Clean energy from fuel cell
S. A. Mansoor
Global warming is an unfortunate and dangerous by-product obtained from burning of hydrocarbon fuels. This phenomenon will ultimately lead to a dangerous increase in the earth's temperature, with no remedy in sight! The earth will get warmer day by day, ultimately melting the polar ice-caps. It has already started; with the disappearance of the polar permafrost and weakening of the polar ice surface. The end result will lead to major temperature imbalances; with unpredictable weather swings, more violent storms, hurricanes, and flooding. The Northwest Passage; which in earlier times could not be crossed by ships, was sailed across in the year 2000; an ominous signal to note! Indications are that glaciers originating from polar ice caps will become a thing of the past, given the rapidly increasing hydrocarbon fuel burning.We have to be aware of the dangers that lie ahead, and look into ways and means for producing clean and non-polluting energy. This is the challenge for this decade; to produce energy and power without emission of warming gases like carbon dioxide and methane. If we persist in carrying on with the existing ways of energy and power generation, it will lead to unbelievable environmental disaster! Present day research and development of fuel sources indicate that the fuel-cell is a clean source of energy, and is a promising way out of the environmental impact of the greenhouse effect. Fuel-cells are possibly the only way to contain the uncontrolled trend of global warming. The fuel-cell is similar to the popular electric batteries that we put in torches and the lead-acid batteries we use in cars. Fuel-cells also use chemicals to produce electricity; however, the similarity stops there! Unlike torchlight and car batteries, fuel-cells do not run down! The chemical needed for the fuel-cell is supplied constantly. This chemical is the familiar gas: Hydrogen. To produce electricity from hydrogen, the fuel-cell uses a special catalyst. This induces the hydrogen ion to separate into proton and electron. Normally, an electrical field drives the proton (positively charged) to pass through a thin membrane made from a special material. Meanwhile the electron (negatively charged) is attracted in another direction. The proton, after passing through the thin membrane, combines with oxygen molecules from the air to produce water. The electron, meanwhile, is channeled into an electric current. This is the power output of the fuel-cell! Like any battery, fuel-cell batteries also have no moving parts. Usually, when an electric current passes through water, it splits the water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The fuel cell does just the opposite. Here, the oxygen and hydrogen combine to produce electricity and water; and very pure water too! This action takes place without the need for high pressures or temperatures usually associated with generation of electric power! Fuel-cells can replace petrol or diesel fuel in automobiles and other forms of transport. The fuel-cell driven electric motors will be the motorised vehicles of tomorrow! There will be no pollution and very little noise; just the hum of the electric motor, while the exhaust output will be pure water! Although it is conceptually simple, we need special material for the catalyst and the thin membrane for the chemical reaction to take place (described earlier). The production of these special materials, which will be durable and affordable, is the challenge for fuel-cell car developers today. Prototype cars are there, and we await the development of the material needed for a fail-safe and cheap fuel-cell battery for a mass-produced affordable car ! Fuel-cell battery operated cars will be much lighter than the conventional cars of today. There will be a radical change in car design; starting from a lighter chassis. Gone will be the heavy and noisy car engine, axels, transmission, gear box, differentials, starter motor, and engine driven alternators charging the car battery! Fuel-cell driven cars will be lighter, quieter, simpler, roomier and more comfortable! A dream come true for any car owner! Prototypes have already been developed, and a number sold to rich Americans; who show them off proudly! It is the logical progression from the hybrid cars now being mass manufactured. Beyond cars and other motor vehicles, fuel-cells can power the smallest to the largest machines. As usual, war machines take precedence; and the US Navy is possibly quietly designing fuel-cell powered surface and submerged naval vessels! Their debut will be far reaching; just imagine a practically noiseless submarine! The future prospects of fuel-cell technology appear limitless. These advances in fuel-cell development make "Hydrogen Economy" of tomorrow a distinct reality. We can now visualise hydrogen as the source of cheap and affordable source of clean energy for all our power needs. It will usher in a new era; the Hydrogen Era of clean environment, better health, and more power and energy to use as mankind deems fit. It is, in fact, a timely saving grace; to pull us out of unbridled environment pollution and global warming that must be contained; the sooner the better. S A Mansoor is a freelance contributor to The Daily Star.
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