5 ms·
I've always wondered why this kind of thing wasn't available much earlier. We've had electrolysis for a long time now - are fuel cells the limiting technology h
by jryb 4y ago
I've always wondered why this kind of thing wasn't available much earlier. We've had electrolysis for a long time now - are fuel cells the limiting technology here? Are electrolyzers not as simple as I expect?
- xor99 4y agoPart of it is safety I imagine. Hydrogen can be nasty (e.g. blow up) if not handled correctly in the electrolyser design.
- bparsons 4y agoThey are only 20-30% efficient and have a low energy density compared to hydrocarbon fuel. You need a massive amount of excess grid energy for it to make any sense.
- adrianN 4y agoBatteries were (are?) cheaper and you don't have to handle Hydrogen, which likes to explode.
- CabSauce 4y agoI'm not an expert at all, but I was under the impression that hydrogen requires electricity for it to be synthesized. And that it's quite a bit more efficient just to use electricity in a battery directly instead of going through the process to create hydrogen, store it, and use it. I do think it could be used in situations where the energy density benefits are important (planes, racing).
- bzxcvbn 4y agoWhat do you believe is inside a standard battery? Pure electricity? That doesn't exist. It's a compound that goes through a chemical reaction when you charge it, and which goes through another one when you discharge.
- CabSauce 4y ago"...lithium-ion batteries are 70-80% efficient, and hydrogen is only 25-30% efficient." Source: <https://www.motorbiscuit.com/hydrogen-fuel-cells-vs-batteries/ https://www.motorbiscuit.com/hydrogen-fuel-cells-vs-batterie...>