What distinguishes different types of fuel cells?
Fuel cells are generally characterized by the type of electrolyte used. The primary types of fuel cells therefore include (in alphabetical order): (1) alkaline fuel cells (AFC), which contain a liquid alkaline electrolyte; (2) molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC), which contain a molten carbonate salt electrolyte at operating temperatures (~650oC); (3) phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC), which contain a phosphoric acid electrolyte; (4) proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), which contain a solid polymer electrolyte; and (5) solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), which contain a solid ceramic electrolyte. Each of these fuel cell types operates on the basic principles of reverse electrolysis.
