History of Fuel Cells

Even though Fuel Cells have been a recent topic discussed those days. It had been discovered a long time ago. The concept of fuel cell was introduced by Humphry Dave. In 1839, Sir William Robert Groves proofed that electricity could be produced from an electrochemical reaction using hydrogen and oxygen. But his invention was left on the side as just another scientific curiosity. By that time Volts and Ampere meters were non-existent. In 1889, Charles Langer and Ludwig Mond developed Groves invention. They were researching fuel cells using coal and gas to create electricity. It was the first time that the term fuel cell was used. In the late 1950s, fuelcell.org-fig. 1 i NASA with some partners stated to develop fuel cell for space missions. They were trying to develop electricity for spacecraft; batteries were inconvenient because of it weight, solar power was expensive by the time, nuclear power were too risky. They were able to develop a 1.5 kW AFC to be used by astronauts during their mission. During that period a few research were conducted for militaries applications most of those research were never known. In the 1970s, the concern over air pollution was increased. The United States passed a clean air legislation minimizing the exhaust gases. So, General Motors tested a powered Electrovan with cells directly energizing the electric motor. From a few report made GM says that the technology was not ready for. The project was abandoned even though the work continued into the use of fuel cells for transport applications. In

the 1980s, a huge research effort was made to find new materials and new fuel cells sources to be used underwater. US navy started to study into fuel cells in submarines with high efficient, zeroemission and silent running offering a lot advantages. In the 1990s, fuel cells were seen for small application with a commercial possibility due to the low cost and the potential market. Fuel Cells were used in power for telecom sites and residential micro-CHP application. Today, Fuel Cell has a variety of application. Fuel Cells need met the codes and standards of the market were they are sold. Some countries as India and Africa use fuel cell as a backup power to mobile phone masts.

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No wonder then, that one hundred years ago the world welcomed the automobile with open arms as its environmental saviour, when the news of their invention spread around the globe. Nevertheless, as we know now, a new type of pollution replaced the old type; we just did not recognize it until decades later.