CHEM 0330L Spring 2016

EXPERIMENT #8
How Can We Use a Hydrogen Fuel Cell to
Generate Clean Energy and Connect Chemistry
to the Real World?1
INTRODUCTION
A Brief Summary
This fuel cell experiment was developed to illustrate the connections between hydrogen-based
transportation economies, chemical energy, thermodynamics, and electrolysis. In this experiment,
hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gases will be generated through electrolysis and then used to
power a fuel cell car. As shown in the equation below, the electrolysis of water (H2O) requires an
input of electrical energy to produce H2 and O2; whereas, a hydrogen fuel cell converts chemical
energy stored in H2 and O2 into electrical energy. Since H2 and O2 react to form H2O, hydrogen
fuel cells generate clean energy without polluting the environment.
H2O (l) + Electricity H2 (g) + O2 (g)

(Equation 1)

You will learn how a fuel cell can convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy, which
can then be converted into mechanical energy to perform physical work. You will also learn about
the efficiency of these reactions. This lab will also help you to develop a tangible understanding of
concepts introduced in the lecture, including chemical and electrical energy, electrochemistry,
and thermodynamics.
Electrochemistry and Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Electrochemistry primarily involves two processes: (1) the generation of an electric current from a
chemical reaction and (2) the consumption of electricity to produce chemical energy. A battery is
a device that generates electricity from chemical reactions and an electrolyzer, the opposite of a
battery, produces chemicals using an electric current. An example of this is the electrolysis of
water to produce O2 (g) and H2 (g).
A fuel cell is a type of galvanic cell, or battery, in which spontaneous chemical reactions convert
the chemical energy of a fuel (such as hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, gasoline, etc.) and an
oxidant (air or oxygen) into electrical energy. Though there are many types of fuel cells, for this
particular experiment, we will focus on hydrogen fuel cells, which utilize H2 as the fuel and O2 as
the oxidant. Unlike a traditional battery, which is a closed system, fuel cells operate with a
continuous flow of reactants, hydrogen and oxygen. In principle, a fuel cell does not deteriorate or
require recharging as long as fuel and oxidant are supplied; whereas, a batterys current
decreases over time until it can no longer supply electricity.
There are many types of fuel cells to choose from, but the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM)
reversible fuel cell exhibits most fuel cell characteristics in addition to being affordable, easy to

This fuel cell lab was developed by Kristina Klara (UTRA), Ning Hou (UTRA), Chao Gong, and Drew Morrill supervised
by Professor Li.-Q Wang at Brown University (September of 2011). Special thanks to Allison Lawman, Rickard Park,
Liheng Wu, and Ayse Bozkurt for technical assistance.

There are many types of fuel cells out there to choose from but the one that can
demonstrate most of a fuel cells characteristics as well as be affordable, easy to use and
safe is the PEM reversible fuel cell. PEM can mean Proton Exchange Membrane or
Polymer
Electrolyte
Membrane,
CHEM
0330L
Spring
2016 take your pick, and both refer to the part that separates
the
hydrogen
protons
and
electrons to produce electricity (Figure 1). The reversible part

means that it serves as both an electrolyzer for water to create hydrogen and oxygen as
well
assafe.
a fuelAcell.
bestaofProton
both worlds
with Membrane
this device as
mimics
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use,
and
PEMYou
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Exchange
asitits
electrolyte
to separate
rechargeable
battery.
The
main
difference
is
that
the
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is
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and
does
not because
protons and electrons in order to produce electricity. The fuel cell is labeled as reversible
get serve
used up
the process
of generating
[DC]
electricity,water
and itinto
canhydrogen
continue to
generate
it can
asinboth
an electrolyzer
(which
electrolyzes
and
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as long
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andoxygen
oxygen to
areproduce
available.
Shown
in Figure
1, afuel
reversible
PEM in
fuel
cell
operates
in two
distinct modes:
anFuel
electrolysis
A reversible
PEM
cell operates
two
distinct
modes
Electrolysis
Mode(1)
and
mode
and
(2)
a
fuel
cell
mode.
Within
each
operational
mode
of
the
fuel
cell
there
are
Cell Mode. There are also two chemical processes involved oxidation and reduction. two
chemical processes that occur: (1) oxidation and (2) reduction.
Fuel Cell Mode

Electrolysis Mode

(+)

(Anode)

(+)

(-)

(Cathode)

(Cathode)

(-)

(Anode)

Figure 1. Modes of operation for the PEM fuel cell.

