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The fuel cell
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True or false? The current infrastructure in place are sufficient for fuel cells to become more widespread.
It's the 16th of July, 1969. Apollo 11 spacecraft lifts off. It has a long journey ahead, as it travels across space towards the Moon. For this journey, the spacecraft will need plenty of electrical energy to power all the control panels and devices on board. But where does this electrical energy come from?
From these special devices that produce electricity — the fuel cells. A fuel cell converts the chemical energy of a fuel into electrical energy that can then be used to power electrical devices. It is a type of electrochemical cell. Let's see how it works. In the very centre of a fuel cell there is a solution through which ions can move — an electrolyte.
The electrolyte is sandwiched between two electrodes. One electrode is a negative anode, and the other one is a positive cathode. The two electrodes are connected by a wire. The fuel — most often hydrogen — is supplied to the negative anode. A chemical reaction occurs in the anode: hydrogen atoms are split into hydrogen ions and electrons.
The hydrogen ions then move through the electrolyte to the cathode. Electrons also move to the cathode, but do so through the wire that connects the two electrodes. This creates the flow of electricity. In the cathode, the hydrogen ions and the electrons combine with oxygen that is supplied to the cathode. This reaction produces heat and water.
This type of reaction makes the production of electricity very efficient. The water produced can also be used by astronauts during space flight. That’s why the fuel call was the perfect way to generate electricity during the Apollo missions! But fuel cells have other advantages, which make them useful for other applications. One such application is in cars.
Unlike fossil fuels used in cars’ combustion engines, fuel cells don’t produce any harmful emissions. In electric cars, fuel cells produce electricity very efficiently. This means they can have a longer range than rechargeable batteries. Not only that, refilling fuel cells takes less time than recharging a battery. Fuel cells stay efficient over time, and are not as harmful to dispose of at the end of their life cycle.
All this makes fuel cells a good alternative to fossil fuel or to electric battery powered cars. However, there are some obstacles to overcome before fuel cells can be commonly used everywhere. First, obtaining sufficient amounts of hydrogen is costly. It also requires plenty of energy that currently comes mostly from fossil fuels. Additionally, there are some safety concerns, such as the high flammability of hydrogen.
When mixed with air, hydrogen fuel can easily burn or even explode. There are fuel cells that use a different type of fuel, but those can be even more costly to produce, or have other negative impacts. Lastly, for fuel cells to become more widespread, some adjustments to current systems would have to be made. For example, new fuel stations would need to be built instead of traditional petrol stations. There is an increasing need for efficient electricity generation, as well as more environmentally friendly solutions in transportation.
So, many companies are currently working on developing technology and finding new applications for fuel cells, which could satisfy these needs. As of 2021, some places have trains and buses powered by hydrogen fuel cells. And several experimental projects are underway, testing fuel cells in airplanes or in industry. Fuel cell technology is no longer just for space travel. Maybe soon, it will be easily available to everyone, right here on Earth!