Technology

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS AN H2 FUEL CELL?

It´s a cell that uses chemical processes to produce energy from hydrogen and oxygen. The c H2 fuel cells produce direct current as a battery, but unlike a battery, it never wears out, the cell continues producing as long as there is fuel.
ARE THERE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF H2 FUEL CELL?

Yes, several classes exist, including : PEM (abbreviation in English of membrane of protonic exchange ), melted carbonate, ( of the type of fuel used by the spacial program of the EUA ). The fuel cells of melted carbonate work at very high temperatures making them more suitable for applications on major scale , for example, in electrical plants . PEM fuel cells are more appropiate for the generation of energy on a small scale, for example in vehicles.
WHAT DOES THE ACRONYM PEM MEAN?

PEM is an abbreviation in English that means membrane of protonic exchange.The one used in a cell of fuel PEM is a thin membrane that allows the hydorgen protons pass through, while the whole electrons and atoms are kept to another side .
HOW DOES THE FUEL CELL WORK?

In simple terms, the cells of fuel combine the gases of hydrogen and oxygen chemically, this way it produces water and energy.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES THE H2 FUEL CELL OFFER US?

A cell of fuel is silent , efficient and clean.the cells of fuel normally work with pure hydrogen gas ,which can be produced without pollution using the solar power. Fuel cells that use hydrogen do not produce any form of pollution , and the only byproduct is pure water. Fuel cells are efficient at about 50% compared to internal combustion engines, which get only an efficiency of 12% to 15% . Moreover, given that fuel cells have no moving parts, can be very reliable and almost completely silent.
IS IT SAFE TO BE NEAR THE HYDROGEN?

Yes, indeed . Hydrogen can be safer than gasoline .
First, hydrogen is a very light gas and, on the other hand, if there is a leakage, it will rise very quickly and diminish even through very small craks in the ceiling. Then it is dispersed into the upper atmosphere where it is inerte . The hydrogen is not toxic at all, it is impossible to contaminate the environment with hydrogen spills.
The gasoline, however, is liquid and forms puddles (which can burn easily) so it is very expensive to clean to prevent contamination of underground water. We have seen the devastating effect that oil spillage causes.Although hydrogen is not completely safe (just like any combustible matter) it is relatively safe.
WHY SHOULD WE USE SOLAR ENERGY AND H2 FUEL CELLS INSTEAD OF GASOLINE?

GPetroleum products are excellent source of energy and are compact, but we must remember that they are limited. Not to mention that they come from foosil fuels, that is to say that they are formed of bones of small animals that died millions of years ago and were burried under ground.
This is a problem for two reasons: First, the amount of oil on Earth is limited, and the current consumption rate, it is likely to be finished by the end of the century XXI, or perhaps much earlier. The other problem is carbon; When a byproduct of burning oil, carbon and other poisonous gasses are emmited into the atmosphere causes smog in the cities, and is harmful to both human health and the environment in general. Most scientists also say that burning these fossil fuels causes global warming. If we produce electricity with solar or other renewable energy resources like wind, and then store it in order to use in a fuel cell, we can greatly reduce the emission of carbon into the atmosphere, and also reduce our dependence on limited supplies of oil on Earth.
If I'm using solar energy, why do I need a fuel cell?

Solar energy is a clean resource, which provides virtually unlimited electricity, but there's a disadvantage: The sun sets at night. In the past we solved this problem with large stocks of batteries, but these batteries have a limited capacity, are very heavy, toxic chemicals can enter, and must be replaced every few years. Instead of a battery, you can use a combined system of an electrolyser and a fuel cell. The electrolyzer uses electricity (solar modules) and split water and produce hydrogen gas and oxygen. The hydrogen can be stored in tanks and then use it in a fuel cell to produce clean, silent energy at night or when there is no sun.
If I already have the hydrogen, why not just burn it like propane?

When you burn hydrogen, but produces no carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide as petroleum, high temperatures produce oxides of nitrogen, an air pollutant. More importantly, the combustion of hydrogen in an internal combustion engine produces excessive heat and is less efficient than the fuel cell to produce electricity. Burning hydrogen in a generator produces a 10% of energy while de H2 fuel cells produce 50% which means that the same quantity of hydrogen produces more energy and it´s silent, it´s also thought that these cells last a lot longer than the combustion engines.
How reliable is the fuel cell?

Fuel cells are very reliable. They have no moving parts that can be worn out. The fuel cells used in the U.S. space program has worked without failures in practical applications for several years. PEM fuel cells that have the highest expectations to use in small vehicles and similar applications, come from a relatively new technology. Therefore, it is not known exactly how long they will last. Some fuel cells have operated regularly without problems for several years and is estimated to be up for at least 20 years - perhaps many more-without having to replace them.
How muchare the fuel cells?
Currently the technology used for the construction of experimental fuel cells. Therefore, each system is built by hand using materials produced in small quantities. It is an expensive process, so the PEM fuel cells currently cost about 20 € per watt produced, depending on their size and application. In the future, with improved technology and its large scale production the cost will be lowered considerably.
Where can I buy a fuel cell?

Since we are talking about a new technology, it is difficult to buy them, although some companies sell commercial ones.
When will H2 fuel cells become a common product?

This is a matter of public interest and commercial investment, but further development each year and is gradually becoming a more common technology. There are already buses powered by fuel cells in use in Spanish cities, and several major car companies are now developing vehicles that get their electricity from fuel cells. So we may see cars powered by fuel cells on our streets in a few years. A famous French car brand, already have automobile driven by fuel cells available to customers.
If I already have an electric car, what are the advantages of using a fuel cell instead of batteries?

Batteries are very heavy, containing toxic materials and must be replaced every few years, and perhaps most importantly, it takes several hours to recharge. For a car this long to recharge means that instead of spending a few minutes at a gas station, you have to spend many hours with the car plugged into the power source. If you use a fuel cell to generate electricity to power an electric motor, the car can be powered by hydrogen. This gas is lighter and it would be possible to fill the tank in a "hydrogen station" in a few minutes and fill tanks at petrol stations the same as we do now.

SOLUTIONS

Production of electricity in an autonome and automatic way working in low temperatures and adverse conditions, computing remote control , capacity of producing from 500w to 15000w not generating any magnetic field nor any type of radiation, it helps reduce the environmental pollution, reaching the Kyoto protocol objectives and near Bali´s.

DEVELOPMENT

The continuous investigations have led us to develop a smaller stack and reduced dimention as well as lighter hydrogen tankscompared to the ones existing in the market now.

MEANT FOR

Energy anywhere... wherever you need it.

Energy generator by means of H2 fuel cells

Technology

Frequently Asked Questions