fuel cell

Article Free Pass
Written by Brooke Schumm, Jr.

External Websites

Britannica Web Sites

Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

fuel cell - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

The devices called fuel cells convert the chemical energy of a fuel directly into electrical energy by electrochemical reactions. Like a battery, a fuel cell is more efficient than most other energy-conversion devices. However, a fuel cell can supply electricity for a much longer period than a battery. Its operating principles were first discovered in 1839 by the British physicist Sir William Grove, but the device remained just a laboratory curiosity for many years. In the 1960s scientists rediscovered the fuel cell and used it to make electricity for spacecraft. Fuel cell systems are now also used to provide primary and backup power in many power plants, hospitals, and other buildings. Much research has focused on developing cars and other vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells to reduce environmental pollution. Unlike gasoline-powered cars, cars that use fuel cells do not emit carbon dioxide. (However, the most common method of producing the hydrogen fuel from natural gas releases some carbon dioxide into the air.) Personal fuel-cell cars were first sold in Germany in 2004.

(Please limit to 900 characters)

Or click Continue to submit anonymously: