Technologies:
Speaking at a seminar on Fuel Cells, organised by the Department of Physics, Periyar University here on Friday, he pointed out that the petroleum based fuel cell technologies was not the proper choice technically, environmentally or from the point of nation development, a release said.

Fuel cells generate electricity from a simple electrochemical reaction in which oxygen and hydrogen combine to form water, he told the students.

Applications:
Fuel cells are classified according to the nature of the electrolyte.

Each type requires particular materials and fuels and is suitable for different applications. One type of fuel cell is Direct Methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), which has a good chance of being widely used in portable electronic devices to replace batteries. For future generation, DMFCs could prove to be a key foundation of vehicular power, he said.

High efficiency:
DMFCs convert methanol directly into electricity with high efficiency and without pollution. Hence the country needed to push for more consideration for methanol fuel cells.

Though the Western and European countries have developed the Research on Fuel cells, in India, there has not been much work on this emerging area. In the developed countries Fuel cell companies had developed cars and buses operated by fuel cells.

Professor Krishnakumar presided over the seminar. Students and faculty members attended the seminar.