Template:UPS
From Lauraibm
Full story: Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Unlimited UPS (Sep-04)
An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) allows computer systems to keep running for a short time even if a facility loses power—the advantage being that the user has time to save data before the power cuts out. In the past UPS systems have relied on battery or diesel generators. However, recent advances in hydrogen fuel cell technology have provided a more environmentally friendly solution. The advantage of using hydrogen is that there is no CO2 emitted.
Like a battery, the fuel cell produces DC voltage, which is the same as used by UPS systems. Automatically, it's a good match. Another benefit is that hydrogen cells are a 10-year product. A battery for a UPS only lasts three or four years. Over those 10 years, facility executives will have to replace traditional batteries three times.
The disadvantage of hydrogen is that it is not very cost-competitive for short runs when compared to other UPS options, thus the future of hydrogen becoming a major player in the economy will depend upon producing, supplying and storing the element at a low cost for end users.
