Fuel Cells are coming/what does this mean to you?
Aaron Keep
9/30/00
Per. 2 Auto. Eng.
Are Fuel Cells the Future?
Imagine a world where the air around you is always clean and free of smog. Where the cars give off no dangerous emissions. Where the people don’t have to worry about the greenhouse effect. This fantasy world can become a reality if we switch all are engines from gasoline engines to fuel cells. Fuel cells can serve as an effective alternative to today’s internal combustion engines. Fuel cells have many more benefits than the gasoline engines that are being used today. Fuels cells are important for the future because they will drastically reduce air pollution, conserve energy, and even out perform today’s combustion engines.
Fuel cells should replace gasoline engines because they are better for the environment. Hydrogen fuel cells emit nothing but water vapor into the environment. The fuel cell is a great alternative to the combustion engine because it protects the environment. The main reason the public wants to replace the gasoline engine is to protect the environment from its dangerous emissions. "The U.S. Department of Energy projects that if a mere 10% of automobiles nationwide were powered by fuel cells, regulated air pollutants would be cut by one million tons per year and sixty million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide would be eliminated" (FC 2000: Benefits of Fuel Cells). Scientists and environmentalists have been complaining for years about how pollution will result in the disastrous greenhouse effect. But now with the development of the hydrogen fuel cell the greenhouse effect can be delayed for a very long time. Another common concern with car pollution is it is dangerous to crops, animals, and even people. The fuel cell helps reassure the American people that the crops they eat are healthy for consumption. It also assures the public that the air they breathe is safer and healthier.
The fuel cell is beneficial because it adds a little security in the area of energy. "If just 20 percent of cars used fuel cells, we could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels everyday" (FC 2000: Benefits of Fuel Cells). The United States is dependent on oil imports from other nations and without oil the American public would be in chaos. Also, the price of oil is projected to increase. Therefore, developing fuel cells that run on hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, is a reassuring realization. "If every new vehicle in the U.S. next year was equipped with a 60kw fuel cell, we would double the amount of the country’s available electricity supply" (FC 200: Benefits of Fuel Cells). This is a tremendous benefit because there are many electricity shortages throughout the nation in a year. Fuel cells can conserve electricity to combat these shortages.
Fuel cells when compared to today’s gasoline engines are more efficient and effective. "They [fuel cells] offer the advantages of battery-powered vehicles but can also be refueled quickly and could go longer between refuelings" (FC 2000: Frequently Asked Questions). The fuel cell saves time because it doesn’t need to be refueled so often. In today’s world, where there are never enough hours in the day, this would be a major advantage. Fuel cells generate electricity more efficiently than combustion engines. Thus, it is very apparent that fuel cells outperform the best combustion engines of modern day. "Studies by General Motors and Ford noted that fuel cell car engines could be built for about the same price as an internal combustion engine." (FC 2000: Frequently Asked Questions). So for the same price range and the many benefits, why would the public not want to buy the fuel cell over the combustion engine?
Fuel cells outperform the modern combustion engines, conserve energy, and protect the environment. Fuel cells are the future for humans and the environment. It should become a priority to use fuel cells instead of combustion engines in new cars since they have been proven to be more effective. It would be insane not to make the change.
Works Cited
Fuel Cells: Benefits of Fuel Cells. http://216.51.18.233/fcbenefi.html
Fuel Cells: Frequently Asked Questions. http://216.51.18.233/fcfaqs.html