In hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen is fed to the anode while air is fed to the cathode. An anode catalyst, typically platinum, separates the hydrogen into protons and electrons, which take different paths to the cathode – protons migrating through the electrolyte, while electrons power the external circuit. At the cathode, they both unite with oxygen to produce water and heat.
Simple in theory, in practice there are subtle decisions to be made for any particular application, including what size and design of fuel cell to use, and which control system will get the best from it.
“The key decision is to select the size of the fuel cell for optimal output,” according to Spectrum Instrumentation – more of this company later. “Larger cells provide more power output as there is a larger catalyst surface area, but this increases the weight…
Peering into the finer details of hydrogen fuel cells for trucks and busses
