【Haichuan Hydrogen Energy】What are the disruptive applications of hydrogen fuel cells?

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What are the disruptive applications of hydrogen fuel cells? Currently, hydrogen energy and its utilization, especially its application in fuel cell vehicles, are very popular. After a brief period of peak development, hydrogen fuel cells are mobile power generators that do not involve any thermal cycles; they can achieve an operational efficiency of 90%, making their power generation efficiency very high. How is hydrogen turned into electricity? Hydrogen fuel cells have nothing to do with boilers or heating; the mechanism by which hydrogen generates electricity does not rely on a heat cycle. Instead, hydrogen releases two electrons under a platinum-containing catalyst, and these electrons flow away, thereby creating an electric current. We should thank these automotive professionals for the breakthroughs in the application of hydrogen fuel cells in the transportation sector; it was their persistent efforts that enabled a great deal of work to be done to integrate hydrogen into vehicles, ultimately leading to its practical implementation and commercialization. Today, Toyota in Japan has supplied thousands of passenger and commercial vehicles to the world, which are now in official operation. Famous companies around the world such as Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, and Honda have joined forces to form a Hydrogen Energy Committee. They believe that in the 21st century humanity must enter an era dominated by hydrogen; therefore, to prevent the Earth’s temperature from rising by two degrees by around 2050, hydrogen should account for more than 18% of the energy mix. This would help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6 billion tons per year. Moreover, the use of hydrogen fuel cells in hydrogen supply systems constitutes a large industrial chain that can give rise to a significant industry sector, with an estimated value of 2.5 trillion dollars. By 2050, such a large hydrogen industry could be established, creating employment opportunities for 30 million people. In addition to use in cars, hydrogen fuel cells can be applied in deep-sea diving, drones, and anywhere else that is a moving device requiring power. High-speed trains are well-known to everyone and very convenient, but their fatal weakness lies in electricity. In the event of a natural disaster that causes a power outage, if the train is stopped in the desert without any stored energy, people could die from heat exhaustion there. Hydrogen fuel cells can be used in trains, so CRRC says it wants to join the Hydrogen Alliance in order to develop the use of hydrogen. In the 5G era, the energy systems and power supply systems of all our base stations can also make use of hydrogen energy. Another aspect is distributed power generation in daily life; in fact, each household could install a hydrogen fuel cell, which could be used for heating and cooling in the home, as well as to power all household appliances, including cars. A hydrogen pipeline entering the home can supply all the energy needed, and it is very convenient. Even when there is no electricity outside, it can serve as a source of power generation to balance the entire electrical grid. It turns out that our power grid has peaks and troughs in electricity supply. With distributed power generation, it is actually possible to achieve good dynamic coordination and adjustment, thereby improving the efficiency of power generation and the quality of network operation. When comparing hydrogen-based fuel cells with lithium-ion batteries, if lithium-ion batteries are used as the primary power source in heavy-duty aerospace applications or large mobile devices, their range is insufficient, and their energy density is also lower than that of hydrogen fuel cells; therefore, they have fewer advantages in terms of application over hydrogen fuel cells. Since hydrogen has an energy density more than three times that of gasoline, it is highly suitable for hydrogen fuel cells in high-power transportation vehicles such as those used in aviation and aerospace in the future.