Precautions in Refilling a Hydrogen-Fueled Car

The majority of vehicles on the road today are powered by either gasoline or diesel. But, technology advances have made the hydrogen-fueled car a reality, bringing the safety issue of fueling a hydrogen vehicle into question.

Function

Instead of fossil fuel combustion, hydrogen vehicles use gaseous hydrogen for conversion into electrical energy to power a car. The hydrogen performs a chemical reaction within a fuel cell, along with a catalyst, that effectively creates electrical current.

Safety Concerns

The precautions needed when fueling a hydrogen vehicle are similar to filling a gas-powered vehicle. Abstain from smoking or use of a cellular phone due to sparking concerns.

Identification

Safety is also achieved by the simple construction of its dispensing technique. Hydrogen dispensers look just like gasoline dispensers. The hydrogen nozzle placed into the car's fuel tank locks, just like a gasoline nozzle, and subsequently delivers the product. One key difference is that most hydrogen stations house their storage of hydrogen in above-ground tanks, as opposed to the typical gasoline or diesel storage underground.

References

• California Fuel Cell Partnership: Frequently Asked Questions