Hydrogen Production and Polymer Electrode Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells for Electrical Vehicles

Abstract

Fuel cells (FC) are regarded as efficient power suppliers for energy storage. They convert chemical energy stored in hydrogen bonds into electrical energy, releasing water as the only by-product. Therefore, it has a great potential for utilizing green energy as diminishing pollutant emission primarily due to the CO 2 released from fossil fuel and the socio-economic dependence on fossil fuel. In the last few decades, fundamental research and advancements in FC technology have improved tremendously, especially accompanying the integration in electrical vehicles (EVs). The most frequently used FCs for vehicle applications is the proton exchange membrane -commonly called polymer electrolyte membrane-FCs (PEMFCs) due to the benefits of low weight, high-power density, and cold-start capability. Using PEMFCs and hydrogen, one can reach about 65% of practical efficiency with no pollutant emission. Today, almost all the major automobile producers are in contact with PEMFC EVs technology. Thus, this chapter emphasizes the analysis of PEMFCs for the applications of EVs. It is designed to combine the assistive research updates on the materials and components to be valuable for the performance enhancement of the FCEV applications. This chapter also brings together the essential data of commercialized PEMFC EVs up to date. © 2023 Scrivener Publishing LLC.