Figure 2 Electrolysis Mode

Figure 3 Fuel Cell Mode

In the electrolysis mode (Figure 1), water is introduced to the O2 side of the fuel cell where it is
then electrolyzed into hydrogen at the cathode (negative) and oxygen at the anode (positive) by a
small voltage (less than 1.5 volts), referred to as the water decomposition voltage. The water is
first oxidized into oxygen and hydrogen ions at the anode. Then the hydrogen ions, alone, pass
through the membrane gaining electrons forming hydrogen at the cathode. In the electrolysis of
pure water, excess energy is required to overcome various activation barriers. Without this
excess energy, the electrolysis of pure water would occur very slowly, if at all. This is in part due
Copyright
Nuts and Volts
2010
Page 2one
to the
limited
self-ionization
of Magazine
pure water,May
which
has an electrical conductivity of about
millionth that of seawater. Nevertheless, electrolysis can be accomplished. The following are the
chemical reactions that occur during electrolysis:
Electrolysis Mode Reactions
+

(Equation 2)

Cathode reaction: 2 H + 2 e H2

(Equation 3)

Total reaction: H2O H2 + O2

(Equation 4)

Anode reaction: H2O 2 H + 2 e + O2

+

In the fuel cell mode, the process is reversed along with the polarities of the anode and cathode.
As hydrogen flows into the fuel cell anode (negative), the hydrogen molecules lose electrons to
form hydrogen ions. These hydrogen ions then pass through the membrane to the cathode where
oxygen molecules on the cathode (positive) gain electrons and combine with hydrogen ions to
form water. The remaining electrons, which cannot pass through the membrane, flow from the
anode to the cathode through an external load (in this experiment, a car motor or a mini cellphone vibrator), which consumes the power generated by the fuel cell. This overall
electrochemical process is called "reverse electrolysis," or the opposite of electrolyzing water to
form hydrogen and oxygen. The following are the chemical reactions that occur during the
reverse electrolysis:

CHEM 0330L Spring 2016

Fuel Cell Mode Reactions
+

Anode reaction: H2 2 H + 2 e
+

(Equation 5)

Cathode reaction: 2 H + 2 e + O2 H2O

(Equation 6)

Total reaction: H2 + O2 H2O

(Equation 7)

Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry in Fuel Cells

Electrical Work (w)
welec = -qEcell = -nFEcell

(Equation 8)

Where E is the cell potential in volts, and q is the charge or transferred quantity of electron in
Coulombs. Charge (q) is equal to nF, where n is the quantity of transferred electrons in moles and
F is Faradays constant. Remember that electrical work is performed through the consumption of
hydrogen fuel. For each mole of H2 consumed, the transferred electron quantity (n) is 2 moles.
Gibbs Free Energy
Based on the laws of thermodynamics, the maximum possible amount of useful electrical work
obtainable from a fuel cell at constant temperature and pressure is equal to the change in Gibbs
free energy for the same electrochemical reaction.
Grxn = wmax = -qEcell = -nFEcell

(Equation 9)

