The fuel cell, which William Robert Grove conceived of in 1839, has engendered high hopes over the last two decades. Conventional technologies have served power production needs well over the course of the 20th century, but those with vision have begun to anticipate a time when a new generation of technologies would emerge -technologies that are close to environmentally benign, with characteristics more of solid-state devices than of rotating machines, with high efficiency, in small packages. Some have linked technologies to be used after the year 2000 with a fuel that is also environmentally benign -hydrogen.
Developers of generating equipment see the opportunity to move the manufacturing and construction operations from the field to the factory, producing truck-transportable pallets of equipment. Electric utilities see a path to a reduced burden from the environmental impact of their smoke stacks and by-product wastes and from the growing network of transmission lines. Researchers see an opportunity to participate in the development of the first completely new technology for electric generation since nuclear power. And, environmental advocates see the opportunity to support a technology capable of having a major impact on global atmospheric and water problems. At least, it is hoped these interest groups have these visions.
In many respects it seems that fuel cells have been the elusive solution in search of a problem, or problems, yet to develop. Their environmental performance begs for a day when air and water quality constraints are so great that fuel cells are the only option one has for power production. Their fuel flexibility characteristics beg for a day when fuel availability and price considerations require a technology that can utilize low-Btu waste gases from landfills, and natural gas, and methanol with great efficiency and flexibility. These and other scenarios have kept public and private funding of fuel cells somewhat steady since the 1970s.
The capital and operating cost of the fuel cell as a power producer has received attention, but any disadvantageous comparison has been augmented with fuel cell 'credits' that are based upon one or more constraints on existing technologies.
This orientation has put fuel cell developers in the position of chasing constraints that continue to be 'in the future', not 'today' constraints. Air quality problems, in general, have only begun to suggest pervasive problems