Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center: What is a fuel cell...

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http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/fuel_cell_what_is.html

U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center

What is a fuel cell vehicle?

Fuel cell vehicles use a completely different propulsion system than conventional vehicles, which can be two to three times more efficient. Unlike conventional
vehicles, they produce no harmful exhaust emissionstheir only emission is water. Other benefits include increasing U.S. energy security and strengthening the
economy.
Fuel cell vehicles are fueled with hydrogen, which is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and qualifies for alternative fuel vehicle tax
credits.
Fuel cell vehicles are still at an early stage of development. Research and development efforts are bringing them closer to commercialization.

How Fuel Cell Vehicles Work

Like all-electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles use electricity to power motors located near the vehicle's wheels. In
contrast to electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles produce their primary electricity using a fuel cell. The fuel cell is
powered by filling the fuel tank with hydrogen.
The most common type of fuel cell for vehicle applications is the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. In a
PEM fuel cell, an electrolyte membrane is sandwiched between a positive electrode (cathode) and a negative
electrode (anode). Hydrogen is introduced to the anode and oxygen to the cathode. The hydrogen molecules travel
through the membrane to the cathode but not before the membrane strips the electrons off the hydrogen
molecules.
The electrons are forced to travel through an external circuit to recombine with the hydrogen ions on the cathode
side, where the hydrogen ions, electrons, and oxygen molecules combine to form water. The flow of electrons
through the external circuit forms the electrical current needed to power a vehicle. See an animation of the process.
Fuel cell vehicles can be fueled with pure hydrogen gas stored directly on the vehicle or extracted from a secondary
fuelsuch as methanol, ethanol, or natural gasthat carries hydrogen. These secondary fuels must first be
converted into hydrogen gas by an onboard device called a reformer. Fuel cell vehicles fueled with pure hydrogen
emit no pollutants, only water and heat. Vehicles that use secondary fuels and a reformer produce only small
amounts of air pollutants.
Fuel cell vehicles can be equipped with other advanced technologies to increase efficiency, such as regenerative
braking systems, which capture the energy lost during braking and store it in a large battery.

This Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure

Technologies Program animation shows how polymer
electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells work.

Fuel Cell Vehicle and Infrastructure Development

Because fuel cell vehicles require a completely new vehicle propulsion system and new fueling infrastructure, many
deployment issues can only be addressed by integrating and evaluating the components in complete systems. The
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is developing and testing complete system solutions that address all elements of
infrastructure and vehicle technology, validating integrated hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for transportation,
infrastructure, and electric generation in a systems context under real-world operating conditions. See the DOE
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program Technology Validation and National Renewable
Energy Laboratory Hydrogen Technology Validation pages.
U.S. Hydrogen Transportation Demonstrations
DOE National Hydrogen Learning Demonstration
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Evaluation for California Transit Agencies
Integrated Projects (includes domestic and international projects)
Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles
International Hydrogen Transportation Demonstrations
HyFLEET: CUTE
ECTOS
Perth Fuel Cell Bus Trial
Ballard Fuel Cell Technology Demonstration Programs

Schematic of a fuel cell vehicle (Source: NREL)

Also learn about the vehicle technologies being developed by DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program.

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Content Last Updated: 10/03/2011

5/2/2012 5:50 PM