Fuel Cells
Viewpoints
2023
2022
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December/January:
2022: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2023 -
November:
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October:
Powering Ultrathin Fuel Cells with Blood Glucose for Long-Lasting Implants
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September:
World's First Combined-Heat-and-Power Fuel-Cell Utility Plants in South Korea
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
East Japan Railway Fuel-Cell Trains on Track to Zero Emissions
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April:
Daimler Ups the Ante on Liquid-Hydrogen-Fueled Long-Haul Trucks
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March:
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February:
2021
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December/January:
2021: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2022 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
Hyzon's SPAC Acquisition
Opportunities: Propulsion beyond Cars -
February:
Archived Viewpoints
2020
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December/January:
2020: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2021 -
November:
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October:
Nikola Motor Controversy
Hydrogen Infrastructure and Storage -
September:
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August:
Increasing Competition in Fuel-Cell Trucking
Technology in Brief: Hydrogen Production -
July:
Fuel Cells for VTOL Aircraft
Road Maps to a Hydrogen Economy -
June:
The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of Clean Energy
Scenarios Presentation: The Pandemic Crisis: Scenarios for the Future of Technology Development
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May:
The Pandemic Crisis: Key Forces That Will Shape the Future of Clean Energy
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April:
Hydrogen Production from Sunlight
New Ceramic Fuel-Cell Materials -
March:
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February:
2019
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December/January:
2019: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2020 -
November:
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October:
Converting Locomotives to Hydrogen
Fuel-Extraction Technologies -
September:
Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells for Marine Use
Ammonia Fuel-Cell Research -
August:
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July:
Advances for Indirect Fuel Cells
Hydrogen Explosion in Norway Prompts Safety Fears -
June:
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May:
Battery-Powered Vehicles: Competition or Synergy?
Metal-Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Storage -
April:
Converting Gas Grids to Hydrogen?
Changing Economics of Hydrogen Generation -
March:
Improved Catalysts for Fuel Cells
Tough Times for Fuel-Cell Manufacturers -
February:
Fuel-Cell Ships to Travel the Seven Seas
Fuel-Cell Buses Merging into the Fast Lane
2018
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December/January:
2018: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2019 -
November:
Fuel-Cell Trucks: Helping to Clear the Skies over Los Angeles
South Korea Leads in Stationary Fuel-Cell Technology -
October:
Aboard Fuel-Cell Trains
Fuel-Cell Big Rigs Truckin' Down the Hydrogen Highway -
September:
Riding the Fuel-Cell Ferry: No More Noxious Fumes
Ammonia-Based Fuel Cells Power Off-Grid Telecom Towers -
August:
Fuel-Cell Vehicles and Platinum: Parting Company?
Fuel Cells for the Military: In the Air, Off Road, Underwater, and on Soldiers -
July:
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June:
Fuel-Flexible Protonic-Ceramic Fuel Cells
Biohydrogen Progress -
May:
Plastic to Hydrogen Goes Commercial
Commercial Progress in Hybrid FC-Gas-Turbine Technology -
April:
Light Commercial FCVs' Commercial Momentum
Reversible Proton Batteries -
March:
Reinstatement of the ITC
Developments in Direct-Carbon Fuel Cells -
February:
2017
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December/January:
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November:
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October:
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September:
Developments in Paper-Based Fuel Cells
Aluminum Alloys for Hydrogen Production -
August:
Fuel-Cell Forklifts Power Ahead
Developments in Hydrogen-Gas Grids -
July:
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June:
Fuel-Cell-Vehicle-Player Partnerships
Direct-Methane Microbial Fuel Cells -
May:
Self-Healing Nafion Membranes
Automating Fuel-Cell-Materials Discovery -
April:
Developments in High-Temperature Proton-Conducting Fuel Cells
Fuel-Cell-Powered Robots for Ecological Conservation -
March:
Toyota Mirai Recall: A Setback for Fuel-Cell Vehicles?
