Fuel Cell Problems

Most forms of new technology generally experience many years of glitches and problems and the case is no different when it comes to fuel cell problems. Just like anything new, there have been many naysayers from the very get-go. What are the real problems with fuel cells? Do they really work? Why are they not being used in the masses yet? All of which are very valid questions, and I believe the answer lies in more than one place. Since fuel cells are still relatively new to the world, glitches and malfunction are to be expected. On the largest scale of things, one of the largest consumers of fuel cell technology is NASA. Relying on these fuel cells is extremely important, especially at such mysterious heights.

Unfortunately they have not been reliable as they should be. Over 10 space missions have had to be canceled, delayed or returned due to faulty fuel cells. In most cases it’s due to the strenuous conditions they are put under, and doing so in an unknown world such as space can always have repercussions. Problems such as these cannot be faulted simply on the fuel cell. So what other problems have arose with fuel cells? Their price has always been an issue, just as any new technology. The price to develop and research into more efficient fuel cells has proven to be very costly, although the temptation for a renewable, cheaper, resource far outweighs the negative prospects here. One of the largest credited and acclaimed knocks against the fuel cell is its size. In most cases these fuel cells are too large for practical use on anything portable or in eye sight. Having a large fuel cell generator in your backyard is fine, but the idea of a large fuel cell sticking out of your cell phone may not be to most. Once the technology has been developed far enough, we will start to see these more practical uses for the fuel cell, such as mobile phones and computers.

The fuel cell is generally not a problematic energy source, but definitely provides quality, clean, and reliable energy. In the ideal world everything would be powered by fuel cells. There would be low to zero emissions, less noise pollution and most of all we would not be dependent on anyone else’s energy. The most amazing part of the fuel cell is that they are always developing into more powerful, smaller and easier to purchase energy sources. You can certainly look forward to seeing fuel cells dominating the energy market within the next 10-20 years. As you can see these fuel cell problems are greatly outweighed by the many wonderful applications and uses we have for fuel cells today.