Using air and other catalysts, a fuel cell converts hydrogen, the fuel, into electricity. Without the use of fossil fuels, combustion, or polluting emissions, the fuel cell captures chemical energy trapped in hydrogen gas and converts it into the kinetic energy we know as electricity. Fuel cells, as a highly efficient and environmentally friendly source of renewable energy, can replace both batteries and engines in vehicles, laptops, and residential power grids.
Fuel cell technology has been thoroughly researched and developed, but they have yet to be widely adopted for economic and political reasons. As part of a widespread hydrogen economy, such a clean power source ensures less reliance on finite fossil fuel supplies, produces fewer greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change, and does not explode or malfunction as frequently as engine-driven electricity.
A fuel cell takes in hydrogen and air, generates electricity, and produces water and heat as byproducts. The anode plate, which has a positive charge, and the cathode plate, which has a negative charge, are the fuel cell’s outer layers. They are catalytic environments that encourage certain electrochemical functions, along with the center electrolyte plate.
Hydrogen is separated into protons and electrons by the anode. Protons move through the electrolyte to the cathode as electrons flow along a path, producing electrical current for a circuit. The cathode combines oxygen with protons while also collecting some of the circuit’s electrons for recombination into water. Water and extra heat can be used as additional sources of energy thanks to the cathode.
In a fuel cell, an independent hydrogen supply, such as from a station tank, does not have to be the only source of fuel. In fact, rotting organic material, such as vegetation, can be used to power a vehicle because it emits hydrogen as well. Alternatively, hydrogen could be separated from oxygen in water using solar or wind power and electrolysis. The fuel cell is practically immortal if water is used as a source of hydrogen, as it continues the cycle from water to hydrogen to water.
A fuel cell is also versatile in that it can be small and portable or large and permanent. The initial cost of converting to a fuel cell-driven power grid may be high, but compared to conventional electricity generators, the costs of maintenance, repair, and fuel will be significantly lower over time. If the generated heat can be used to heat a house in the winter, the fuel cell becomes even more cost effective.