Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 2,0, http: //www.uni-jena.de/ (Department of Political Science), course: Managing Innovation, 36 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: "The fuel cell is a higher civilisation performance than the steam engine and will soon banish the Siemens generator into the museum." predicted Wilhelm Ostwald, Nobel price winner for chemistry at the second meeting of the German Electro-technical Society in 1884 in Leipzig. But during more then hundred years passed by in the meantime, the discovery did not turn out to be the 'engine of the future'. This fact raises at least two separate questions in mind. Firstly, why fuel cells did not enter yet the market, and secondly, when do they really supposed to do so? In other terms, when does this hundred years old invention finally become an innovation?

Lately it has become a matter of conventional wisdom that hydrogen will solve many of our energy and environmental problems. Nearly everyone -- environmentalists, mainstream media commentators, industry analysts, General Motors, and even President Bush -- seems to expect emission-free hydrogen fuel cells to ride to the rescue in a matter of years, or at most a decade or two. Not so fast, says Joseph Romm. In The Hype about Hydrogen, he explains why hydrogen isn't the quick technological fix it's cracked up to be, and why cheering for fuel cells to sweep the market is not a viable strategy for combating climate change. Buildings and factories powered by fuel cells may indeed become common after 2010, Joseph Romm argues, but when it comes to transportation, the biggest source of greenhouse-gas emissions, hydrogen is unlikely to have a significant impact before 2050. The Hype about Hydrogen offers a hype-free explanation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, takes a hard look at the practical difficulties of transitioning to a hydrogen economy, and reveals why, given increasingly strong evidence of the gravity of climate change, neither government policy nor business investment should be based on the belief that hydrogen cars will have meaningful commercial success in the near or medium term. Romm, who helped run the federal government's program on hydrogen and fuel cells during the Clinton administration, provides a provocative primer on the politics, business, and technology of hydrogen and climate protection.

Fuel cells are, according to some, the answer to the future problems of energy resources. Rather than solve those problems alone, they will doubtless form part of a growing group of alternative energy sources such as wind, tidal, photovoltaic and nuclear sources which will reduce our dependence on oil. Stationary fuel cells are the kind used mainly for home, office and large-scale power plants. For those seeking a current overview of stationary fuel cells, their status and applications, market developments, market players, economics and future potential, this is where to look. Not a purely engineering textbook, it is designed to provide potential adopters of fuel cells with the information needed to make sensible decisions, and as such it is unique. *Expert summary of current and future status*Decision-making aid for non-engineers*Increasingly important fuel source

Fuel cells are expected to play a major role in the future power supply that will transform to renewable, decentralized and fluctuating primary energies. At the same time the share of electric power will continually increase at the expense of thermal and mechanical energy not just in transportation, but also in households. Hydrogen as a perfect fuel for fuel cells and an outstanding and efficient means of bulk storage for renewable energy will spearhead this development together with fuel cells. Moreover, small fuel cells hold great potential for portable devices such as gadgets and medical applications such as pacemakers. This handbook will explore specific fuel cells within and beyond the mainstream development and focuses on materials and production processes for both SOFC and lowtemperature fuel cells, analytics and diagnostics for fuel cells, modeling and simulation as well as balance of plant design and components. As fuel cells are getting increasingly sophisticated and industrially developed the issues of quality assurance and methodology of development are included in this handbook. The contributions to this book come from an international panel of experts from academia, industry, institutions and government. This handbook is oriented toward people looking for detailed information on specific fuel cell types, their materials, production processes, modeling and analytics. Overview information on the contrary on mainstream fuel cells and applications are provided in the book 'Hydrogen and Fuel Cells', published in 2010.

Fuel cells are electrochemical energy conversion devices that convert hydrogen and oxygen into water, producing electricity and heat in the process and providing fuel efficiency and reductions in pollutants. Demand for this technology is growing rapidly. Fuel cells are being commercialized for stationary and portable electricity generation, and as a replacement for internal combustion engines in automobiles. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells in particular are experiencing an upsurge. They have high power density and can vary their output quickly to meet shifts in power demand. Until now, there has been little written about this important technology. This book lays the groundwork for fuel cell engineers, technicians and students. It covers the fundamental aspects of fuel cell design, electrochemistry of the technology, heat and mass transport, system design and applications to bring this technology to professionals at all levels. * Comprehensive guide for engineers, researchers and policymakers * Covers theory and practice of PEM fuel cells * Contains hundreds of original illustrations and real-life engineering examples

This issue of the 2006 Fuel Cell Seminar, held in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2006, marks the 30th Anniversary of the seminar, and contains papers dealing with stationary fuel cell systems, technology development, demonstration, and commercialization of fuel cells. Major topic of discussions throughout the three oral sessions and poster sessions were stationary fuel cell systems, hydrogen systems, and their efficient use as backup systems. Their use as alternative energies and portable fuel cells were also discussed.

Fuel Cells is a concise, up-to-date and accessible guide to the evolution of the use of electrochemistry to generate power. The author provides a comprehensive exploration of the history of fuel cells, the environmental concerns which came into prominence in the 1980s and the economic factors associated with this method of power generation. Examples discussed include Alkaline Fuel Cells, Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells, Molton Carbonate Fuel Cells and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, making this a valuable and insightful read for those in the power generation market and those in electrochemistry, such as engineers, managers and academics. Explores multiple variations of fuel cell technology and evaluates their cost and application Provides detailed historical context, beginning in 1839 with the development of electrolysis Discusses the most up-to-date advancements and methods of fuel cell technology today