Bloom Energy’s Carl Cottuli on how solid state design will boost hydrogen fuel cell performance.
In the search for carbon free or carbon neutral energy sources to replace fossil fuels, hydrogen is a subject of active development. In rocketry, it’s a very high-performance fuel, and when reacted in moderate temperature combustion processes, the primary exhaust gas, water vapor, is harmless.
But the highest quality energy in any system is electric current, and fuel cells promise to deliver direct conversion of gaseous hydrogen to electricity. They have been powering spacecraft for over half a century, and there are currently some commercial applications, but technical challenges still need to be overcome before fuel cells can become a power source for popular consumer applications like motor vehicles or home power.
Jim Anderton discusses progress in fuel cell technology with Carl Cottuli, Head of Development Engineering at Bloom Energy.
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