|
Monday, 04 May 2009 21:04 |
|
A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that turns the chemical energy in a fuel directly into electricity.
The waste product is water. A single cell consists of a sandwich of two metallic plates with a plastic membrane between them. Hydrogen-rich fuel (derived from gasoline, natural gas, propane, or methanol) is fed to one side of the cell, where it combines with atmospheric oxygen to produce electricity and water. Numerous cells are packed together into a "stack" that can generate enough voltage to power a vehicle or some other electric device. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are more efficient than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and produce no harmful tailpipe exhaust. However, extremely high manufacturing costs, fuel-supply problems, fuel storage problems, limited mileage ability, and cold-temperature sensitivity mean that a mass-market fuel cell vehicle probably won't be available for at least 10–20 years—perhaps much longer.
Source http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/3507_car.html |
