Technologies: Fuel Cell
A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through a chemical reaction between the cathode and anode. Every fuel
cell has two electrodes, one positive and one negative, called, respectively, the anode and cathode. The reactions that
produce electricity take place at the electrodes. Every fuel cell also has 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. One great appeal of fuel cells is that they generate
electricity with very little pollution–much of the hydrogen and oxygen used in generating electricity ultimately combine
to form a harmless byproduct, namely water. Fuel cells can vary from tiny devices producing only a few watts of
electricity, right up to large power plants producing megawatts. Technically, Fuel cells are produced in different types of
proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), Alkaline
fuel cells (AFC), Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) and Phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFC).