Fuel Cells and Fuel Cell Stacks History
William Grove is credited with inventing the first fuel cell in 1839. Fuel cells were not researched greatly during the 1800s, and much of the 1900s. Extensive fuel cell research began during the 1960s at NASA. During the last decade, fuel cells have been extensively researched, and are finally nearing commercialization.
William Grove
Known as the Father of Fuel Cells, Grove developed the first cell which furthered fuel cell technology by reversing the electrolysis process in Oxford, England in 1839.
The process of using electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen (electrolysis) was first described in 1800 by William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle. William Grove invented the first fuel cell in 1839, but using the idea from Nicholson and Carlisle to “recompose water.”He accomplished this by combining electrodes in a series circuit with separate platinum electrodes in oxygen and hydrogen submerged in a dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte solution. The gas battery, or “Grove cell” generated 12 amps of current at about 1.8 volts.The process of using electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen (electrolysis) was first described in 1800 by William Nicholson and Anthony Carlisle. William Grove invented the first fuel cell in 1839, but using the idea from Nicholson and Carlisle to “recompose water.”He accomplished this by combining electrodes in a series circuit with separate platinum electrodes in oxygen and hydrogen submerged in a dilute sulfuric acid electrolyte solution. The gas battery, or “Grove cell” generated 12 amps of current at about 1.8 volts.
One of the founders of physical chemistry, Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald (1853–1932), provided a large portion of the theoretical understanding of how fuel cells operate. In 1893, Ostwald experimentally determined the roles of many fuel cell components. Ludwig Mond (1839–1909) was a chemist who spent most of his career developing soda manufacturing and nickel refining. In 1889, Mond and his assistant Carl Langer performed numerous experiments using a coal-derived gas. They used electrodes made of thin, perforated platinum, and had many difficulties with liquid electrolytes. The maximum power they achieved was 6 amps per square foot (the area of the electrode) at 0.73 volts.
Charles R. Alder Wright (1844–1894) and C. Thompson developed a similar fuel cell around the same time as Mond and Langer. They had difficulties in preventing gases from leaking from one chamber to another. This and other causes prevented the fuel cell from reaching voltages as high as 1 volt. They felt that if they had received more funding, they would have been able to create a better, robust cell that could provide adequate electricity for many applications.
Louis Paul Cailleteton (1832–1913) and Louis Joseph Colardeau (France) came to a similar conclusion as Wright and Thompson, but thought the process was not practical due to needing “precious metals.” In addition, many papers were published during this time saying that coal was so inexpensive that a new system with a higher efficiency would not decrease the prices of electricity drastically.
William W. Jacques (1855–1932) constructed a “carbon battery” in 1896. Air was injected into an alkali electrolyte to react with a carbon electrode. He thought he was achieving an efficiency of 82 percent, but actually obtained only 8-percent efficiency.
Emil Baur and students (1873–1944) (Switzerland) conducted many experiments on different types of fuel cells during the early 1900s. His work included high-temperature devices, and a unit that used a solid electrolyte of clay and metal oxides.
Thomas Grubb and Leonard Niedrach invented PEM fuel cell technology at General Electric in the early 1960s. GE developed a small fuel cell for the U.S. Navy’s Bureau of Ships (Electronics Division) and the U.S. Army Signal Corps. The fuel cell was fueled by hydrogen generated by mixing water and lithium hydride. It was compact, but the platinum catalysts were expensive.
Based upon the research, development, and advances made during the last century, technical barriers are being resolved by a world network of scientists. Fuel cells have been used for over 20 years in the space program, and the commercialization of fuel cell technology is rapidly approaching.
