| a device that produces a continuous electric current directly from the oxidation of a fuel, as that of hydrogen by oxygen. |
| fuel cell n. An electrochemical cell in which the energy of a reaction between a fuel, such as liquid hydrogen, and an oxidant, such as liquid oxygen, is converted directly and continuously into electrical energy. |
| fuel cell
A device that produces electricity by combining a fuel, usually hydrogen, with oxygen. In this reaction, electrons are freed from the hydrogen in the fuel cell by a catalyst, and gain energy from the chemical reaction binding hydrogen and oxygen; this provides a source for electric current. The exhaust of hydrogen fuel cells consists simply of water. Fuel cells are currently used in spacecraft, and increasingly in ground transportation, with potential use everywhere electricity is required. |