Benefits of a Fuel Cell
The future depends on renewable energy as we draw closer to the depletion of fossil fuels as it being used up at an increasing rate. The new generation needs to be introduced to the technology that could prove vital to the survival of mankind. Allow the youth to familiarize with green technologies during their early stages of education with Fuel Cell Educational Kits where fuel cells are made to assemble and disassemble and be experimented with.
  • Environmental Benefits
    • Contamination
      Fuel cells reduce and ultimately eliminate contamination problems associated with lead acid batteries. Leaks and spillages from lead acid batteries will contaminate the soil and ground water, posing threats to both humans and the environment. Such problems are absent in hydrogen fuel cells.
    • Lead-free
      Fuel cells minimize the toxic effects of lead by reduced usage. The heavy metal lead interferes with many biochemical reactions that occur inside animals and plants. Heavy exposure to lead may cause mental retardation and behavioral disorder in humans. Despite the high recycling rates of lead acid batteries, the smelting of lead acid in most industrial waste diposal factories are not 100% efficient and releases significant amount of lead into the nearby environment..Hydrogen fuel cells are totally lead-free.
    • Clean by-product
      To reduce exhaust disposal problems. Unlike the internal combustion engines, which produce sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide as by-products that may result in the formation of acid rain, the only by-product of hydrogen fuel cells is pure water.
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  • Autonomy
    Fuel cells are able to operate as long as there is available fuel. Therefore be it a backup power required for 8 hours, or if 3 days extended runtime is required, operation can be continuous as long as enough fuel can be stored or generated onsite.
  • Remote monitoring
    Fuel cells can be fully monitored from one central location alerting the operator as to when the system is in use and how long before refuelling is required to ensure no downtime.
  • Footprint
    The space required for the same period of runtime is considerably less for fuel cells than for battery banks. Fuel cells do not require cooling like batteries which eliminates the need for spacious cooling systems.
  • Fuels
    The majority of these systems operate on hydrogen (in this instance the only emission is water), which can be generated from renewable sources (electrolysis) or from reformed hydrocarbons (methanol, propane, ammonia and natural gas).
  • Temperature tolerance
    unlike batteries, fuel cells do not degrade a high temperatures and their range can be between - 40°C and +50°C
     
  • Integration
     fuel cell systems provided as either a standalone unit similar in size to a small refrigerator (for applications like base stations) or can be inserted in existing 19” racks
  • Cost
     over the lifetime of the unit can offer cost savings over existing technologies. This include: maintenance, repairs, transport and disposal
  • Reliability
    In many cases, fuel cells are able to offer higher reliability and MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) and there is no degradation of voltage over time. Failures tend to be less critical and easily dealt with.
  • Environmental
    Unlike generators, fuel cells do not use combustion and therefore there are no NOx, SOx or particulate emissions from the unit. These characteristics can reduce complications with site placement and integration
  • Maintenance – fuel cells have very few moving parts which reduces the need for regular maintenance.
    • In many ways fuel cells can be regarded as power generators. However, whereas conventional generators use internal combustion engines to rotate an alternator, fuel cells generate power by producing electrons directly, with few moving parts. As a result, they have the potential to be very efficient and reliable.
    • Moreover, fuel cells are comparatively quiet and, other than electricity and heat, they produce only water vapour. This makes them ideal for indoor use, meaning that the generated power can be close to, or inside the computer room.
    • In a direct comparison with diesel generators, the capital cost of fuel cells is higher but, as with every new technology, these costs are now falling. However, because of the absence of moving parts, fuel cells are considerably less expensive to maintain than generators.
    • Where fuel cells really come into their own is where generators are not an option. This could be because of limited space or the inability to obtain planning permission, or where organisations have environmental policies that focus on improving air quality and reducing carbon-based emissions. Factors that weigh heavily in their favour are: reduced footprints, extended runtimes and lower life-time costs.