Major breakthrough makes hydrogen fuel cells more practical

Hydrogen fuel cells work by combining hydrogen gas (H2) with oxygen from the air. The resulting chemical reaction produces electricity.
A new discovery is being hailed as a major breakthrough in hydrogen fuel cell development which overcomes previous limitations requiring water and continuous hydration in hydrogen fuel cells, simplifying design and reducing costs. The breakthrough promises to enhance the safety, efficiency, and energy density of hydrogen-based energy solutions, marking a significant step towards a viable hydrogen energy economy.
Brian Westenhaus for OilPrice.com:
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Researchers led by Genki Kobayashi at the RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research in Japan have developed a solid electrolyte for transporting hydride ions (H−) at room temperature.
Its a breakthrough that means the advantages of hydrogen-based solid-state batteries and fuel cells are within practical reach, including improved safety, efficiency, and energy density, which are essential for advancing towards a practical hydrogen-based energy economy.
The study paper was published in the scientific journal Advanced Energy Materials.
For hydrogen-based energy storage and fuel to become more widespread, it needs to be safe, very efficient, and as simple as possible. Current hydrogen-based fuel cells used in electric cars work by allowing hydrogen protons to pass from one end of the fuel cell to the other through a polymer membrane when generating energy.
Efficient, high-speed hydrogen movement in these fuel cells requires water, meaning that the membrane must be continually hydrated so that it does not dry out. This is a constraint that adds an additional layer of complexity and cost to battery and fuel cell design that limits the practicality of a next-generation hydrogen-based energy economy…
Kobayashi noted, “In the short-term, our results provide material design guidelines for hydride ion-conducting solid electrolytes. In the long-term, we believe this is an inflection point in the development of batteries, fuel cells, and electrolytic cells that operate by using hydrogen.”

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MacDailyNews Take: Sounds promising!
See also:
• Apple turns to Bloom Energy’s fuel cell technology – June 24, 2016
• Apple exploring hydrogen fuel cell technology that could power devices for weeks – September 4, 2015
• Meet the hydrogen-powered Apple iPhone that runs for a week per cartridge – August 24, 2015
• Apple Car: Forget ‘electric,’ think hydrogen fuel cells – February 20, 2015
• Apple working with Intelligent Energy on fuel cell technology for mobile devices, sources say – July 14, 2014
• North Carolina regulators approve Apple’s 4.8-megawatt fuel cell facility at Maiden data center – May 23, 2012
• New aerial images of Apple’s planned NC fuel cell, solar farms published – April 7, 2012
• Apple’s massive fuel cell energy project to be largest in the U.S. – April 4, 2012
• Apple patent application reveals next-gen fuel cell powered Macs and iOS devices – December 22, 2011
• Apple patent app details highly-advanced hydrogen fuel cells to power portable devices – October 20, 2011
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