experimental tubular fuel cell
date: label: date made
content: ca 1957
name: label: maker
content: Union Carbide
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: An experimental tubular fuel cell with a cylindrical plastic housing with 2-layer plastic discs on either end. The assembly is held together by two lengths of steel 1/8" all-thread that span the unit. A copper rod runs parallel to one of the steel rods. A mesh electrode is enclosed and insulated on each end with a white gasket material. Two plastic tubes emerge from eight end, one in the center and one offset. A copper ring on each end appears to provide electrical contact. A short piece of insulated wire emerges from the center of each end and attaches to the copper rod. One plastic tube is stamped: "[tu]bing 5/16" ". No polarity marks are extant.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Fuel cells, like batteries, generate direct current electricity through chemical action. First developed in 1839, they combine hydrogen and oxygen to make electricity, emitting water and heat as byproducts. Several types exist and their operational details vary in important ways. Alkali cells are one of the major types, and have been used in spacecraft and in many experimental devices.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Martin E. Kordesch
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2023.0106.07
label: accession number
content: 2023.0106
label: catalog number
content: 2023.0106.07
objectType: label: Object Name
content: fuel cell
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 17 1/2 in x 4 3/8 in; 44.45 cm x 11.1125 cm