Developments in Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting -
February:
Fuel-Cell-Powered Heavy-Duty Trucks
Developments in Fuel-Cell-Powered UAVs
2016
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December/January:
2016: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2017 -
November:
Royal Caribbean Cruises to Develop the World's First Fuel-Cell-Powered Cruise Ships
Plug Power Expanding Intelligent Data Services for Fuel-Cell Systems -
October:
A Novel High-Temperature Proton-Exchange Membrane
UNDP Promotes Fuel-Cell Vehicles in China -
September:
Biomimetic Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Production
Apple Granted Second Fuel-Cell Patent -
August:
Off-Grid Hybrid Hydrogen-Power Plants
DOE Fuel-Cell Investment -
July:
3D-Printed Fuel Cells
Bioethanol-Fueled Solid-Oxide-Fuel-Cell Vehicles -
June:
Fuel-Cell-Car Sharing Service Launches in Germany
Microbial Fuel Cells for Rural Electrification -
May:
ClearEdge Technology Gains New Life in Korea
Fuel Cells Power Telecom Towers in India -
April:
Electrolysis-Based Renewable Hydrogen Production
Nanofasteners Increase the Durability of Hydrocarbon Electrolyte Membranes -
March:
New Fuel-Cell System Runs on Biogas from Wastewater
Fuel-Cell Phone Chargers for a Monthly Fee -
February:
Cryogenic Compressed Hydrogen Energizes Fuel-Cell Vehicles
Fuel-Cell Trams Combat Air Pollution in China
2015
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December/January:
2015: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2016 -
November:
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October:
Fuel-Cell Ferries and Synergistic Hydrogen Ecosystems
Resurrecting Device-Integrated Fuel Cells -
September:
Molten-Carbonate Fuel Cells for Carbon Capture
Artificial-Leaf Systems for Solar Hydrogen Production -
August:
Platinum-Free Electrolyzer Catalysts
Large Stationary SOFCs: Commercial Update -
July:
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June:
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May:
Bringing Residential Fuel Cells from Japan to Europe
Usable Volumes of Hydrogen from Biomass -
April:
Varying Prospects for Fuel-Cell-Vehicle Commercialization
Further Public Funding for Hydrogen Stations -
March:
SOFCs from eZelleron for the Portable-Power Market
The Redox-Microsoft Partnership -
February:
Graphene for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Fuel Flexibility in Enzymatic Biofuel Cells
2014
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December/January:
2014: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2015 -
November:
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October:
Fuel-Cell and Electric-Vehicle-Industry Divisions
Intelligent Energy's IPO -
September:
The End of Lilliputian's Commercialization Efforts
Standardizing Hydrogen Fueling -
August:
Doosan's ClearEdge Purchase
Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells from General Electric -
July:
New DOE-Funded Hydrogen Projects
Reformer-Free Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells -
June:
Microbial-Fuel-Cell Research
Fuel-Cell Vehicles Ready for Consumers -
May:
Fuel Cells for Consumer Electronics: Challenges and Progress
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April:
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March:
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February:
2013
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December/January:
2013: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2014 -
November:
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October:
Auxiliary-Power-Unit Commercialization in Transportation Markets
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2012
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December/January:
2012: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2013 -
November:
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October:
Effects of Fuel Varieties, Prices, and Sustainability on the Fuel-Cell Industry
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September:
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August:
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July:
Lilliputian's Micro-Fuel-Cell Commercialization
Glucose Biofuel Cells for Brain Implants -
June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2011
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December/January:
2011: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2012 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2010
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December/January:
2010: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2011 -
November:
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October:
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September:
Widespread Commercialization for Large Stationary Fuel Cells
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August:
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July:
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June:
Driving FCVs Forward: Automaker Plans and Consumer Expectations
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2009
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December/January:
2009: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2010 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2008
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December/January:
2008: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2009 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2007
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December/January:
2007: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2008 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2006
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December/January:
2006: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2007 -
November:
Opportunities for Fuel Cells in Large Stationary Applications
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
Opportunities for Fuel Cells in Niche Transportation Applications
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June:
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May:
Opportunities for Fuel Cells as Auxiliary Power Units in Transportation Applications
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April:
Opportunities for Fuel Cells in Light-Duty Vehicle-Propulsion Applications
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March:
DOE-Funded Study Compares Cost of Current PEMFCs for Transportation with DOE Goals
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February:
2005
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December/January:
2005: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2006 -
November:
Direct Carbon Conversion: Feature at Special Fuel-Cell Seminar Workshop
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2004
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December/January:
2004: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2005 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
Recent Developments in High-Temperature Membranes for PEMFCs
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2003
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December/January:
2003: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2004 -
November:
Recent Developments in Fuel Cells for Consumer-Electronic Devices
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October:
High-Purity Hydrogen from Hydrocarbons for Use in Fuel Cells
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2002
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December/January:
2002: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2003 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2001
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December/January:
2001: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2002 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
2000
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December/January:
2000: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2001 -
November:
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October:
Will Portable Fuel Cells to Lead Fuel-Cell Commercialiazation?
