Apart from being non-renewable and harmful to the environment, fossil fuels like coal and gas usually entail a long development process before it can be used as fuel, requiring great physical and chemical processes, together with the use of heavy and complex equipment. Alternative energy sources on the other hand are usually renewable and environment-friendly. One such example of alternative fuel sources is hydropower, which utilizes water gathered into dams which provide electricity at a lower coat and helps reduce carbon emissions which are harmful to the environment.

In fact, research has proven that the use of hydropower has emitted a total of 160 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States on 2004. Also, hydropower provides the cleanest and most inexpensive power sources in the Pacific Northwest, making it advisable for use in industrial and residential areas that are looking to save up on energy costs. Plus, if compared to the electricity generated by traditional fossil fuels, hydropower produces approximately 40% more energy, making it the more efficient power source.

When harnessed properly, who knows in the near future, direct tv, rice cookers, airconditioners and other appliances as well as gadgets will be powered by an alternative power source such as hydropower.

In a nutshell, samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 provides users with a seven inch tablet with 1024 x 600 LCD, a 1GHz dual-core processor, a 1GB of RAM, a couple of  dual facing cameras with different capacities (3Mega Pixels in the rear phone, VGA up front). It is also Bluetooth-ready and enables users to choose from 3G/HSPA or WiFi varieties. The Ice Cream software integrated into the Galaxy Tab 2 features a greatly expanded Android market, making it easier for users to access a wide variety of services and products—from music files, to ebooks, video files and games. The Galaxy Tab 2 also comes with Samsung’s trademark Touchwhiz feature with widgets connecting to user’s content and an incredible S Suggest application that suggests applications based on a user’s personal preferences.

If you are not yet ready for the Galaxy Tab 2, you can just settle for its predecessor by checking out samsung galaxy nz or other online stores.

One thing you should know about fuel cells is that they are capable of running on a wide range of sources, from hydrogen, ethanol, biogas and even natural gas.  Knowing that, the environmental impact of using fuel cells greatly depend on the type of fuel and cell used. Studies showed that user-friendly fuel cells using natural gas as fuel can decrease carbon footprint up to forty percent. But the application of fuel cell in energy generation still begs the question – do fuel cells have a place on a greener planet?

Although fuel cells still have a lot to prove before it can be considered as a viable replacement for fossil fuel in the near future, they are, for a fact, offering great benefits to the environment with their less CO2 emissions.  Therefore, I firmly believe that fuel cells certainly have a place on a green planet. To give you a better understanding on the green benefits being offered by utilizing fuel cells, be sure to read on below.

Excellent Power and Heat Production

Well-designed and high-powered fuel cells have the ability to generate excellent heat and power. This translates to better heat generation inside the home. The heat produced can be used not only to heat your home but also for heating water. Because of this, homeowners will not need to invest in a separate water heating system like when using solar water heating systems.

Renewable Energy Source

The best thing about fuel cells is the fact that they can be utilized in combination with solar, wind and other alternative sources of energy. Knowing this, the application of fuel cell technology along with other renewable energy sources will allow homeowners to enjoy a zero emission energy system that does not need fossil fuels to run smoothly.

Reduction of Greenhouse Effect

Fuel cells are great alternative fuel options that will allow us to reduce the harmful effects of global warming and climate change. This is possible since fuel cells are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More importantly, fuel cells can run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week needing only a minimal amount of additional source of energy.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element on the planet, and this is the constant supply of fuel for fuel cells. Individual fuel cells generate a small amount of electricity at around 0.7 volts. To create a bigger amount of electricity, fuel cells must be packed together into a fuel cell stack.

A Brief Historical Background of Fuel Cells

A Welsh scientist named Sir William Grove was the first person to build the first fuel cell in 1889. Grove discovered that when the two ends of platinum electrodes were immersed in sulfuric acid and the two ends were placed in separate sealed containers of hydrogen and oxygen, a constant flow of current will take place. He also combined several cells in a series circuit and created the “gas battery”. From 1889 onwards, many people attempted to produce fuel cells that could transform carbon or coal directly to electricity but these efforts failed because of the insufficient knowledge about electricity and the materials that must be used.

Francis Bacon developed the first successful fuel cell in 1932. He used oxygen, hydrogen, nickel electrodes and an alkaline electrolyte for the creation of the cell. In 1952, he and a co-worker produced the 5-kW fuel cell system.

Its development went on and off for the succeeding 75 years as other scientists discovered new electrodes, reactants and electrolytes. However, in the 1960s, the United States space program used fuel cells over the bulky, risky and expensive solar energy. This sparked serious interest on fuel cells.

The space program has paved the way for fuel cell development. Engineers saw the reliability and practicality of using fuel cells as realistic generators of power on electrical any devise. After a few years, people have started using fuel cells to produce clean, peaceful and petroleum-free automotive propulsion.

The polymer and alkaline electrolyte fuel cells have shown their capabilities in the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle space vehicle programs which were operated by men. Efforts at present are focused on developing stationary power systems and power units (powered by fuel cells) that are especially designed for transportation purposes.

