"Hydrogen alternative fuel" cells also depend on the oxidation process to produce electricity, but they use hydrogen rather than petroleum products to bring about combustion. It is the heat and water that is generated by the fuel cell's internal combustion process which results in electrical energy. That electrical energy is then used to drive the mechanical motion of the engine in these vehicles.
The fuel cell used in vehicles that operate off of hydrogen combustion engines consist of multiple cells that are layered atop one another. It takes several cells to produce the amount of electricity necessary for powering a vehicle, and of course, the larger the vehicle, the most cells that are required. Electricity is created when hydrogen and oxygen combine. Air is siphoned through the layers of cells and an exchanger held within the hydrogen alternative fuel cell actually creates the electrical power that drives the motors of these vehicles.
Of all the alternative vehicles envisioned and demonstrated by the automotive industry, hydrogen powered vehicles are the newest. They are truly still in their infancy, with no operating vehicles having yet made it past the demonstration stage in the United States.
There are busses and semi tractor trailers which have been created as demonstration models in the U.S. using the hydrogen fuel cell technology. Japanese developers have created the first hybrid hydrogen/diesel train as a demonstration model, as well, but the testing phase with these innovative engines is still relatively recent. In all likelihood, it will be another decade or two before any of these vehicles hit the market for consumer purchase.
Not only is there still much to do in labs in order to finalize the hydrogen alternative fuel cell engines necessary for powering everyday consumer vehicles, but there are also infrastructure concerns which must be addressed as well. Prototype hydrogen fueling stations are also being constructed in order to test that portion of the practical aspects of having hydrogen vehicles on the roads.
Though still a burgeoning technology, hydrogen alternative fuel cell vehicles are a promising addition to the more environmentally friendly commercial transport and passenger vehicles now being developed. Hydrogen is a renewable fuel resource and one that can potentially reduce, if not eliminate dependence on fossil fuels.
