It was exactly last Christmas that the Springer publishing company started to offer a new specialist book on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. The book takes a broad approach toward the topic, including everything from H2 generation to future fuel cell applications. The editors are Dr. Johannes Töpler, Chair of the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV), and Professor Jochen Lehmann, also from DWV’s management board. The industry professionals asked renowned experts to enrich their 281-page book with chapters full of know-how and expertise on their specialist subjects. For example, the first chapter by Professor Thomas Hamacher from the Technical University of Munich already provides the reader with a very concise overview of the entire H2 and fuel cell field, whereas Dr. Philipp Kuhn may have put too many details of his recently finished doctoral thesis into Chapter Two. But in Chapter Three, Dr. Ulrich Schmidtchen again proves that the Federal Ministry for Materials Research and Testing is rightfully regarded as a highly competent institution in safety matters.

But the chapters were not all written by scientists; business representatives tell their own story, so that the book provides just as much insight into the research done by carmakers – from H2 storage in sodium borohydride to the freeze start-up of fuel cell cars, albeit the chapters may entail a bit of self-promotion. Somewhat confusing, however, is the statement by Hartmut Paul, who writes that UPS applications with fuel cells “can be economically viable,” although his employer Rittal abandoned the segment years ago.

All in all, the book – which had already been published in German at the end of 2013 – offers a wealth of profound expert information from current research and development projects, making it professional literature for an interested readership. The main focus is hydrogen as an important secondary energy carrier for primary renewable energy sources. The authors see potential applications for fuel cells mainly in mobile or portable solutions, followed by stationary fuel cell systems in residential buildings and for uninterruptible power supply. The main target audience: readers who like to stay up-to-date about the most recent findings. The book is now available in a hardcover version or in electronic format, although its price tag of USD 119 is more directed at university professors than their students.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell – Technologies and Market Perspectives
Publisher: Springer Vieweg, Berlin, December 2015, 281 pages with 134 illustrations
Editors: Töpler, J., Lehmann, J., ISBN 978-3-662-44971-4, Store Price: USD 119