How do fuel cells work? There are different kinds of fuel cells but they all work in much the same way. In a fuel cell layers of materials are sandwiched together to form a single galvanic cell. ‘Galvanism’ is where electricity is produced by some type of chemical action. These sandwiched materials all have distinct electrochemical properties.

In the middle of the ‘sandwich’ you will find a membrane that is only able to be crossed by charged molecules. Electrodes that allow gas inside them are coated with a catalyst and stick to the membrane. This makes a layer on either side. These electrodes are connected to a mechanism that is able to use electricity and in so doing a complete electrical circuit is created. This is the basic way in which fuel cells work.

Proton Exchange Membranes are the kind of fuel cells most often used. This is because it can operate at relatively low temperatures as well as cope with a range of impurities and high-power density. The U.S. Department of Energy believes that these types of fuel cells are the best for use in light-duty vehicles, in buildings and other applications.

How does a proton exchange membrane fuel cell function to produce power? In these kinds of fuel cells hydrogen gas moves into the channels on a single face of a cell and moves through an electrode. At the same time oxygen from the air is doing the same via the opposite electrode.

A catalyst is used to create a chemical reaction whereby hydrogen oxidizes into hydrogen protons and provide electrons to the electrode next to it. The negative charge created moves from the outer circuit to the cathode and electricity is created within the fuel cells.

This is only a temporary charge, however and a complete electrochemical cycle is needed to make it last. Once the current starts flowing, the hydrogen protons pass from anode to cathode (electrons) and these light your house or charge your battery. Afterwards the electrons return and react with oxygen and hydrogen protons. During this reaction water is formed and heat is produced. This simply means that thermal energy can be used outside of the fuel cells.

But what are fuel cells used for and how do they make a difference in our daily lives? A fuel cell has the ability to power anything that runs on electricity but have been specifically researched in the areas of cars, trucks and buses, businesses and homes, cell phones, laptops and electronics and other electronic equipment.

Today’s vehicles use internal combustion engines to power them. These engines make use of fossil fuels which are burned to release motion. While these systems do work, they also have many side-effects and in some cases can’t keep up with the requirements of the vehicles it powers. In contrast, fuel cells use electricity to power vehicles and this makes them able to produce maximum torque at low r.p.m. when the vehicle demands it.

Fuel cells also make it possible for an electric motor to act as a generator so that when the breaks are applied while going downhill it can reclaim the energy and change it back into electricity for further use. However the battery powered vehicles of the past have not done the reputation of electrical energy any favors. These batteries needed constant recharging but fuels cells use hydrogen tanks that can be refilled quickly and can travel as far as can an ordinary car.

Hydrogen does have some specific safety standards for its use but no more than does gasoline or natural gas. Such automobiles as the Hypercar® Concept are an example of what might be the wave of the future. Such electrical applications are also cleaner, quieter, and reliable. So fuel cells have many advantages over more conventional methods of generating power.

Laptops, the ever popular cell phones, and other electronics might also benefit from the introduction of fuel cells. These tiny fuel cells called micro fuel cells and can provide higher energy densities than those of the same size batteries used today. This means that an average laptop will be able to work unplugged for ten hours or more.

Micro fuel cells also mean that battery chargers and AC adapters will become a thing of the past as fuel cells need to be refueled not recharged. It is envisioned that this could be done via a process called ‘hot-swapping’ in which the equipment will not need to be turned off in order to be refueled.

So it seems possible that the use of fuel cells is likely to become an alternative source of energy in the future. Despite its far-ranging uses and applications it has the advantage of being more reliable and cleaner than the fossil fuels that are in use today.