| FUEL
CELLS
A fuel cell works like a
battery but does not run down or need recharging. It will produce
electricity and heat as long as fuel (hydrogen) is supplied. A fuel cell
consists of two electrodes –
a negative electrode (or anode) and a positive
electrode (or cathode) –
sandwiched around an electrolyte. Hydrogen is fed
to the anode, and oxygen is fed to the cathode. Activated by a catalyst,
hydrogen atoms separate into protons and electrons, which take different
paths to the cathode. The electrons go through an external circuit,
creating a flow of electricity. The protons migrate through the
electrolyte to the cathode, where they reunite with oxygen and the
electrons to produce water and heat.
A fuel
cell converts the chemical energy of a fuel directly into usable
electricity and heat without combustion. Fuel cells are similar to
batteries in that both produce a direct current by means of an
electrochemical process, but fuel cells can operate indefinitely as long
as fuel is supplied to them. Fuel cells can provide power for cars and
other applications, such as electricity and hot water for buildings.
Learn more about fuel
cells:
Breakthrough
Technologies Institute/Fuel Cells 2000
Breakthrough Technologies Institute, a nonprofit organization focusing on
advanced energy and environmental technologies, has published a primer on
fuel cells that includes:
- How a Fuel Cell
Works
- Types of Fuel
Cells
- Benefits of Fuel
Cells
- Frequently Asked
Questions About Fuel Cells
- Fuel Cell Stack
Developers
- Pictures of Fuel
Cells
- Fuel Cell Industry
Quotes
http://www.fuelcells.org
Energy
Fact Sheet Fuel Cells
Energy Educators of Ontario have compiled a fact sheet on fuels cells.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices which directly convert hydrogen, or
hydrogen-rich fuels into electricity without combustion. This process is
much more efficient than traditional thermal power plants, converting up
to 80% of the chemical energy in the fuel into electricity (compared to a
maximum of 40% for conventional power plants). Learn more:
http://www.iclei.org/efacts/fuelcell.htm
Fuel Cell Technology
Fuel cells work without combustion and its environmental side effects.
Power is produced electrochemically by passing a hydrogen-rich fuel over
an anode and air over a cathode and separating the two by an electrolyte.
In producing electricity, the only by-products are heat, water, and carbon
dioxide. Hydrogen fuel can come from a variety of hydrocarbon resources by
subjecting them to steam under pressure (called reforming or
gasification).
http://www.fe.doe.gov/coal_power/fuelcells/
Hydrogen
Fuel Cells
Hydrogen's potential use in fuel and energy applications includes powering
vehicles, running turbines or fuel cells to produce electricity, and
generating heat and electricity for buildings. The current focus is on
hydrogen's use in fuel cells.
http://www.eren.doe.gov/RE/hydrogen_fuel_cells.html
National Fuel Cell
Research Center
Publications, databases, and basic information about fuels cells can be
found at the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of
California, Irvine.
http://www.nfcrc.uci.edu/index.html
http://www.rmi.org
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