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  • Hydrogen Fuel Cells Activity

    joeparsons

    Member

    Updated: Oct 26, 2024
    Views: 1.1K
    Hi, as part of my final year project at university i need to come up with an activity/demonstration to show how hydrogen fuel cells work to 14-17 year olds.

    Does anyone have any ideas what would make a good activity. The only idea i have come up with would be some sort of puzzle which involves assembling the main components of the fuel cell to achieve a desired output.

    Also, i need to do some kind of theoretical analysis on fuel cells. I wanted to use CAD some how for this, I was thinking of doing something on the heat dissapation? Any ideas.

    Any help would be apprecated. Thanks!
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Jan 30, 2012

    Try these sources:

    <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/fuelcells/basics.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">A Basic Overview of Fuel Cell Technology</a>
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Nov 17, 2015

    For this you can use the dry cell kit
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Nov 18, 2015

    Hi #-Link-Snipped-#,
    I need your help, regarding hho dry cell kit.
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Nov 18, 2015

    kumarrakeshit
    I need your help, regarding hho dry cell kit.
    hho is another way of writing H2O, the chemical formula for water. If you use suitable electrodes and an electrolyte, you can electrolyse water to produce Hydrogen and Oxygen gas. To gether they form a highly explosive mixture. One has to be very careful playing with these two gases together.
    I give below some links, which may help.
    (Caution: BE Very Very Careful in doing such experiments)
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    I have no idea how good or safe these procedures are. I have not checked any of them. I am an Electro Chemist and have done a whole lot of work in this field. That is why I am sounding all these alarms. Working with hydrogen and oxygen is serious business. Not for a casual lark or as a pass time activity.
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Nov 19, 2015

    Thanks! @#-Link-Snipped-# ji

    I have checked your all link. I had already created hho dry cell kit.
    I have used stainless steel 316 L and KoH. This kit produce 4 litter hho gas per minit. but these gas not sufficent for the bike, for fully running on water.
    Do you have any idea to generate miximum hho gas on minimum voltage 12+?
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Nov 19, 2015

    1 Faraday (about 27 amp hours) will produce about 25 litres of Hydrogen gas. Voltage is incidental in electrolysis. It is the amp hours that counts. Of course you will need a suitable voltage to get the amp hours. So, first estimate the litres/hour Hydrogen you need. Multiply this by 1.08 (That is 27/25 from above) to get the amp hours needed. Then set up your HHO Drycell for this. Make sure that your power pack can deliver this amp hours.
    A large surface area of electrodes and an electrolyte of good conductivity (KOH is good) will work at low voltages.
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Nov 19, 2015

    kumarrakeshit
    miximum hho gas
    There is no such thing as hho gas. There is Hydrogen and there is Oxygen. You are probably letting these two mix and get a mixture out.
    I have to reiterate the warning. This mixture is very explosive. In a closed container it becomes a bomb if there is a spark.
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Nov 20, 2015

    A.V.Ramani
    There is no such thing as hho gas. There is Hydrogen and there is Oxygen. You are probably letting these two mix and get a mixture out.
    I have to reiterate the warning. This mixture is very explosive. In a closed container it becomes a bomb if there is a spark.
    Thanks for your replay! One more thing I want to know.
    Passivation of stain less steel for removing iron from the surface area of steel.
    Which type of acid I should be used like nitric acid, citric acid etc?

    And provide the suitable acid name that should not be harmful for our body and steel surface area.
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Nov 20, 2015

    It is best to use graphite electrodes as they are inert and do not ionize. However they are brittle and can break. Graphite mesh fabric can be a good alternative as that material is not fragile and has a large surface area. This discussion is about the anode (that is what gets connected to the positive of the power supply. The cathode, where hydorgen is liberated can be anything compatible with your electrolyte. If it is KOH, Aluminium is a strict NO, NO.
    These give full technical details. May need some background in electrochemistry to get the full drift.
    <a href="https://www.cres.gr/kape/publications/papers/dimosieyseis/ydrogen/A%20REVIEW%20ON%20WATER%20ELECTROLYSIS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PDF</a>

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    Are you using SS for the negative or the positive or both electrodes? Just emerying the surface and cleaning with citric acid should be enough.
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Nov 22, 2015

