Membrane fuel cells for alternative green energy solutions

What is it about?

Industrial sustainability can be enhanced through “green process engineering.” This type of engineering uses equipment and procedures that lead to lower energy consumption and less waste production. One such example is the fuel cell, i.e., a cell that uses chemicals to produce energy. The efficacy of fuel cells depends on the design of the electrodes and the membrane used. Notably, electrodes based on recyclable carbon molecules can be used to produce clean energy. In addition, a proton exchange membrane, which is used to transfer protons, makes use of hydrogen (a clean energy source) to generate energy. The authors of this paper studied the use of membrane electrolytes in fuel cells and energy production. They noted that the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), which uses precious metal electrodes, requires pure hydrogen supply to function. So, it has the potential to be one of the most promising alternative energy source in the future.

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Due to the climate change crisis, developing renewable energy resources is the need of the hour. Green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable methods, is one such energy source. It is likely to provide up to 20% of the world’s energy in the future. The review highlights that since PEMFCs use hydrogen to produce energy, they can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and limit the release of carbon dioxide into the environment. This can mitigate the impact of climate change to a large extent. So, there is a need for technical improvements for the large scale use of green hydrogen based fuel cells and technologies. KEY TAKEAWAY: PEMFCs are promising sources of clean energy and can replace fossil fuel based technologies in the future.