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How Do Fuel Cells Work?

12/11/2009 10:00 PM

I am interested in using fuel cells to create a powertrain that never needs refueled. Please describe, in detail, how a fuel cell works, how much fuel it uses, how much water is needed to cool it, how well it endures cold temperatures, how long it takes to start generating energy, how well it endures hot temperatures, and its average life expectancy.

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I wish to revolutionize the auto industry with a car that never needs refueled.
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#1

Re: how does a fuel cell work?

12/12/2009 5:04 AM

"I am interested in using fuel cells to create a powertrain that never needs refueled."

No such thing exists. 

The rest of your question is covered pretty thoroughly on Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell

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#2

Re: how does a fuel cell work?

12/12/2009 7:38 AM

Surely you must know that just a partial answer would require perhaps 50 pages of text and several hours of editing and/or typing.

So, you will have to do this on your own. Begin by reading this, then go here, then if you're still interested, read more.

Then come back and ask questions. Cheers.

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#3

Re: How Do Fuel Cells Work?

12/13/2009 12:59 AM

"...that never needs refueled."

By definition a FUEL cell needs FUEL! A fuel is something that gets consumed and has to be replenished.

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#4

Re: How Do Fuel Cells Work?

12/13/2009 10:24 AM

Hi electrolyzer,

I think you should read the links and advice of other posts.

But just as an example, A Battery is a fuel cell. That fuel cell always needs fuel to replace what is used. But if you link a battery with a solar cell, the solar cell will keep the battery charged, with the small amounts of electricity from the solar cell.

A car uses the alternator which is driven by the Engine to charge the battery. Exactly the same thing is happening but from different appliances.

Nothing magic here! But, all fuels cell need the used fuel to be replaced, but if you combine a solar cell and battery, there does not seem to be anything happening, except perhaps the battery and or wires may get hot. But the sun shine on the solar cell creates electricity and it is recharging the power which has been used from the battery. It could be a torch attached to the battery or, plugged into a socket that leads from the battery which is using the power. But, it always need replacing.

Viewing sites mentioned by others and or researched by yourself will give you a much better understanding of how this 'powertrain' works, and you can see the various different ways power can be created to charge a battery or a complete row of batteries. And also why different sizes of batteries are needed for different uses.

Take care and good luck.

Take a look and study what you write from these sites. Design your own fuel cell later (in theory) and see how big it would need to be to power something you know well, like a car, bike, mower etc.

