(520e) Hydrogen Storage for PEM Fuel Cell Applications

Due to emerging economies and increasing population, demand for transportation fuels and energy is projected to increase rapidly. Currently, the majority of transportation fuels are derived from fossil fuels. Based on the current consumption rate, however, the supply of fossil fuels may last for <50 years. In addition, increasing CO₂ emissions due to burning fossil fuels put pressure on the ecological cycle and may account for global climate change. In this context, hydrogen is an attractive option to replace current hydrocarbon-based systems. A major obstacle for the development of hydrogen-powered fuel cell applications is the lack of safe, light weight and energy efficient means for on-board hydrogen storage. During the last twenty years, significant effort has been made to develop effective hydrogen storage methods, including hydrogen tank, sorbents, and metal/chemical hydrides. In this presentation, the current status of each onboard hydrogen storage method will be discussed, along with its advantages and disadvantages, and a perspective will be offered for future developments.