{"id":11899,"date":"2024-01-17T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/?p=11899"},"modified":"2024-01-16T17:14:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T22:14:41","slug":"fuel-cells-vs-batteries-for-material-handling-forklift-power-activate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.plugpower.com\/blog\/fuel-cells-vs-batteries-for-material-handling-forklift-power-activate\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuel Cells vs. Batteries for Material Handling: Forklift Power, Activate!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Warehouses and distribution centers around the world require forklifts to function. They\u2019re essentially the way goods move from one place to another. Without them, life as we know it would not exist. Food would rot in warehouses. Products would not make it to store shelves. Packages would be painfully slow to arrive at your door. In other words, forklifts \u2014and their drivers\u2014 are essential to daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For large-scale warehouse operations, there is a question to resolve as we move forward. Batteries or hydrogen fuel cells? What is the most effective way to power an electric forklift in a manner that optimizes productivity, efficiency, sustainability, and makes the most of warehouse space?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A battery is a device that stores electrical energy in chemical form and converts it into electrical power when needed. It consists of one or more electrochemical cells, each comprising positive and negative electrodes separated by an electrolyte. During discharge, a chemical reaction occurs, releasing electrons that flow through an external circuit, producing electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that generates electrical energy through the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water and heat as byproducts. In a fuel cell, hydrogen is fed to the anode and oxygen (usually from the air) to the cathode, separated by an electrolyte. The chemical reactions at each electrode produce electricity with the only emissions being clean water vapor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n