FAQ
General information
In a fuel cell, a continuously supplied fuel (for example, hydrogen from natural gas) reacts with an oxidant (such as oxygen from air). Water, electricity and heat are generated in the process. This electrochemical reaction is also known as "cold combustion" and is particularly efficient. This is virtually the reverse of electrolysis.
Fuel cells have a number of advantages over conventional drives:
- Indoor and outdoor operation (even at extreme temperatures such as in cold rooms)
- emission-free and quiet
- low space requirements for infrastructure
- High efficiency
- very flexible (modular, scalable)
- fast refueling
- very reliable, robust, low maintenance and long service life
- constant power output
Hydrogen itself is explosive, but light and volatile. Compared to liquid fuels or even batteries, gas therefore does not pose a fundamentally higher risk.
If hydrogen from renewable sources is used as the energy carrier, largely emission-free operation of the fuel cells is possible, with only water vapor being emitted.
If diesel or natural gas are used as fuels, emissions can be significantly reduced, firstly because of the higher efficiency of the systems compared with conventional drive systems, and secondly because of the more favorable emissions balance.
You know?
... just a different kind of electric vehicles.
... Zero-Emission Vehicles.
... use fuel cells, both in intralogistics and for backup power.
... fuel cell cars can travel up to 600 km without any loss of power. Refueling takes only a few minutes, just like conventional refueling.
... in power generation with fuel cells are heat and water vapor.
... from fossil fuels (up to 50% less emissions) as well as from renewable energy sources (zero emissions).
... is the iron (Fe), followed by oxygen (O2) and then hydrogen (H2). In the universe, hydrogen is the most abundant element.
Videos
BMW Leipzig Plant: Hydrogen Fuel Cell Adoption
STILL video: Carrefour Hydrogen Fleet (137 trucks)
Plug Power: Hydrogen Solutions Elevating Facility Efficiency
E-LOG BioFleet
Toyota: Toyota Hydrogen Fuel Cell Forklift Truck
Guide and information material
CIN brochure : Green logistics, fuel cell propulsion & hydrogen infrastructure.
Hydrogen solution for material handling vehicles, Air Liquide.
Path-to-Hydrogen Competitiveness (Full-Study), Hydrogen Council, 20 January 2020.
The heart of the fuel cell: Heraeus Fuel Cells develops new materials and electrode systems for electric drives of the future.
Greenhouse gas emissions for battery and fuel cell vehicles, Fraunhofer ISE on behalf of H2 Mobility, 2019.
Fuel Cell Industry Guide Germany 2018, VDMA
Hydrogen study, Shell 2017
Industrial trucks with fuel cells, brochure 2013, Hessian Ministry for the Environment, Energy, Agriculture and Consumer Protection
