When water is broken down through electrolysis, hydrogen and oxygen are produced. The fuel cell applies this principle in reverse, producing electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen. No fuel is burned, and the generation of electricity is waste-free and environmentally responsible.

1.Hydrogen gas is passed over the hydrogen electrode. Each hydrogen atom is converted into a hydrogen ion in a catalytic reaction with the platinum in the electrode, releasing an electron.

2.Having given up its electron, the hydrogen ion passes through the electrolytic membrane, where it joins with oxygen from the oxygen electrode and electron arriving via an external circuit.

3.The released electron creates a flow of direct current in the external circuit. The reaction at the oxygen electrode produces water as a byproduct.