Alternative Fuel Hydrogen and Tandem Cell

Alternative fuel hydrogen is mostly attacked by critics as a lousy source of energy and a dangerous one. But how come we have 510 hydrogen fueling stations all over the world as of February 2014?

Here's why hydrogen is considered as an alternative fuel:

* Hydrogen can be totally nonpolluting (water is the exhaust)

* Hydrogen can be economically competitive with gasoline or diesel

* Hydrogen can be as safe as gasoline, diesel, or natural gas.

* Hydrogen can help reduce our dependence on imported fuels.

* Hydrogen can be produced in any country or locale from a variety of energy sources.

Sources: U.S. Department of Energy and National Hydrogen Association

Hydrogen production using Tandem Cell.

The Tandem Cell™ consists of two photo-catalytic cells in series: the front cell absorbs the high energy ultraviolet and blue light in sunlight, using nano-crystalline metal oxide thin films to generate electron-hole pairs. The longer wavelength light in the green to red region passes through the front cell and is absorbed in a Graetzel Cell producing electrical potential under nearly all light conditions. The two cells are connected electrically and together provide the potential required to split the water molecules in the electrolyte. The Cell is fabricated from widely-available and cheap materials.

Source/s: National Hydrogen Institute of Australia(NHIA)

With the above features of the Tandem Cell, it can be located closer to the hydrogen point of use. Imagine pipes, transport, wires, those are what gets eliminated here by using a Tandem Cell. You get your hydrogen directly by supplying fuel cells for electricity or for combustion without carbon dioxide emissions.

A hydrogen tandem cell above.  Technologies for production of hydrogen fuel are advancing. If you're inventive, unleash that ingenuity of yours. 

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