Hydrogen has been suggested as a potential future fuel when combined with fuel cell technology. There are three steps in the conventional process. Water is converted to hydrogen in an electrolyzer. The hydrogen is stored. The hydrogen is then employed in a fuel cell. The report on the hydrogen economy suggest the efficiencies of the first and last of these processes. What would then be the estimated largest amount of power you could get out the fuel cell with 10 kWh of electrical power into the electrolyzer (assume 100% storage efficiency)
Firstly 10 kWh is not power, it is energy. So we can only work out the largest amount of energy, not power, unless a time period is specified. Secondly, you've been given two conversion efficiencies in the report which you haven't repeated here. I'll assume: - electrolyser efficiency is 50% 0.5 - fuel cell efficiency is 80% 0.8 (these are just random values, you should substitute the actual values obviously) Storage efficiency is 100% (given) So maximum amount of ENERGY from the fuel cell with 10kWh energy input to electrolyser is: 10kWh * 0.5 * 1.0 * 0.8 4 kWh
