WHAT IS A FUEL CELL?
The fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts energy into electricity and heat without combustion. Fuel cells can operate anything that a battery can, ranging from cell phones to automobiles to large power plants. Think of fuel cells as batteries that can be constantly recharged even while you are drawing power from them. Instead of recharging using electricity however, a fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen.
A fuel cell is a compact electrical generator that uses an electrochemical reaction to produce electricity. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell never needs recharging. It continues to produce electricity as long as it is supplied by two of earth’s most common elements – oxygen and hydrogen. Source: U.S.
Simplified Overview: A fuel cell is an efficiency device A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy. A fuel cell is a relative of batteries. For example, a fuel cell contains two electrodes (+ and -, just like a battery).In a battery all the chemical reactants are sealed inside and the battery can produce power until the reactants are used up. Primary batteries cannot be recharged and are disposed of after the battery is dead. Secondary batteries can be recharged, sometimes for hundreds of times before they eventually die. Many tutorials on batteries can be found on the web. The Wikipedia discussion is a reasonable place to start if you already have some chemistry background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_(electricity) If not, try: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/battery3.htm In a fuel cell the reactants can be continuously fed into the cell, so that it can keep running as long as fuel is available, at least until the fuel cell wears
In a technological movement that takes us back to before the motor car was even thought of — and before the Wright brothers ever dreamed of being able to achieve sustained flight — hydrogen was considered for our future development. Hydrogen is the key element in the majority of fuel cells. It is used to produce electricity — and the only waste product is water. But just what exactly is a fuel cell? On a technical level, they’re electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy of the reactants directly into electricity. However, if you’re not a scientist, this may confuse you — so let’s put it more simply. Fuel cells use hydrogen as the fuel, and through a set of reactions, convert hydrogen to electricity. Similar to when a petrol engine passes out exhaust fumes — a fuel cell produces water after the reaction — and (again similarly to a petrol engine), the reaction makes the cell heat up. However, there are several key differences between fuel cells and internal combustion en
A Fuel cell is an electrochemical engine that converts the chemical energy of a fuel directly to electricity. Almost always the fuel is hydrogen or a hydrogen rich chemical mixture. the fuel cell reaction is: Hydrogen + Oxygen (from the air) –> Electricity + Water + Heat.A fuel cell operates somewhat like a battery. It supplies electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen electrochemically without combustion. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form of electricity and heat as long as fuel is supplied. The only byproducts are pure, drinkable water and heat. A fuel cell consists of two electrodes surrounding an electrolyte. Oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, generating electricity, water, and heat.
