A Fuel Cell generates electricity by a chemical reaction. Every fuel cell has two electrodes called the anode and cathode. The reactions that produce electricity take place at the electrodes.

Fuel cells have an electrolyte, which carries electrically charged particles from one electrode to the other, and a catalyst, which speeds the reactions at the electrodes.

Hydrogen is the basic fuel, but fuel cells also require oxygen. The greatest advantage of fuel cells is that they generate electricity with very little pollution–much of the hydrogen and oxygen used in generating electricity ultimately combined to form a harmless by product, namely water.

Working of Fuel Cells

Fuel cells generate electricity through an electro-chemical reaction, known as reverse electrolysis. The reaction combines hydrogen and oxygen to form water vapor, heat and electricity. All three of the by-products of this reverse electrolysis reaction can be further utilized by the fuel cell system. The waste heat can be utilized for heating and cooling. applications.

Why Fuel Cells?

Hydrogen fuel cells have been widely touted as an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional fossil fuels. A completely efficient system of producing, storing and transporting hydrogen should, in principle, lead to no unwanted emissions of the gas.