Applications

Model hydrogen fuel-cell car

Image Map - Learn more by clicking on the parts of the car

Solar Cell

Solar batteries convert sunlight to electricity This solar battery produces 1.5 volts when exposed to bright light The solar cell provides electricity to the fuel cell, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.

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Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Fuel Cells create energy by recombining hydrogen and oxygen. The only waste produced by fuel cells is water vapor and heat. This fuel cell acts as the generator for the car. Power from the solar battery flows through the fuel cell creating hydrogen and oxygen.

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Fuel Tanks

Tanks act as storage for fuel. This tank stores hydrogen and oxygen created by the fuel cell and solar battery. The hydrogen tank (right) is twice as big as the oxygen tank (left). H2O -> 2H+O

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Electric Motor

The electric motor converts energy into motion. The motor can also act as a generator, converting motion into energy. This electric motor runs on 1.5 volts, and is the minimum size to pull the car.

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Electric Car

This Baker Electric car was built in the early 1900s The car could travel 60 to 100 miles at 25 to 30 miles per hour Electric cars dissapeared for 80 years, due to cheap gas prices	(photograph:Popular Mechanics, June 1967)
Experimental car was designed and built by MIT

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Hydrogen fuel cell van

(photograph:Popular Mechanics, June 1967)

This car, designed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, runs off zinc-air fuel cells. Besides having no waste, the fuel cells can be refilled in under 10 minutes, opposed to the 8 hours spent charging normal batteries. The bus has a 250 mile range and can travel at highway speeds. The battery mixes zinc pellets in a solution of potassium hydroxide.

Zinc air fuel cell bus

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