You might be thinking about the advantages of the hydrogen fuel cells. Look no further, here we will look at pros and cons of hydrogen fuel cells linked to typical gasoline engines, and why you must consider making use of the fuel cells to enhance the power of your car. Read to find what are advantages of the hydrogen fuel cells!

What Are Advantages Of The Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

First of all, most clear benefit of using hydrogen fuel is increase in the miles per gallon. It is reported that you will be able to get around 50% to 100% boost in mileage using this system. It means if you are running 20 miles per gallon, you will be able to get boost in the mileage between 30 to 40 miles per gallon!

This competes straight with the hybrid car as hybrids do get exorbitant mileage for each gallon. But, getting hybrid car will cost you more than $15,000 but if you purchase hydrogen fuel cell, it cost you below $200. Another benefit is able to cut down the expenses at gas station. By dropping the number of visits to gas station, you will certainly notice decrease in the gas expenditure.

Read the rest of this entry »


There are three main components in a fuel cell for home system: the hydrogen fuel reformer, the fuel cell stack and power conditioner. The fuel reformer extracts hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuel. The fuel cell stack converts the hydrogen and oxygen from air into electricity, water vapour and heat. The power conditioner then converts DC current to AC current which is required in fuel cells for home applications. best-fuel-cells.info has great resources about building this system in detail.

According to this news release from University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), the fuel cell technology is becoming mature. A group at UAF is operating a five-kilowatt solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for more than eight months now. During its 5,000 hours of production, the fuel cell stack generated 20,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to power two average houses for a full year.

“Since the biggest questions surrounding fuel cells have been longevity and reliability, this is an exciting achievement in fuel cell technology and testing,” said Dennis Witmer, director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Arctic Energy Technology Development Laboratory which is conducting the tests.

Read the rest of this entry »


Are you tired of high priced gasoline for your car? Or perhaps worried about the environment? For years, scientists have being working on an energy alternative that holds promises to change the way we live by changing the source of fuel for some of our most basic energy-using engines. This new technology in progress is called a fuel cell. A fuel cell supplies a DC (direct current) voltage that can be used to power motors, lights, or any number of electrical appliances.

The technical name for a fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. A fuel cell converts the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water, and in the process it produces electricity. Other electrochemical devices that are in use these days and for many decades is the well-known battery. The distinguishing difference between a simple battery and a fuel cell is that all the chemicals are stored inside the battery. The battery in turn converts those chemicals into electricity but in due course it “goes dead” as the chemicals are used up and at times you can either throw it away or recharge it.

Then again with a fuel cell, chemicals continually flow into the cell so as long as there is a flow of chemicals into the cell; the electricity flows out of the fuel cell. Combustion engines the gasoline engine burn fuels and batteries converted chemical energy back into electrical energy when needed. However, fuel cells should do both tasks more efficiently.

Read the rest of this entry »


True enough, each year expensive electricity bills bombard us. In order to save on electricity, most of us learned how to calculate the electric expenditure of each household appliance we use. Certainly, it is important that we know how to save on electricity. When we save household electric power and appliances, remember that we are not the only one who benefits, the environment as well. Did you know that every time we use our electric appliances and device, we create pollution? Yes, this is true. Even if pollution is not evident, it happens at several power plants across the world. As we use electricity, coals and other fossil fuels are used up and burned.

There is a way on how we save power and electricity usage. Micro Hydro Energy is now being introduced to different nations. It is a type of renewal energy, which is a great alternative to coal or oil. Unlike coal or oil, it is eco-friendly and sustainable. Then again, Micro Hydro Energy is limited. People residing near creeks or river are very fortunate because they can conveniently use micro hydro energy to create power at home.

What Is The Difference Between Electricity In Dams And Micro Hydro Energy?

As a matter of fact, the fundamentals are the same for both dams and micro hydro energy. With dams, electricity is generated by enormous amounts of water. On the other hand, dams modify the normal flow of rivers and streams. This leads to damage to the ecosystems. Micro hydro energy is quite different. Remember that all micro hydro energy is reliant on the flow of the water in the stream or river. Despite the fact that it uses water, it does not disrupt the natural flow of rivers and streams.

Read the rest of this entry »


Can I really use hydro energy to power my home?

There are really very few people who would be able to take advantage of hydropower in their homes. A small stream simply isn’t going to be big enough to power even a micro hydro energy system but if you happen to be one of the very lucky few who have a reasonable size stream or waterway of any sort running through your land then hydro power is an excellent form of power and you should consider looking into it. It has one big advantage over any other sort of renewable energy you may be considering for your home. It will create power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The wind may stop blowing and the sun might stop shining but the water will always keep flowing. You can get hold of micro hydro turbines that will work with as little as 2 feet of water drop but still may provide you with enough power for the whole year.

Cover all your bases with wind and solar.

Combining this with a turbine and solar energy and you could probably power your neighbor’s houses too. Get a grid tie system which will enable you to buy energy from the grid and sell it back to the grid as well; you could be making a small profit as well as becoming completely energy self sufficient and doing your bit to beat global warming.

Finding a hydropower solution for your home.

There are fewer companies that deal with selling and fitting hydropower units simply because there is much less demand for it, but shop around you will be able to find one eventually. Find solar and wind energy companies and ask them if they do micro hydro generators as well; even if they don’t supply them themselves they may be able to put you in touch with a company who does. Calculate the drop you could get from the water as well as the average water flow so you can give them your measurements and they will be able to tell you what system is required and if it’s a viable solution, and if you find the right company they will probably come out and work that out for you.