Fuel Cells

Hydrogen Energy
Hydrogen Cars
Hydrogen Fuel Cells

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.
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. Fuel cells can be used to power vehicles or to provide electricity and heat to buildings.

The primary fuel cell technologies under development are:
Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC)
Proton-Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC)
Direct-Methanol Fuel Cells (DFMC)
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells
Alkaline Fuel Cells
Regenerative or Reversible Fuel Cells