amount of precious metals used in the cells, both from a cost and a resource perspective.
Research groups
These are the research groups performing research related to hydrogen and fuel cells.