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
Platinum Production: Sufficient for Fuel-Cell Commercialization?
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March:
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February:
1999
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December/January:
1999: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 2000 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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Before August 1999, the Explorer service was called TechMonitoring, and Viewpoints were TechLinks.
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
1998
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December/January:
1998: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1999 -
November:
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October:
Evaluations of the Fuel Cell Vehicle Industry Confirm the Benefits and the Challenges
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
The Problem of Fuel Selection Overshadows Progress in FCV Development
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April:
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March:
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February:
1997
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December/January:
1997: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1998 -
November:
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October:
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
Large MCFC Demonstrations Address a Range of Technical and Market Issues
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March:
MCFC Developers Must Quickly Transfer R&D Advances Into Commercial Products
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February:
The GRI Research Plan Casts Light on FC Challenges and Opportunities
1996
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December/January:
1996: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1997 -
November:
GRI Report on SOFC Cost and Competitiveness: Informative but Simplifies Many Issues
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October:
Initial Round of DoD Grants Will Help Fund 27 200-kW PAFCs | European FCV Work Is Widespread
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September:
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August:
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July:
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June:
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May:
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April:
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March:
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February:
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December/January:
1995: The Year in Review
Look for These Developments in 1996
About Fuel Cells
Fuel cells produce electricity with greater efficiency, less noise, and far less pollution than combustion technologies do because the cells convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy. Fuel cells are also modular, enabling construction of almost any size power plant and simple expansion of existing facilities. New fuel-cell systems are proving themselves to be reliable, and their efficiency is relatively high even at low load levels and in small systems. Most fuel-cell types can operate on hydrogen. Internal or external fuel-processing systems are necessary to enable use of hydrocarbon fuels in most low-temperature fuel cells (direct-methanol fuel cells are one exception) or to enable use of complex hydrocarbon fuels in high-temperature fuel cells. In the long term, fuel cells might play an important role in an energy system that relies heavily on carbon-free or carbon-neutral fuels and energy cycles.
Development and early commercialization of products has been somewhat patchy with fuel cells carving out a few niche applications. Heavy investment by a few automobile manufacturers has also spurred rapid growth in R&D for transportation applications and produced a small range of commercially available fuel-cell vehicles. However, the lack of a hydrogen-supply infrastructure, and market competition from hybrid and electric vehicles have hindered significant fuel-cell car sales. Other applications including stationary energy provision and portable power applications remain relatively nascent but could, in time, provide important parts of future energy solutions.
Fuel cells have attracted wide interest not only for their potential environmental benefits but also for their potential to change traditional ways of doing business. For example, fuel cells may give natural-gas producers and distributors a way to become electricity providers. Traditional electric utilities may be able to avoid transmission and distribution costs by going to a distributed-generation model. Alternatively, grid-scale fuel cells could help with grid balancing demands arising from an ever-growing proportion of energy being generated from renewable sources. The smart-grid concept may create an entirely new business model for energy-service providers. Other companies may simply see new sources of competition. For example, battery producers and companies that provide remote or emergency power systems, such as diesel generators, are beginning to see competition from fuel cells. At the same time, fuel cells may enable new technologies. For example, fuel cells may offer a way to power next-generation systems for military applications in remote areas. Should fuel cells find wide use, they would represent a new market for materials suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and even companies with software for process simulation and control. Membrane manufacturers, catalyst companies, and suppliers of specialized components such as power electronics may all see new markets emerge for their products.