Hydrogen Fuel Cells | Fully Charged

Robert Llewellyn discovers how hydrogen fuel cells actually work.
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A huge thanks to James Courtney from the University of Birmingham, for taking the time to tell us about hydrogen fuel cells.

Fully Charged is an online show hosted by Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf, Scrapheap Challenge, Carpool), sponsored by British Gas: Looking After Your World. During this series, Robert will discuss why we need to change how we think about energy consumption now. He will be taking a look at the newest electric cars available on the market [Volvo, Ford, Peugeot, Renault & Nissan] and also different forms of renewable energy [Wind and Solar].

19 thoughts on “Hydrogen Fuel Cells | Fully Charged”

  1. Bet his brain hurt after that conversation lol.

    Bet he's putting 100% of his concentration in there.
    I've done that a few times and it's extremely tiring

    Reply
  2. My Understanding was about making hydrogen gas to use in a fuel cell.. You pass an electric charge through water and spilt the two atoms of hydrogen from the single atom of oxygen which of course are the 3 atoms which make up water!  Then the hydrogen is used as fuel in the hydrogen fuel cell and the oxygen is vented into the air, as the fuel cell runs the hydrogen.So why say how do we get cheap hydrogen gas?Simple case of splitting the 3 atoms which make up water!Why they have to make out every damn new tech system is so hard to sort out?A huge hydrogen plant which splits the 3 atoms would be very cost effective to run and if built near a dam the electric to run the splitting process which be eco friendly made from the hydro turbines in the dam,   Plus plenty of water there to split into hydrogen & oxygen.

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  3. Oh, enough! Can we stop pretending and admit that the "Hydrogen Economy" is just a thinly veiled concept to keep the extraction industry in business?

    If you start with electricity (no matter the source), then use it to make hydrogen with the most efficient process possible, you are already behind in efficiency than using today's batteries for storage. Then you still have to compress it, store it, transport it, dispense it, store it again, then finally use it in a complicated expensive device. To what end?

    If you were inventing cars today and an infrastructure to support them, why would you go with the most expensive, exotic, expansive infrastructure? We already have and need to continue to have an electricity grid for the foreseeable future. Why create another infrastructure for cars just to make it familiar, especially when it will be less efficient?

    The answer to all these question is we don't need a Hydrogen Economy. It is simply a pipe dream (pun intended) by the extraction industry to keep them in the game. They have calculated correctly that the electric grid will never produce hydrogen economically no matter the source. The only economical source of hydrogen will be extracted from fossil fuels, thus ensuring they control the energy economy like they do now. As long as nobody pays for the carbon load of fossil fuels, they will always "appear" cheaper (I won't even go into the security issues, spills, cleanups, mineral right giveaways, etc.) Eventually, we will all pay dearly (except for the retired oil executives).

    It's all about profits, there is no interesting technology to see here. Move along.

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  4. My hesitation about electric cars is the power has to come from somewhere. If we all roar around in EV's that defeats the purpose of alternative energy. We'll need forests of wind turbines just to keep those cars moving. Essentially EV's just create another problem. Supplying that power will inevitably create a higher price for electricity… Supply and demand in an electron form not a fossil fuel form. So I say yes to electric cars but yes to hydrogen fuelled cars also. Otherwise you just get multinationals shaking down the public for more money per mile. The argument for antigravity lives on 🙂 Great show you hit a nerve between the ears here and that's a good thing.

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  5. Hydrogen is useful for local and immediate use if it is by product of another process like burning garbage with a plasma device similar to VASIMR engine. All molecules are broken inside and you end up with elements of periodic table stacked and sorted by atomic weight. Most of the byproduct will be hydrogen. This plasma garbage processor looks quite convenient to break poisonous molecules that are expensive to treat with normal chemistry and for biohazard material it seems useful and 100% safe if there are not leaks before entering the plasma chamber.

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  6. To get hydrogen you need to add energy. Use energy to compress and liquify, to keep it cold and transport it. Then use it. A portable Hindenburg.

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  7. Hydrogen is a battery that leaks between the molecular spaces of metal tanks. You need to spend energy to liquify and then put in a tank where it does not heat up.

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  8. I also have noticed that it hard to dissuade many people from "the hydrogen economy". Yes, hydrogen is pollution free when you "combust" it, but everything else about is a problem. It is not a source of energy, it is hard to store, hard to transport, and is extremely flammable.

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  9. HFC's have been a great way to delay and divert progress of electric cars for the petrol industry. Let me guess, we're just 10 years away from a marketable hydrogen fuel cell car?

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  10. If you want to get the plans
    to convert your car to HHO
    Go to Google and Search for: "Top HHO Gas Car Research"
    Click the First Result (Skip the Advertisement)

    Reply
  11. The first hydrogen fuel car(not concept car which means we can get!) was introduced by Hyundai in 2013! and in 2014 the improved and re-introduced again! The car price is 50,000 pounds

    Reply

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