Fuel cells: History, operation, and applications

JUN 01, 1960

The following article is based on an invited address presented at the fall meeting of the American Physical Society’s New York State Section at the University of Rochester, October, 1959.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3056989

David L. Douglas

Herman A. Liebhafsky

A fuel cell may be defined as an electrochemical cell in which the chemical energy of a conventional fuel is converted directly and usefully into electrical energy. By way of emphasis some parts of this definition merit further mention. The fuel cell does not differ fundamentally in its operation from primary cells with which we are all familiar; e.g., the Leclanché and mercuric‐oxide‐zinc dry cells. Use of a conventional fuel which is continuously fed to the anode, rather than an expensive metallic “fuel” such as zinc, is a distinguishing feature of the fuel cell. The category of conventional fuels includes the fossil fuels or substances readily derived from them. Hydrogen qualifies if it is sufficiently cheap; i.e., impure. Similarly, under our definition, oxygen or air is the only oxidant used in fuel cells and it too is fed continuously, but to the cathode.

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More about the authors

David L. Douglas, General Electric Research Laboratory, Schenectady, N.Y..

Herman A. Liebhafsky, General Electric Research Laboratory, Schenectady, N.Y..