Description

In modern society energy has become indispensable like food, water and air. However, most of the energy we use nowadays comes from fossil fuels, a non-renewable energy source. Furthermore, our dependence on fossil fuels as energy sources has caused serious environmental problems, i.e. air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and natural resource depletion. It is emphasized that the global environmental damage caused thermodynamically is more alarming to life on earth than the risk of exhausting the finite amount of fossil fuels being consumed at the present rate. The need for alternatives free of the above mentioned problems are becoming ever more urgent. Hydrogen has been identified as an ideal energy carrier to support sustainable development. It is extremely clean as the only by-product is water. In recent times, growing environmental concern has brought in a new dimension to WGSR role as an adjunct to above reactions for portable and stationery fuel cell application with possible use of improved catalysts which are non-pyrophoric, high attrition resistant and possessing better activity at moderate temperatures.