Where wmax is measured at the maximum cell potential. Equation 9 relates electrochemical and
thermodynamic principles. So for each mole of H2 consumed in a fuel cell, the change in Gibbs
free energy can be determined from the electrical work performed.
Efficiency of a Fuel Cell
In a hydrogen fuel cell, the overall reaction is the conversion of H2 and O2 into H2O, which is
similar in nature to combustion reactions. However, unlike a true combustion reaction the energy
is not transformed into heat, it is transformed into electrical energy. Therefore, the traditional
method of measuring efficiency of combustion engines cannot be applied to a fuel cell. The most
useful way to determine the efficiency of fuel cell is by comparing the work done by the fuel cell to
the energy released by the combustion of the same amount of fuel (the reaction enthalpy of an
overall reaction):
= | welec / Hrxn |

(Equation 10)

The maximum efficiency of a fuel cell is:

max = | wmax / Hrxn | = | Grxn / Hrxn |

(Equation 11)

Note that for the combustion of each mole of H2 under standard conditions, the enthalpy of the
reaction is observed to be:
H

rxn =

- 286 kJ/mol H2

(Equation 12)

Entropy Change
The efficiency of a fuel cell in providing electrical power usually ranges from 35 to 55%. The
difference between the theoretical energy (-Hrxn) and the actual electrical work (welec or Grxn) is

CHEM 0330L Spring 2016

lost through the generation of heat, which increases the entropy of the overall system (the fuel
cell). Thermodynamically, we have:
Hrxn = Grxn + TSrxn

(Equation 13)

Basic Concepts in Electrical Measurements

Ohms Law
I = Ecell / R

(Equation 14)

Where I is the current through the conductor in amperes, E is the cell potential in volts, and R is
the resistance of the conductor in ohms.
Electrical Power
P = Ecell x I

(Equation 15)

Where P is the electrical work per second in watts, I is the current through the conductor in
amperes, and E is the cell potential in volts.

PROCEDURE (WORK IN PAIRS)

Be extremely careful when handling the car and connecting parts. Incorrectly connecting wires
could damage the very expensive fuel cell. Ask the TA to check all of the connections before the
charger is turned on. Use distilled water throughout the entire experiment.
Safety Precautions
Wear safety goggles at all times to protect eyes from injury. The fuel cell car kit is
designed to be very safe, so follow the instructions and do not use the materials for
any other purpose. When running the electric circuit, handle the cell phone vibrator
and the car motor with care.
Materials
Fuel Cell Car Kit

Special Equipment

Fuel cell
Car motor attached to the car chassis with
4 wheels
2 storage cylinders (H2 and O2)
2 inner containers
2 short tubs with red or black pins
2 long tubes
1 syringe
Battery Charger

Circuit board containing:

Switch
Cell phone vibrator
0.1 resistor
Multimeter with cables
2 Alligator clips

eed?

FCCSK

AA batteries=2 Units

to cut two lengths of 4cm(1.5 inches) of rubber tubing

CHEM 0330L Spring
ber tubing provided in the kit.
into one of the 4cm tubes, and the black pin into the

Cut the remaining long tube into two equal pieces.

w from battery box cover using a screw driver. Push and

open the battery box.
the cables when you open the cover.
eries as indicated.
e battery box cover to closed position and screw tightly
crew driver.

nd slide
he cover

AA

r
tte
Ba

2016

Water=100ml

Scissors

Connect the short tubes completely onto the

short H2/O2 intake nozzles located on the
lower sections of both "H2" and "O2" sides of
the fuel cell.

H2 side

O2 side
AA

t
Ba

r
te

Fuel Cell

witch on the battery box is in the "off" position before you

es into the box.
e cable is short circuited the batteries inside could
d potentially cause burns, melting of parts, or create

nergy may be consumed after 4-5 times of use.

Figure 2. A fuel cell car with a built-in

electric
circuit
measuring
the voltage and
Remove
the cap
from board
the tube for
connected
to
theare
oxygen
side of
fuelyou
cell.an
Using
theof what the fuel cell
wheels onto the chassis of
the car. of a fuel cell. The major parts
current
labeled
to the
give
idea
wheel into the pins locatedcar
on each
sidelike
of thefor
chassis
looks
this until
experiment. syringe, inject distilled water into the fuel cell
until the fuel cell is HALF filled with water.
snapping sound.
First add water up to the "0" line.
*WARNING:
The polymer membrane is an
Place inner containers into outer cylinders minding that the
versible fuel cell into the rectangular
slot the
located
the from
car the ziplock bag. Check
1. Remove
fueloncell
sure
that
short tube with
Connect the
the pre-cut tubes firmly onto the inner
are not to
blocked
by inner
plastic rims.
Makethe
sure the
importantgapspart
of make
the
proton
exchange
storage cylinders short nozzle, connect the tubes
water is still level to the 0 line. If not, remove some water
black pin is attached to the nozzle on lower
section
of
the
H
side
of
the
fuel
cell
and
the
short
membrane
(PEM)
fuel
cell,
it
should
be
opposite
end
to the upper nozzles located on the
2
with the syringe. Then connect the tubing to the inner
upper positions of both "H " and "O " sides of fuel cell
containers.
Make sureout.
there is no air trapped inside the
prevented
from
drying
ydrogen and Oxygen outertube
storage
cylinders
intopin
theattached
round
with
the red
is attached
to the
nozzle
on
lower
section
of
the
O
side
of
the
fuelsure the tubes are connected
2
shown
here.
Make
inner containers and the water is level to the "0" line.
correctly to the corresponding sides of the fuel cell.
on the chassis.
cell.
2

Distilled water

O2 side
Procedure for repeated gas production: Disconnect the
small plugs from the tubes connected to the nozzles on the
reversible fuel cell. This will allow water into the inner
cylinders to replace the gasses and reset water levels to 0
line. Re-insert the plugs into the tubes and repeat electrolysis again.

Note: The tubing

Connect the red and black cables to the solar
should not touch
panel, and connect the other ends to the red
and black sockets on the fuel cell.
For solar panel: remove the cables connecting the solar
wheels. water into the oxygen side of the fuel cell through the connected
Figure 3.the
Injecting
tube.
panel to the fuel cell.
left side

Turn the switch on the battery box to off and remove the
cables from the cable sockets located on the fuel cell.
Keep the battery box switched to the "off " position except
2
during the time you are performing electrolysis.

2. Insert the fuel cell into the rectangular slot located on the car chassis, position it so that the O
and H2Chassis
symbols are at the top. Additionally, the oxygen side of the fuel cell should be facing the
the side of the oxygen storage cylinder mounted on the car chassis.
Remove the red and black cables connected to the fuel
After
water injection

cell in "step 10".

Insert the banana plug cables from the cars motor into the

and black plugs on the fuel cell.

3. Fill a syringe with deionized water. Do not assume that the DI water bottle has DIred
water
in it.
Make sure the colors of the plugs and cables are inserted
into plug socket of the same color as in "step 10".
Dispose of the contents in the DI water bottle and refill it with DI water from the carboy.
The motor should begin to power the car. The estimated
driving time on one charge is about 3 to 5 minutes.

4. As shown in Figure 3, remove the small red pin from the short tube connected to the O2 side of
the fuel cell and insert the tip of the syringe
O2 into
sidethe short tube. Pushing slowly, inject water into
the fuel cell until the fuel cell is HALF filled with water. Water should
Battery only be injected into the
Pack
O2 side of the fuel cell. In your notebook, record the time humidification
begins.
5. Fill the hydrogen and oxygen storage cylinders with DI water
upthe
to the 0 line. Insert the inner
bend
tubeshould
this way be completely filled with
containers into the outer storage cylinders. The ALTERNATE
inner containers
OPTION:
Connect the red cable from the battery pack to
the red socket on the fuel cell and connect the
black cable to black socket.
Switch the battery pack to the "on" position.

