Fuel Cells Field of Research

Fuel cells come in many varieties however they all work in the same general manner. They are made up of three segments which are sandwiched together: the anode, the electrolyte, and the cathode. Two chemical reactions occur at the interfaces of the three different segments. The net result of the two reactions is that fuel is consumed, water or carbon dioxide is created, and an electrical current is created, which can be used to power electrical devices, normally referred to as the load. At the anode a catalyst oxidizes the fuel, usually hydrogen, turning the fuel into a positively charged ion and a negatively charged electron. The electrolyte is a substance specifically designed so ions can pass through it, but the electrons cannot. The freed electrons travel through a wire creating the electrical current. The ions travel through the electrolyte to the cathode. Once reaching the cathode, the ions are reunited with the electrons and the two react with a third chemical, usually oxygen, to create water or carbon dioxide.

Designing and Building Fuel Cells (Hardcover) tagged "fuel cells" 4 times

The Hype About Hydrogen: Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate (Paperback) tagged "fuel cells" 3 times

Fuel Cell Fundamentals (Hardcover) tagged "fuel cells" 2 times

HYDROGEN - Hot Stuff Cool Science 2nd edition: Discover the Future of Energy (Paperback) tagged "fuel cells" 2 times

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