How Is a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Used?
Theoretical Use A hydrogen fuel cell converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. In theory you can use a hydrogen fuel cell as an alternative to batteries for any application that requires large batteries. Small commercial units are about the size of a soft drink can and produce about 480 watts of electricity. The most common process requires two catalysts, an anode and a cathode, separated by an insulating polymer electrolyte membrane. The anode is equivalent to the negative contact on a battery and the cathode is the positive terminal. When hydrogen is applied to the anode (typically made of platinum) a catalytic reaction takes place in which hydrogen atoms are ionized, resulting in electrons (negative) and protons (positive). Both are attracted to the cathode but only protons are able to pass through the polymer membrane. As a result the cathode accumulates protons while negatively charged electrons remain on the anode side. An electrical circuit is provided, which allows electro
