FUEL CELL USAGE

Hydrogen fuel cells are relatively new so there aren’t exact percentages used in each country. However, countries shown in the table below are part of the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy. These countries are partnering to advance research and development in fuel cell technologies.

IN THE U.S.

In the U.S., more than a billion dollars has been spent on research and development on fuel cells. Fuel cells cost up to 500 billion dollars to constuct and infrastructure. The U.S. government believes this is a wise investment because the dependency on oil in America is greatest and because Hydrogen fuel cells have a high potential to solve the problem with depleting oil but also the problem of pollution. If more research is done and the "technological glitches" are worked out, hydrogen cells has the potential to replace oil and be much more enviroment friendly.

IN THE WORLD

Hydrogen Fuel cells are mostly used in cars (see car link). Honda and Ford have constructed cars that use hydrogen and battery to run a car. Since hydrogen is derived from hydrogen compounds such as Natural gases, coal, nuclear power, or renewable resources, these are all needed for hydrogen production.

Applications for fuel cells include the following:

Stationary- Fuel cells can be used to provide electricity and heat and are ideal because of their efficiency and low emissions. They are also used as backup power and can be installed in private households and can be used to light commercial areas and meet the energy requirements of large industrial buildings.

Portable- Fuel cells promise to be an important source of power for mobile electronic devices, offering advantages over conventional batteries, such as increased operating times, reduced weight and ease of recharging.

Military- Fuel cells efficiency, versatility, extended running time and quiet operation make fuel cells extremely well suited for the power needs of military services. In various forms, fuel cells could provide power for the majority of military equipment from portable handheld devices used in the field to land and sea transportation.

Transportation- Fuel cells have the ability to power cars with more technological advances.

http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/pdf/education-kit/The-Applications.pdf

-Showed applications of hydrogen fuel cells

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell.htm/printable

-Gave countries part of the international partnership for hydrogen economy, also for pictures of cars

http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/production.html

-Gave information about the U.S. development of hydrogen fuel cells