There is rising demand for innovative, efficient and cleaner power generation technologies. Electrochemical energy technologies such as supercapacitors , batteries and fuel cells have gained a significant interest in last decades and are considered important to enable alternative power sources. Fuel cells are one of the most promising energy generating technologies in terms of efficiency and high performance operations. Fuel cells feature fuel flexibility; the cells can utilize the hydrogen extracted from various hydrocarbon or alcohol fuels, as well as from landfill gas, anaerobic digester gas, biomass or ammonia. The combination of reversible fuel cell with renewable power sources, such as solar or wind, makes it possible to create a totally zero-emission energy system. Such combination provides a shift towards sustainable energy future.
Fuel cells cover a wide range of application for transportation and power generation to small- and medium-scale. Although fuel cells are highly efficient and environmentally safe, they still face challenges to compete with conventional energy technologies. To accelerate fuel cells commercialization, many companies and research institutes are working on development and improvement of fuel cells which are not yet as durable, powerful, and low cost as the internal combustion engine.
This research service titled, “Technological Advancements and Emerging Applications in Fuel Cells,” provides an overview of existing commercial, near commercial and emerging fuel cell technologies. The research study focuses on the emerging innovations and the latest achievements in the development of fuel cell. The study presents a snapshot of emerging fuel cell technologies, their advantages and disadvantages, and possible application. Additionally, it presents the performance analysis and comparison of different fuel cell technologies, adoption scenario and application future. A listing of key innovations and patent filing trends is included to give an indication of the road ahead for novel fuel cell technologies to watch.
The application prospects and growth opportunities of Emerging Fuel Cell Technologies:
•     Increasing interest in low-emission energy generation systems is expected to create opportunities for extensive commercialization of fuel cell technologies that is likely to increase demand for hydrogen storing, distributing and fuelling infrastructure.
•     The cost of fuel cell must be competitive with conventional power systems to be commercially viable. Advancements in non-precious metal catalysts, membrane, cell hardware, and various supporting and auxiliary components are supposed to play a huge role in reducing the fuel cell cost.
•     The size and weight of fuel cell systems should be reduced to meet the packaging requirements for commercial automotive and portable applications. In addition, for further commercialization of technologies, it is necessary to develop lightweight, compact on-board hydrogen storage systems.
The study deeply illustrates the following:
•     Review of fuel cell technologies, application, and future prospects.
•     The factors driving adoption and development of fuel cells.
•     Comparative technology analysis.
•     Focus areas of technology development.
•     Future growth opportunities.