Fuel cells are the cornerstone of the hydrogen economy. There is potential for fuel cells to provide power for almost every aspect of our lives. A fuel cell may run a laptop computer or power a car. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy device that uses hydrogen to create electricity and produces water as a byproduct. Hydrogen is a means of transporting energy, not a source. A fuel cell is a key that unlocks the potential energy and turns into kinetic energy.

A hydrogen fuel cell generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction using the common elements hydrogen and oxygen. A fuel cell consists of two porous electrodes, an anode and a cathode, sandwiched around an electrolyte. A hydrogen atom enters a fuel cell at the anode and releases its electron to travel through the anode. The hydrogen proton travels through the membrane, while the electron enters an electrical circuit, creating a direct electrical current (DC). On the other side of the membrane, in the cathode, the proton and electron are recombined and mixed with oxygen from the air, forming pure water. When a series of proton exchange membranes are combined side-by-side is called a fuel cell stack. A stack may produce a tremendous amount of electricity, enough to power a car, a bus, or even a building.

How a fuel cell works View a fuel cell animation to learn how a fuel cell uses hydrogen to produce electricity.