Full Title: Fuel Cell Technologies Market Report 2015
Author(s): Sandra Curtin and Jennifer Gangi
Publisher(s): United States Department of Energy
Publication Date: August 1, 2016
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Fuel cells are devices that electrochemically combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water, and heat. Unlike batteries, fuel cells continuously generate electricity as long as a source of fuel is supplied. Fuel cells do not burn fuel, making the process quiet, pollution-free, and up to two to three times more efficient than combustion technologies. A fuel cell system can be a truly zero-emission source of electricity when hydrogen is produced from nonpolluting sources.
There are many types of fuel cells currently in operation in a wide range of applications, including molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC), direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) and low and high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
The three main markets for fuel cell technology are stationary power, transportation, and portable power. Stationary power includes any application in which the fuel cells are operated at a fixed location for primary power, backup power, or combined heat and power (CHP). Transportation applications include motive power for passenger cars, buses and other fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), specialty vehicles, material handling equipment (MHE), and auxiliary power units for offroad vehicles. Portable power applications include fuel cells that are not permanently installed or fuel cells in a portable device