Реферат: Fuel Cells Essay Research Paper AbstractThe purpose

compact car seats five passengers. Although DaimlerChrysler claims to lead the fuel cell

car industry, Ford Motor co. officials say they will have a driveable version of their five

seat compact car, the P2000, this spring.

In the first section the energy source will be defined and described. The three

sub-sections are; how they work, current us, and the future of fuel cells. In the second

section the two criteria chosen will be defined. The two criteria are environmental

friendliness and reliability. In the third and final section the two chosen criteria will be

applied to the energy source.

Section I.

To understand fuel cells you need to know how they work, how they are being

used today, and how they will be used in the future.

How they work.

In principle, a fuel cell operates like a battery. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell does not

run down or require recharging. It will produce energy in the form of electricity and heat

as long as fuel is supplied. A fuel cell consists of two electrodes sandwiched around an

electrolyte. Oxygen passes over one electrode and hydrogen over the other, generating

electricity, water, and heat. Hydrogen fuel is fed into the “anode” of the fuel cell. Oxygen

(or air) enters the fuel cell through the cathode. Encouraged by a catalyst, the hydrogen

atom splits into a proton and an electron, which take different paths to the cathode. The

proton passes through the electrolyte. The electrons create a separate current that can be

utilized before they return to the cathode, to be reunited with the hydrogen and oxygen in

a molecule of water (Little,Aurthur).

Current Use.

To understand fuel cells you need the current use and development. On March 17,

1999, DaimlerChrysler unveiled the NECAR 4, the first fuel cell powered car. The

compact car seats five passengers. Although DaimlerChrysler claims to lead the fuel cell

passenger car companies, who aims to market them by the year 2004, Ford Motor Co.

officials said they expect to have a driveable version of their five-seat fuel cell car, the

P2000, this spring.