Fuel Cell Cars are types of hydrogen vehicles that make use of fuel cells to produce electricity, which powers its on-board electric motor. Fuel cells generate electricity to power an electric motor through the use of hydrogen and oxygen from the air.
Fuel cell cars can radically reduce a nation’s dependence on imported oil and decrease the release of harmful gasses that lead to climate change. A fuel cell is made up of an electrolyte, anode, and cathode. It functions similarly to a standard battery, but instead of being charged, it is refilled with hydrogen. The various types of fuel cells are polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), direct methanol, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, solid oxide, and regenerative fuel cells.
A fuel cell works through a process called electrolysis. This process uses an electric current to separate elements. As an example, fuel for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Shuttle is created in fundamental nature by running a current through water, which is comprised of two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule (H2O). Electrolysis separates the hydrogen from the oxygen, and the separated hydrogen is burned to fuel the shuttle.
Fuel cell cars use exactly the same process but in reverse. Instead of using water and energy (electric current) to create hydrogen and oxygen in separate types, a fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy and water. The created energy is what gives the car power. As all things are equal, this is the reason why the only emission from fuel cell cars is water.
The majority of fuel cell cars produce less than 1.16 volts of electricity, which is far from enough to power a vehicle. This means that multiple cells must be assembled into a fuel cell stack. The probable power produced by a fuel cell stack depends on the number and size of the individual fuel cells comprising the stack and the surface area of the PEM.
The first FCX Clarity prototype from Honda was created in 1999, which has clearly cost a tremendous amount of time, energy, and money. Honda is proud to say that everything was worth it because the result is spectacular. The FCX’s most remarkable contribution to the advancement of hydrogen fuel cells is the brand’s Vertical Flow (V Flow) fuel cell stack. It frees up space, allows a stable higher cell voltage, and minimizes the amount of heat generated. Honda showcases in this prototype its ability to make the motor, fuel cells, and on-board hydrogen storage smaller, which would really help to improve the car’s efficiency.
