Introduction To Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Hydrogen fuel cells are batteries that use hydrogen to store energy. Its basic principle is the reverse reaction of water electrolysis, which supplies hydrogen and oxygen to the anode and cathode respectively. After hydrogen diffuses outwards through the anode and reacts with the electrolyte, electrons are released to the cathode through the external load. It is an electrochemical power generation device that directly converts chemical energy into electric energy. Hydrogen fuel cells have been used in the space field since the 1960s. As people continue to master a variety of advanced hydrogen production technologies, hydrogen fuel cells have been used in power generation and cars. As one of the new energy vehicle technology routes, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle has attracted worldwide attention. Japan is an important promoter of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the world. Some developed European and American countries have also accelerated the construction of hydrogen refueling stations, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have begun to enter the commercial demonstration stage.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are regarded as the ultimate environmental solution due to their high energy efficiency, no pollution, low noise, long life, rapid start-up, and large specific power. However, the catalysts of hydrogen fuel cells mainly use platinum, which is expensive, and the cost is very high. In addition, imperfect infrastructure and high energy consumption of hydrogen production also restrict the development of the industry. In the future, hydrogen fuel cells will have a wide range of application markets and development space after breaking through the constraints of cost, durability, infrastructure construction and so on.