WHAT ARE FUEL CELLS AND HOW DO THEY WORK?
Editor's Note: After reading the New York Times article "The Artificial Leaf is Here Again," Sofia T. '16 became interested in fuel cells. She watched videos online and read articles from the head researcher of the project; her curiosity and research led her to write this article.
Quote: “Discovering a brilliant way to efficiently generate hydrogen is hard enough. Then there’s everything that comes after, such as getting consumers accustomed to what’s needed for it to work, such as fuel cells — which convert hydrogen into usable electricity.”
Question: What are fuel cells and how do they work?
Imagine creating a world changing invention, something that could affect the lives of millions and pave the way for a greener future yet being forced to wait years before seeing it out of the lab. This is the situation of the Harvard chemist Daniel Nocera. He has figured out a way to mimic the process of photosynthesis in plants by creating what he calls the “artificial leaf.” With less than one quart of drinking water the leaf could provide around 100 watts of electricity 24 hours a day.
By using water and the energy of sunlight he is able to rearrange the bonds of water, splitting them to make hydrogen and oxygen. What Dr. Nocera is doing is in a way is what photosynthesis is: storing sunlight. The artificial leaf is placed in a small glace of water, sunlight hits the Silicon and then a catalyst splits water to hydrogen and oxygen, just like a leaf. The gases that come up from the leaf and water can be collected and used to produce electricity in fuel cells. What makes this leaf so important is that instead of just having a stable catalyst it contains a “self healing” catalyst. This means that when damage occurs during the production of energy the catalyst is able to self heal and continue working. The self-healing ability of the leaf also means that it doesn’t need pure water to function and can simply run off tap water.
The artificial leaf could, essentially, provide each homeowner with a personal supply of energy. However one of the biggest problems Nocera has faced is figuring out how to get the leaf from the lab to the household. Today we depend upon sources like coal and oil to power our cars, heat our homes and provide us with electricity. The switch to using the artificial leaf and a fuel cell requires changing the lifestyle of an entire nation.
Each home would need a personal fuel cell in order to convert the energy of the leaf into electricity and energy to power a home. A fuel cell is, essentially, a mechanism that creates an electrochemical reaction and converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Pure hydrogen is supplied and is split into electrons and hydrogen protons. Both ions are attracted to the cathode where only the protons can pass through while the electrons are forced around and pushed out into a circuit where they generate electricity. Of course the process is a lot more complex and detailed, but this is the gist of how the hydrogen produced by the leaf could be converted into electricity and be used to power a household.
The discovery of the artificial leaf gives our nation a chance at saving our world from the disadvantages that come with using fossil fuels. The energy choices we make today not only affect our future lifestyles but also the state of our planet. The hardest part, composing the leaf itself, is complete; it is now up to the public to take it on themselves to promote clean and renewable energy and, with that mentality, we will eventually see artificial leafs and fuel cells powering homes across America.
Question: What are fuel cells and how do they work?
Imagine creating a world changing invention, something that could affect the lives of millions and pave the way for a greener future yet being forced to wait years before seeing it out of the lab. This is the situation of the Harvard chemist Daniel Nocera. He has figured out a way to mimic the process of photosynthesis in plants by creating what he calls the “artificial leaf.” With less than one quart of drinking water the leaf could provide around 100 watts of electricity 24 hours a day.
By using water and the energy of sunlight he is able to rearrange the bonds of water, splitting them to make hydrogen and oxygen. What Dr. Nocera is doing is in a way is what photosynthesis is: storing sunlight. The artificial leaf is placed in a small glace of water, sunlight hits the Silicon and then a catalyst splits water to hydrogen and oxygen, just like a leaf. The gases that come up from the leaf and water can be collected and used to produce electricity in fuel cells. What makes this leaf so important is that instead of just having a stable catalyst it contains a “self healing” catalyst. This means that when damage occurs during the production of energy the catalyst is able to self heal and continue working. The self-healing ability of the leaf also means that it doesn’t need pure water to function and can simply run off tap water.
The artificial leaf could, essentially, provide each homeowner with a personal supply of energy. However one of the biggest problems Nocera has faced is figuring out how to get the leaf from the lab to the household. Today we depend upon sources like coal and oil to power our cars, heat our homes and provide us with electricity. The switch to using the artificial leaf and a fuel cell requires changing the lifestyle of an entire nation.
Each home would need a personal fuel cell in order to convert the energy of the leaf into electricity and energy to power a home. A fuel cell is, essentially, a mechanism that creates an electrochemical reaction and converts chemical energy into electrical energy. Pure hydrogen is supplied and is split into electrons and hydrogen protons. Both ions are attracted to the cathode where only the protons can pass through while the electrons are forced around and pushed out into a circuit where they generate electricity. Of course the process is a lot more complex and detailed, but this is the gist of how the hydrogen produced by the leaf could be converted into electricity and be used to power a household.
The discovery of the artificial leaf gives our nation a chance at saving our world from the disadvantages that come with using fossil fuels. The energy choices we make today not only affect our future lifestyles but also the state of our planet. The hardest part, composing the leaf itself, is complete; it is now up to the public to take it on themselves to promote clean and renewable energy and, with that mentality, we will eventually see artificial leafs and fuel cells powering homes across America.
Tyson, P. (2005, July 01). How Fuel Cells Work. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tech/fuel-cell-work.html
American Chemical Society. (2013, April 8). ‘Artificial leaf’ gains the ability to self-heal damage and produce energy from dirty water. Retrieved from https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2013/april/artificial-leaf-gains-the-ability-to-self-heal-damage-and-produce-energy-from-dirty-water.html
Scott, J. P. (Director), & Nyks, K. (Producer). (n.d.). Focus Forward [Video]. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from http://focusforwardfilms.com/contest/100/the-artificial-leaf-jared-p-scott-kelly-nyks
American Chemical Society. (2013, April 8). ‘Artificial leaf’ gains the ability to self-heal damage and produce energy from dirty water. Retrieved from https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2013/april/artificial-leaf-gains-the-ability-to-self-heal-damage-and-produce-energy-from-dirty-water.html
Scott, J. P. (Director), & Nyks, K. (Producer). (n.d.). Focus Forward [Video]. Retrieved April 8, 2014, from http://focusforwardfilms.com/contest/100/the-artificial-leaf-jared-p-scott-kelly-nyks
