Hydrogen-Based PEM Fuel Cells for Low-Cost Sustainable Powering of IoT Systems

In this paper, we propose the usage of fuel cells in lieu of the conventional power source, namely batteries, to power Internet of Things (IoT) systems. This approach aims to improve the environmental conditions by reducing water pollution, global warming, and climate change exacerbated by the reliance on batteries for powering IoT systems. Batteries are a contributor to air and water pollution from their manufacturing to their disposal since they emit harmful pollutants into the air and increase electronic waste. Moreover, batteries are characterized by limited life, long recharge time, and the tendency to self-discharge. The PEM fuel cells we propose using in this work for powering IoT systems are sustainable, reliable, and portable. To verify the efficiency of our proposed solution, we design three different IoT systems with varying power demands not exceeding 3.2 W; a weather station, a radiation detector, and a people-counting camera system. We design a mobile/web application for each system to enable the user to monitor the IoT system's sensory output and charging state. Our results show that using fuel cells for power is a superior choice over batteries for IoT systems when considering the power supply's lifetime, the longer operation time of systems, and the better experience it provides in managing and employing the systems. Hence, it saves time, offers more system efficiency, reduces waste, lowers costs, and promotes sustainability.