Define Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car
Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are an emerging technology meant to be an alternative to traditional gas-powered vehicles. Although the cost of the vehicle and the infrastructure needed for hydrogen stations makes it unviable right now, FCVs have the potential for zero pollution.
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Purpose
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FCVs are hydrogen gas-powered vehicles meant to solve the problems of environmental pollution, dependency on foreign oil and rising gas prices.
Fuel Cell
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Most FCVs use a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM). This is a battery that uses hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity, releasing heat and water as byproducts.
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Reformer
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Although FCVs can run off pure hydrogen, obtaining pure hydrogen gas can be a challenge. One way around this is by using a reformer. This device allows hydrogen to be extracted from other gases like natural gas to be used as a fuel. However, this does create some carbon dioxide.
Advantages
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The advantages of FCVs include quiet engines, little to no pollution, a more chemically efficient engine and the ability to run more electronics in a vehicle.
Disadvantages
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The disadvantages of FCVs include high vehicle cost, less operating range, cold-weather problems, lack of hydrogen gas pumps, and competition with other alternative vehicles, like electric vehicles.
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