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  1. Fuel cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaA fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that produces electricity from a fuel tank. The electricity is generated through the reaction, triggered in the ...
  2. fuelcells.co.uk - fuel cells UKUK fuel cells. ... Fuel Cells UK · Fuel Cell Europe · Fuel Cells US · Carbontrust · History of FuelCells · FuelCellToday.com · About.com - fuel cells info ...
    www.fuelcells.co.uk/
  3. Fuel Cells 2000Fuel Cells 2000 is a non-profit project which provides educational information on fuel cells to the public, the media, and policy makers.
  4. HowStuffWorks "How Fuel Cells Work"You've probably heard about fuel cells. In 2003, President Bush announced a program called the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative (HFI) during his State of the Union ...
    auto.howstuffworks.com › ... ›
  5. hydrogen fuel cells In principle, a fuel cell operates like a battery. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell does not run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form
    www.bullnet.co.uk/shops/test/hydrogen.htm -
  6. Fuel Cell KnowledgePresents information about fuel cells and renewable energy. Includes original research, predominantly on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, and analyses of other ...
    www.fuelcellknowledge.org/
  7. Fuel Cells UK22 Oct 2009 ... Acts on behalf of UK fuel cell stakeholders to accelerate the development and commercialization of fuel cells. Information about activities ...
    www.fuelcellsuk.org/
  8. Fuel Cell Consulting | Market Intelligence | Fuel Cell TodayFuel Cell consulting and research for all those needing more insight into the fuel cell industry. Fuel Cell Today also provides syndicated market based ...
    www.fuelcelltoday.com/
  9. CMR Fuel Cells plc - Home CMR Fuel Cells Limited is a UK developer of fuel cell stacks for portable and small stationary power generation applications. The company intends to become ...
    www.cmrfuelcells.com/
  10. Fuel Cells; Early View - Wiley InterScienceby A Finder
    Fully Aromatic Copolyethers for High Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (p NA) M. K. Daletou, M. Geormezi, E. K. Pefkianakis, ...
    www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/84502986/home
  11. Fuel Cell Markets - Fuel Cell and Hydrogen TechnologiesFuel Cell Markets works with organisations in the fuel cell & hydrogen sector building partnerships to take technologies & services to market.
    www.fuelcellmarkets.com/-
  12. Fuel Cells News and Information about Fuel Cell and Electric Storage Technologies. A fuel cell is an electrochemical devise that converts a fuel source into ...
    www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/fuel-cells/-
  13. Fuel Cell EuropeFuel Cell Europe - The European association of fuel cell manufacturers - Welcome.
    www.fuelcelleurope.org/
  14. FuelCell Energy FuelCell Energy develops and manufactures ultra-clean stationary fuel cell power plants that generate electricity for commercial and industrial applications ...
    www.fuelcellenergy.com/
  15. NOVA | scienceNOW | Fuel Cells | PBSLearn about the prospects for hydrogen fuel cell cars, ask expert Eric Miller your questions about fuel cells and the up-and-coming cars that use them, ...
    www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3210/01.html
  16. Eleventh Grove Fuel Cell SymposiumAt the forthcoming Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, taking place on 22-24 September 2009 at Westminster's Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, the prestigious ...
    www.grovefuelcell.com/
  17. DoITPoMS TLP - Fuel Cells page of the Fuel Cells DoITPoMS TLP based at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy in the University of Cambridge.
    www.doitpoms.ac.uk ›
  18. FuelCellStore.com - Fuel Cells, Education, Science Kits ...The Fuel Cell Store is a central marketplace in the fuel cell industry. Hydrogen fuel generators, fuel cell testing equipment, science projects and ...
    www.fuelcellstore.com/
  19. Fuelcells.comTop Ten Fuel Cell Headlines from www.moreover.com. For more information: Robert Wichert, P.Eng: wichert@fuelcells.com www.robertwichert.com.
    www.fuelcells.com/
  20. [PDF] Fuel CellsFile Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
    by O Principles - 2006
    Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that directly convert ... lists the various types of fuel cells along with electrolyte used, ...
    www.electrochem.org/dl/interface/spr/spr06/spr06_p41-44.pdf
  21. News results for fuel cells
    First fuel cell boat cruises Amsterdam's canals‎ - 2 days ago
    By Catherine Hornby, ReutersDecember 10, 2009 10:02 AM Nemo, the world's first canal boat powered by hydrogen fuel cell, arrives in Amsterdam December 9, ...The Gazette (Montreal) -
    First Fuel Cell Boat Cruises Amsterdam's Canals‎ - ABC News -»Green Fuel-Cell Makeover for Future Power Plants‎ - Wired News
  22. Blog posts about fuel cellsToshiba Dynario - Portable Fuel Cell in your backpack - Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine - 2 days agoBloom Energy CEO: Fuel Cells for Home Power Will Hit "Grid Parity ... - Earth2Tech - 4 days agoFuel Cell Boat's First Cruise Through Amsterdam's Canals - GreenPacks.org - 3 days ago
  23. Video results for fuel cells
    How Fuel Cells Work
    3 min 18 sec - 5 Jun 2008
    www.youtube.com
  24. Book results for fuel cellsProfiting from Clean Energy: A Complete Guide ... - by Richard W Asplund - 388 pages Modern Electric Hybrid Electric and Fuel Cell ... - by Mehrdad Ehsani - 432 pages

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#5
In reply to #4

Re: How Do Fuel Cells Work?

12/13/2009 2:59 PM

bb

What about the set of steak knifes. You could have thrown them in at no charge.

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#7
In reply to #5

Re: How Do Fuel Cells Work?

12/14/2009 7:08 PM

Hi ky,

That was going to be a secret.................. Now you have told the whole world. My 'marketing strategy' up in smoke! I dunno!

I appreciate the GA, thank you and hope you are well!

Take care

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#6

Re: How Do Fuel Cells Work?

12/13/2009 9:30 PM

Hey Electrolyzer, I see in your Bio., that your still in High School. Nothing wrong with that and more power to you for finding this forum. I wish the Internet was around when I was in HS. But back to your question, as previous posted, it would take a ream of paper to go into the subject. In your Bio. you state that you want to build a car that does not require refueling. When I was in HS, we called it perpetual motion. And this has been a subject of great interest to man kind since the wheel was invented. If you or anybody else can come up with the Quantum theory to over come the natural physics of gravity, the world would be at your feet. Keep up the research and questions and maybe you just might be the person to make the break through.

Good Luck to you my friend. ∞

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