As time passes, technological advances require more efficient energy sources. At the forefront of research into these energy sources are hydrogen fuel cells. This energy source absorbs the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen, and produces immense energy without combustion or pollution. The three aspects of this scientific breakthrough are fuel cells, hydrogen production and hydrogen storage. Fuel cells are devices with which hydrogen is transformed into electricity. These use technology very similar to something we know very well: the battery. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL, like the battery, fuel cells use chemical reactions to generate electricity rather than combustion. Unlike the battery, however, the "ingredients" for this reaction are not stored inside the cell, but are taken from outside, making their potential much more efficient and giving them a longer time to power whatever comes their way. connected. They. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, two reactions occur inside the fuel cell. One is an oxidation half-reaction at the anode and the other is a reduction half-reaction at the cathode. Under normal conditions, this process would be very slow. Manufacturers speed up this process by adding a catalyst on one side of the anode and the other on the cathode. The most common of these catalysts consists of platinum powder coated in a very thin layer onto carbon paper or fabric. The reactions that take place release very large quantities of energy and do so without releasing pollutants. The only byproduct is water vapor. Hydrogen is in fact the most abundant element in the universe, although it is usually found in compounds. Since fuel cells require pure hydrogen, it must be separated from these compounds in order to create renewable energy. According to NREL, the four most promising ways to do this are as follows. Thermochemical hydrogen is produced by heating biomass with limited or no oxygen, gasifying it into what is called syngas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, or liquefying it. in priolysis oil. The synthesis gas then goes through what is called a water gas shift reaction to increase the amount of hydrogen. Priolysis oil uses a vapor reformation technique along with the water gas displacement reaction.