I’m not an engineer but the subject interests me. So take the following with a big block of salt...
I think their has been some discussions of vehicles with fuel cells. But, as I understand, there are some big problems with it that still need to be overcome before the technology could be safely delivered to the automobile industry. Such as keeping the two gases under the pressures needed.
Apollo 13 had a fuel cell failure that destroyed/mission-killed the service module. Imagine millions of cars on the road, knowing if there was a similar failure, the vechicle would be destroyed and could cause collateral damage to structures (a garage) or another vehicle (if it happened on a drive.
...Other FReepers will steer you right on this subject! :-)
13 had a defective tank, that had been dropped, and wouldn’t vent, and so they “boiled” it out, considered acceptable. The internal wiring that was exposed to 65 volts was only rated for 28 volts DC. Oops. They were lucky that thing didn’t blow up at any other time, including on the pad. It was a bomb waiting to go off.
None or this has anything to do with the practicality of fuel cells in general. I don’t believe it would pencil out any efficiency”. There isn’t anything “efficient” about trying to keep beer cold in the desert in the first place.
No. Simply put, it was an internal short circuit of an oxygen tank, NOT the fuel cell.
You can find the details with a quick search.