Fuel Cell Functionality:

  • For a typical fuel cell (e.g., H2–O2 cell), an oxidizer (oxygen of air) and a fuel (hydrogen) combine in a simple electrochemical reaction to form water (H2O) and generate electricity that which flows in an electrical load connected across the 2 electrodes.
  • Oxidizer and fuel is continuously supplied to the cathode (-) and anode (+) respectively, of fuel cells. It is a pretty, effective, and reliable source of power as there are no changing parts.
  • An ion-conducting material is used as electrolyte that separates the 2 electrodes. Anode reaction takes place at the anode, and electrons and protons (H+ ions) are separated.
  • The protons pass through the electrolytes, and electrons (e-) pass through external load circuit and reaches cathode (-).
  • At the cathode, electrons and protons recombine to form (H2O) by cathode (-) reaction. Electron flow in external circuit is Direct Current (DC) that supplies energy to electrical loads.
These two reactions are given as follows:
At anode 2H2 → 4H+ + 4e − (1)
At cathode O2 + 4H+ + 4e− → 2H2O − (2)
Overall cell reaction 2H2 + O2 → 2H2O − (3)


Fuel cell



Performance of Fuel Cells (Vs) Others:

  1. The single stage direct energy conversion of the chemical energy to the electrical energy in fuel cell is a highly effective process than three stage converssion of chemical energy into electrical energy in traditional method that involve combustion or a burning.
  2. The energy release by chemical reaction in the fuel cell is a function of change in Gibbs free energy. The Carnot law and the effectivity's of heat engine is not applicable to fuel cell.
  3. The maximum theoretical efficiency of fuel cells is much higher than conventional indirect methods of conversion Fuel cells have less surroundings damage than conventional methods of the electrical generation.


Fuel Cells Construction:

The conceptualization of a fuel cell was demonstrated by Humphry Davy in 1801. This was followed by pioneering work of Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1838 and discovered the operating principle of fuel cells.
  •  In 1839, William Grove, a chemist, physicist, and lawyer, He developed a crude device called gas voltaic battery. He made a series of experiments on his gas voltaic battery and proved that electric current could be produced from an electro-chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen over a platinum catalyst.
  •  The term fuel cell was firstly used in 1889 by the Charles Langer and Ludwig Mond, who was researched fuel cells using coal gas as a fuel.
  •  Fuel cells are widely used for the main electrical energy source or the backup power for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings and in remote or inaccessible areas. They also seen the wide application in automobiles, buses, forklifts, airplanes, boats, motorcycles, and submarines.