How Do Hydrogen Fuel Cells Work?

Hydrogen gas is supplied to the anode of the fuel cell. The anode is coated with platinum, which acts as a catalyst to break down the hydrogen into protons and electrons. If a circuit is connected between the anode and cathode, the electrons can travel through the circuit and provide power to any load that is connected as part of the circuit.

The flow of electrons through the load is the electric current that is generated by the fuel cell.

The hydrogen ions (protons) that are produced from the hydrogen at the anode travel through the electrolyte in the fuel cell to the cathode. Oxygen supplied to the cathode reacts with these hydrogen ions and electrons that are arriving via the external circuit to produce water and heat, both of which are removed from the fuel cell.

A typical hydrogen fuel cell produces 0.5 volts to 0.8 volts per cell. To increase the voltage, individual cells can be connected in series. This arrangement is called a fuel cell stack. The cross-sectional area of a fuel cell affects its ability to produce a current. A larger area means more reaction sites, and this allows more current to be generated. Current times voltage equals power. So, by stacking cells in a series to build voltage and by increasing the cell area to boost current, it is possible to generate very large amounts of electrical power-enough to supply a block of houses; a hospital; or a vehicle, such as a car a bus or even a submarine or space capsule!

To learn more about Hydrogen Fuel Cell Safety visit our Hydrogen Fuel Cell Safety Online Training web page.