The basic principle underlying in the fuel cell technology is to combine oxygen and hydrogen to produce electricity and water. As well as a battery, it provides electricity out of a chemical reaction. The main difference lies in the fact that a fuel cell uses an external sources of hydrogen and oxygen to keep running. Fuel cells can provide an output power in a range from 1mW to 5kW. They therefore have large potential applications. Those applications can be sorted out according to the following categories:
• Transport: Units providing propulsive power to a vehicle. • Stationary: Units providing power (and sometimes heat) but are not meant to be mobile. • Portable: Units integrating systems designed to be moved.
Such various utilizations however require to be supported by hydrogen providing facilities in order to be fully exploited. The infrastructure consists both of hydrogen production and distribution installations. The spread of fuel cells and their popularity relies deeply on the development of a distribution network able to satisfy the hydrogen demand.
In this second part, the reader will be provided with an explanation on the way a fuel cell works. A listing of the different technologies available today will also be made according to their characteristics. These define the application perspectives for the product. In the end, one paragraph will be dedicated to the infrastructure necessary to the production and the distribution of hydrogen. The conventions adopted in this paragraph have been chosen in order to remain in the continuity of more ancient Fuel cell Industry Analysis Reports, made by influent organs in the sector, the biggest one being FuelCellToday.