Also, referred as SOFC, solid oxide fuel cells are capable of converting chemical energy into conventional fuel that generates electrical power with minimal emissions. And because fuel cells are designed to have minimal moving parts, they are capable of operating with minimum noise.

More manufacturers are now harnessing the true green potential of oxide fuel cells. In that regard, here are some of the manufacturers employing the use of oxide fuel cell  technology when creating their products:

Bloom Energy

This company aims to change the way the world consumes and use energy. Bloom Energy produces power generation systems that make use of fuel cell technology. The company focuses in creating green energy solutions by harnessing power from alternative energy sources, like the fuel cell. In fact, Bloom Energy’s Energy Services are known to be one of the most efficient power generators on the planet today. The power generator they manufacture are capable of significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time reducing the cost of electric consumption. Headquartered in the city of Sunnyvale in California, Bloom Energy is known for manufacturing on-site power generation powered by fuel cell technology.

Brazil H2 Fuel Cell Energy

Known as a leading company in Brazil, Brazil H2 Fuel Cell Technology is devoted to the hydrogen and fuel cell market. Their main business is to educate people about the green benefits of using fuel cell and hydrogen in power generation. The company has introduced fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in the country and continues to seek for opportunities of using fuel cells and hydrogen in Brazil.

Hosokawa Micron Group

Headquartered on Shoudai Tajika in Hirakata-Shi, the company manufactures fuel cell-related products such as low temp operation SOFC, Nobilta, and SOFC materials (NiO-YSZ composite powder). The company is responsible for creating FC products that focus on product recovery, powder/particle processing and air pollution control.

Wartsila Corporation

This Finnish company is a reputable supplier of lifetime care services, operation and power plants in decentralized fuel cell power generation systems. Wartsalia is known for providing global care services to ship machineries acquired by their clients.

The advantages of using SOFCs include the following:

• Carbon dioxide and hydrogen are used as fuels.
• The SOFC can use a number of hydrocarbon fuels like diesel, gasoline, alcohol and natural gas without having to reform the fuel used into pure hydrogen.
• This has potentially lower costs because there is no need to use precious metals in the conversion process. The cost is definitely higher in other fuel cells that use platinum as a catalyst to the proton exchange. Some other fuel cells that use liquid electrolytes could lead to corrosion of components.
• SOFC is easier to maintain because it is in its solid state.

Meanwhile, practical Applications of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cells include the following:

-  For power and heat generation in businesses and residential areas.

-  Auxiliary power units for the electrical systems of vehicles.

-  SOFC can be used with a gas turbine to generate second source of electricity with the high pressure and heat of the fuel cell.

-  SOFC can also be used in industrial processing and space heating.

-  Solid oxide fuels are known to create fewer pollutants.Their cleanliness and compact size make them ideal for urban settings such as Tokyo.

-  Mobile power generation can also be propelled with the use of solid oxide fuel cells.

SOFC technology varies from other fuel cells because it is made of all-solid materials from the cathode, anode and electrolytes. SOFCs operate at temperatures that are extremely high from 500 to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit). These produce exhaust gases that can be used in combination with heat. The SOFCs also have different configurations such as flat planes (planar), rolled tubes (tubular) and other designs.

The most common materials used for the solid oxide electrolyte are zirconia and yttria that serve to enable the transport of the oxygen ions. The hard ceramic is formed as a crystal lattice and coated with specialized porous electrode ingredients.

Solid oxide fuel cells are attractive candidates for working with gas turbines in a hybrid configuration. Their high pressure can be used to spin the turbine and generate additional electricity for a number of establishments and structures. The first solid oxide fuel cell and gas turbine hybrid system in the world was tested by Siemens.

SOFCs are fuel cells that are characterized by using solid oxide as their electrolyte to handle negative oxygen ions from the cathode and transfer them to the anode. On the anode, electrochemical oxygen ions oxidation takes place with carbon monoxide or hydrogen. In the more recent years, proton-conducting SOFCs, also referred as PC-SOFC, are being developed in order to carry protons to the electrolyte in place of the oxygen ions. This was done to decrease the temperature as compared to using traditional SOFCs.

Solid oxide fuel cells work at extremely high temperatures ranging from 500 to 1000 degrees Celsius. SOFCs do not need platinum catalysts at these temperatures. The chances to incur sulfur poisoning is possible when using SOFCs , and so the sulfur content must be removed first before it enters the cell with the use of adsorbent beds or other materials.

Light hydrocarbon fuels like propane, butane and methane can be internally created within the anode at high temperatures. The SOFCs can be fueled as well by recreating heavier hydrocarbons like diesel, jet fuel, biofuel and gasoline. Mixtures of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, steam, methane and carbon dioxide are the reformates formed by the reaction of the hydrocarbon fuels with steam or air in the upstream device within the SOFC’s anode C. The power systems of the fuel cell can level up the efficiency with the use of heat from the exothermic electrochemical oxidation.

With these fuel cells, people can have a wide selection of applications from auxiliary power units in cars and other vehicles to power generation to create 100W to 2 MW output. Unlike other fuel cells, SOFCs have a number of geometries. These are the planar fuel cell (sandwich type geometry), tubular geometry and the modified planar fuel cell. These fuels cells feature good designs that serve the primary purpose of creating energy or electricity.