    A.V.Ramani
    It is best to use graphite electrodes as they are inert and do not ionize. However they are brittle and can break. Graphite mesh fabric can be a good alternative as that material is not fragile and has a large surface area. This discussion is about the anode (that is what gets connected to the positive of the power supply. The cathode, where hydorgen is liberated can be anything compatible with your electrolyte. If it is KOH, Aluminium is a strict NO, NO.
    These give full technical details. May need some background in electrochemistry to get the full drift.
    <a href="https://www.cres.gr/kape/publications/papers/dimosieyseis/ydrogen/A%20REVIEW%20ON%20WATER%20ELECTROLYSIS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PDF</a>

    #-Link-Snipped-#

    #-Link-Snipped-#

    Are you using SS for the negative or the positive or both electrodes? Just emerying the surface and cleaning with citric acid should be enough.
    Thanks! Sir
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Dec 13, 2015

    A.V.Ramani
    It is best to use graphite electrodes as they are inert and do not ionize. However they are brittle and can break. Graphite mesh fabric can be a good alternative as that material is not fragile and has a large surface area. This discussion is about the anode (that is what gets connected to the positive of the power supply. The cathode, where hydorgen is liberated can be anything compatible with your electrolyte. If it is KOH, Aluminium is a strict NO, NO.
    These give full technical details. May need some background in electrochemistry to get the full drift.
    <a href="https://www.cres.gr/kape/publications/papers/dimosieyseis/ydrogen/A%20REVIEW%20ON%20WATER%20ELECTROLYSIS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PDF</a>

    #-Link-Snipped-#

    #-Link-Snipped-#

    Are you using SS for the negative or the positive or both electrodes? Just emerying the surface and cleaning with citric acid should be enough.

    #-Link-Snipped-#
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Dec 13, 2015

    A.V.Ramani
    It is best to use graphite electrodes as they are inert and do not ionize. However they are brittle and can break. Graphite mesh fabric can be a good alternative as that material is not fragile and has a large surface area. This discussion is about the anode (that is what gets connected to the positive of the power supply. The cathode, where hydorgen is liberated can be anything compatible with your electrolyte. If it is KOH, Aluminium is a strict NO, NO.
    These give full technical details. May need some background in electrochemistry to get the full drift.
    <a href="https://www.cres.gr/kape/publications/papers/dimosieyseis/ydrogen/A%20REVIEW%20ON%20WATER%20ELECTROLYSIS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">PDF</a>

    #-Link-Snipped-#

    #-Link-Snipped-#

    Are you using SS for the negative or the positive or both electrodes? Just emerying the surface and cleaning with citric acid should be enough.
    #-Link-Snipped-#
    One more thing I need your help, I am using the polycarbonate plastic for HHO dry cell kit.Problem occures, when tight the nuts bolts,after one or two week, plastic would be break.
    please suggest which type of plastic I should be used.
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Dec 14, 2015

    kumarrakeshit
    please suggest which type of plastic I should be used.
    Provided your operating temperatures are below about 90 degC on continuous running, 20% or 40% talc filled Polypropylene may work. It has good toughness and very good chemical resistance.
    <a href="https://www.efunda.com/materials/polymers/properties/polymer_datasheet.cfm?MajorID=pp&MinorID=15" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">eFunda Polymers: Properties of Polypropylene {copolymer, 10 - 40% talc filled}</a>
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Dec 14, 2015

    Do you have any idea about un-breakable plastic.
    I am using this plastic but every time it gets broken
    please help
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Dec 14, 2015

    kumarrakeshit
    I am using this plastic
    Which plastic are you talking about. PP does not break. PC can under certain conditions. If the temperature is below 60 C you can even use polyethylene.
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  • kumarrakeshit

    Member • Dec 14, 2015

    A.V.Ramani
    Which plastic are you talking about. PP does not break. PC can under certain conditions. If the temperature is below 60 C you can even use polyethylene.
    I am using pc plastic.
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  • Ramani Aswath

    Member • Dec 14, 2015

    kumarrakeshit
    I am using pc plastic.
    That is why I suggested that you try 20% or 40% talc filled PP. PP is already in use for lead acid batteries. It is tough and not brittle.
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