Climate Solutions will send installments weekly through April 22, when Earth Day takes place. All publishing rights granted with credit to Climate Solutions.
Fuel cells resemble both a battery and an engine.
Like batteries, they provide electricity from chemical reactions without combustion or moving parts. But they never need recharging because like an engine they run off a fuel source. The fuel source is hydrogen, most abundant element in the universe. Combining with oxygen, the reaction pumps out electricity, heat and pure water. Most fuel cells use fossil fuels, breaking hydrogen from carbon.