Fuel cell technology

Fuel cells directly transform chemical energy into electrical energy. Their functionality is based on the electron exchange during the interaction between electrically neutral molecules or atoms. During this process, one of the partners emits electrons (it is oxidized) and the other one picks them up (it is reduced). If this happens unsystematically and simultaneously, no electrical current can be observed from the outside. In a fuel cell, these oxidation and reduction processes are separated by an electrolyte. Just ions can pass through the electrolyte, electrons are emitted to the external circuit and can therefore be used to operate electronic devices.