By: GenH2 Staff
Read Time: 2 minutes

Why the purity of hydrogen is important in the advancement of fuel cells.

Hydrogen is the key to unlocking a future powered by green energy in the global energy transition. With widespread renewable infrastructure on the horizon, creating systems that produce, liquefy, store, and use hydrogen is imperative to achieving this goal. While there are many ways hydrogen can be used as an energy carrier, the use of hydrogen fuel cells is continuing to gain attention. The hydrogen fuel cell can be used in a wide range of applications, providing power for products across multiple sectors, including transportation, industrial/commercial/ residential buildings, and long-term energy storage.

Hydrogen fuel cells work by separating electrons from hydrogen atoms, which then pass through a circuit, producing electricity. The electrons are then reintroduced, with the reformed hydrogen atoms combining with oxygen to form water and heat. In simpler terms, a hydrogen fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction instead of combustion, allowing hydrogen to serve as a completely green and renewable method of storing and using energy. Fuel cell systems are a clean, efficient, reliable, and quiet source of power, electricity which feeds a battery and then an electric motor.

When supplied specifically with a source of liquid hydrogen (LH₂), the hydrogen fuel used for the fuel cell is higher purity. This allows the fuel cells to operate at higher efficiency and can convert the chemical energy in the hydrogen directly to electrical energy with efficiencies capable of exceeding 60%. The liquefaction of the hydrogen as the energy carrier supply used for fuel cells increases the energy density and purity of hydrogen, maximizing the amount of fuel that can be stored for on-demand supply. The increased density and storage process also allows the machines powered by fuel cells to gain longer operational periods between refueling, while also being powered by a cleaner form of hydrogen. Recent advancements made by GenH2 have produced mobile systems capable of liquefying hydrogen at lab-scale, allowing for the systems to be relocated wherever high-purity liquid hydrogen is needed. Technology advancements in small-scale liquefaction are important and can ensure that the combination of LH₂ and hydrogen fuel cell technologies provide solutions for on-demand and extended use of fuel cells.

Innovations such as the hydrogen fuel cell have paved the way for the implementation of hydrogen as a clean and renewable alternative fuel for multiple applications across the hydrogen economy marketplace. Companies like GenH2 are standing out in infrastructure solutions for this growing and expanding marketplace, providing liquefaction and storage of hydrogen which allows for more extensive use options of Hydrogen fuel cells. Learn more about the many benefits of liquid hydrogen in our Why Hydrogen eBook.