There are plenty of sorts of fuel cells, but the most typical one is named a proton exchange surface or PEM fuel cell. This kind of fuel cell sometimes uses hydrogen, but other fuel types may also be used ( like methanol, ethanol etc ). When methanol or ethanol is utilized, the name of the fuel cell changes to direct methanol fuel cell or direct ethanol fuel cell.

Now, hydrogen is fed into the fuel cell, and platinum / carbon catalyst breaks the hydrogen into protons and electrons. Since protons and electrons are charged species, they can't exist for exceedingly long in nature because they're unstable. Everything in nature always moves toward neutralization or a balance of energies. For instance, if something is very hot in nature, the heat is distributed to its environment, and ultimately the temperature of the hot object equals the temperature of the environment.
In the case of ions, certainly and adversely charged molecules can't survive for long without mixing with another molecule to make it steadier. Now let's get back to the debate to hand -- so in the fuel cell, the hydrogen is broken into protons and electrons. Typically protons and electrons wouldn't be in a position to stay in the ionic form exceedingly long, but as the platinum / carbon catalyst layer is hooked up to the persulfonic acid surface layer, the hydrogen protons can travel thru the membrane to the cathode side of the fuel cell. Meanwhile, the electrons are drawn to the hydrogen flow field plate, which is also pressed against the fuel cell layer and is highly conductive. The electrons are then drawn from the fuel cell catalyst layer to power the load. The protons that traveled over to the cathode thru the surface then mix with oxygen coming into the fuel cell and create water. Fascinating stuff, huh? How a fuel cell works is fascinating, but how are we going to convert over to the hydrogen economy? Well, first we had to clarify the way the hydrogen is basically used -- and now we are going to get into how our present economy can be transformed into a hydrogen one. So, did you know where hydrogen now comes from? There's a lot of info out there on how fuel cells work, the advantages of fuel cells, and how we might be much better off using them. Infrequently do these articles get into the sticky situation of deliberating where the hydrogen comes from. Well, as many of you almost certainly know, hydrogen isn't available on this planet in a solely gaseous form. It's found everywhere in nature, but it is mixed with other elements to form other sorts of molecules. the hydrogen must be made. Lots of you won't like to hear this ( and we even quail at announcing it ), but the majority of the hydrogen gas now produced is made from petroleum-based fuels. Aha ( you are saying ) ! WE knew there had been a catch to this! OK we admit -- it does appear to be a sticky situation. At least we now have a way that hydrogen is made.
At first impression it sort of feels like this won't be any better than our present solution -- but it is. Why this is a better solution is often because hydrogen can be made using many different techniques. The interim solution for changing to a hydrogen economy would be to use petroleum-based fuels and coal. Now you are doubtless thinking -- this person must be absolutely out of whack! Well, talking from an engineer's perspective, coal isn't that bad of an interim solution. There are numerous reasons why we say this: