Hydrogen future portable applications

Fuel cells as a technology is actually quite old. It has not been widely used yet because of speculative reasons and political problems. Present material science may soon make them a reality particularly in specialized applications. The SOFC appears to be the most promising technology for small electric power plants of over 1 kW. The DAFC appears to be the most promising battery replacement option for portable applications such as cellular phones and laptop computers. It is clear that at this moment, fuel cells will be practical for transportation applications such as automobiles and buses, but hybrid vehicles are likely to be more popular in the future in order to avoid unexpected problems. It is unclear whether hydrogen fuel will be widely used or whether a mostly electric economy will continue to exist. 

Canadian interests span into hydrogen production, delivery and utilization, primarily in fuel cell applications in transportation, stationary and portable systems. Furthermore, codes and standards for hydrogen systems are an important area of activity. The range of future electrical requirements for early adopters, such as the military, is very wide with numerous applications for various electrically powered systems. The introduction of hydrogen as an energy carrier into the commercial and military sector offer similar and sometimes unique challenges in all the areas discussed. 

Although it is possible to burn hydrogen directly as a fuel (as in an internal combustion engine as a direct replacement for gasoline), most projections of widespread future hydrogen use envisage its use in fuel cells. There are four main areas of such applications auxiliary power units, portable fuel cells, stationary power and FCVs. 

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