these attempts is mostly due to the lack of understanding of electrode kinetics and the materials they were using. While the fuel cell was not having much luck at this time, the first internal combustion engine was developed, thus stopping any more attempts at harnessing hydrogen’s energy potential. It wasn’t until 1959 that a group of scientists, led by Francis Bacon, formulated the first practical fuel cell that was capable of powering a welding machine. (Esselstyn 1) However, NASA was the first to make fuel cells known, in the 1950’s, when they started to use them in their space missions and continue to use them to this day. (Esselstyn 1) NASA has been using fuel cells aboard space shuttles for decades now, without any problems. Because of NASA’s success with hydrogen the Daimler-Benz car company has created a bus called the NEBUS which runs solely on the use of fuel cells, producing enough electrical energy to power the bus for two hundred and fifty kilometers at a time. This rather unique bus runs quite successfully in three major cities in North America. The prosperity of the NEBUS has also sparked the interest of Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, and Chrysler, who are now all working on their own versions of environmentally safe cars. (Esselstyn 3)Many people believe hydrogen is not a safe way to produce energy because of its volatility, and the Hindenburg disaster is used as evidence to back up this belief. However, in April, 1997 a scientist by the name of Addison Bains uncovered evidence, that was in the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter, which suggested that the accident was more likely caused by the Zeppelin’s highly flammable exterior being set on fire by the static-electric discharges in the air. The hydrogen did eventually combust, but the blame cannot be put solely on hydrogen. (DiChristina 4) Fifty thousand pounds of hydrogen are used daily to produce metal, process food, manufacture computer ...
