HiB3

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This is a design of a 100-watt hydrogen fuel cell system, called the HiB3 for low power applications.Rechargeable batteries lose capacity with each recharge and eventually are discarded, adding to landfill contamination with metals such as nickel and cadmium. But fuel cells [HiB3] does not discharge and degrade over time. A new rechargeable brick battery runs for about two hours, whereas HiB3 has been estimated to last four to five hours before needing a refill of hydrogen. A brick battery takes about six hours to recharge, up to six times longer than it takes to refill an HiB3 canister from the designs.How it works: A battery stores electrons, but fuel cells make electrons. Inside a fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen from the air combine to produce electricity and water vapor, which stays confined to the surface of the HiB3 cartridge until it evaporates. No fuel is burned in this electrochemical process, so no polluting by-products (such as carbon dioxide) are emitted. As long as there’s a supply of hydrogen, electricity flows in a fuel cell.Is storing hydrogen safe?Hydrogen is most commonly stored as a compressed gas. However, it can also be stored as a cryogenic liquid at very low temperatures. Additional methods of storing hydrogen include metal hydride materials, as well as various chemical hydrides. In this case [HiB3] the hydrogen is bonded to a solid material and can be liberated upon demand.Hydrogen storage systems can be very safe, provided that good design and safety practices have been followed. As the lightest element in the universe, hydrogen dissipates very rapidly if it escapes from a storage vessel.