Electrolysis of water should begin with oxygen

and hydrogen being produced and stored in
each storage tank.
Wait until the bubbles in the hydrogen tank
start to escape from the inner storage cylinder
located in the H2 cylinder.

CHEM 0330L Spring 2016

water so that no gas bubbles remain. If there are any persistent bubbles, ask the TA for help.
Ensure that the inner containers fit snugly onto the inner plastic rims at the base of the outer
storage cylinder and that the two notches (small openings) at bottom of the inner containers are
not blocked by the inner plastic rims.
6. Firmly attach the long tubes onto the top nozzles of the inner containers in the H2 and O2 outer
storage cylinder. Then attach the opposite ends of the long tubes onto the nozzles located on the
upper section of the H2 and O2 sides of the fuel cell, respectively. Make sure that the tubes are
properly connected to the corresponding sides of the fuel cell.
7. Make sure that the battery charger is in the off position and then insert the red banana plug
from the battery charger into the red banana socket on the fuel cell, and the black plug into the
black banana socket. The colors must match. Reversing the red and black wires while
connected to the power supply could destroy the fuel cell.
8. Check the time recorded in your notebook to see if you humidified your fuel cell for more than 5
minutes. Ask your TA to check your setup. Once your TA approves the setup and the fuel cell is
humidified for more than 5 minutes, you can then turn on the battery charger to initiate the
electrolysis process. You will observe hydrogen and oxygen gases moving from the fuel cell into
the inner containers soon after the start of the electrolysis process. Watch as the hydrogen and
oxygen gases are generated and stored in the inner containers and the water levels in these
inner containers decrease.
9. Record the room temperature in your lab notebook while waiting for the electrolysis to
complete.
10. When the inner containers are completely filled with hydrogen, gas bubbles will come out
from the bottom notches of the hydrogen cylinder (since it is sometimes difficult to tell if H2
completely fills the inner container, the bubbles are a good indication of the completion of
electrolysis). When you first observe the H2 gas bubbles coming out from the inner
container, turn off the battery charger and disconnect the cables of the battery charger from
the fuel cell. If it takes longer than 10 minutes for the electrolysis to complete, please notify the
and disconnect the cables of a battery charger from the fuel cell. If it takes longer than 10
TA.
minutes to finish electrolysis, please notify TA.

%&'(!
3'<!! )'((! =(+;>!

"#!
Figure 5
The circuit
board at
the front
of the fuel
cell car

)+,!-./.,!

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3'454/.,!
678!!!
9:5/;1!
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"3$!

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7. The following step is to measure the open circuit potential to calculate the maximum work
of the fuel cell. Write down the serial number of multimeter on your notebook (e.g. TE549254).
Figure 4. The circuit
board at the front of the fuel cell car.
Take the two probe cables from the multimeter (if a multimeter has no cables attached, you need
to insert a black pin into the COM and red pin to V!" sockets on the multimeter); plug the
11. Remove theblack
multimeter
the
and
write
down
in!your
cable fromfrom
COM
intopackage
the hydrogen
side
banana
socketits
andserial
the rednumber
one from V
" into lab
the oxygen side of the fuel cell. Turn on the multimeter and set the scale to voltage 2V range.
notebook (i.e. TE549254).
Take three measurements within 20 seconds and record the voltage values up to 3 decimal points.
8. A circuit board (shown in Figure 3) with cell phone vibrator had already been mounted on
12. Remove thethe
red
and
black
multimeter
fromConnect
the package
the
black pin
front
of the
car and
connected toprobes
the car motor.
two powerand
plugsinsert
from the
circuit
the COM socket
and
the
red
pin
into
the
VmA
socket
on
the
multimeter.
board to the banana sockets on both sides of the fuel cell (color matching). Ask your TA to
check your connection. To measure the voltage through the fuel cell while cell phone vibrator is
running, use an alligator clip to connect between the positive probe cable from the multimeter to
V+ terminal on the circuit board and the negative probe cable to the V- terminal on the
board. The switch on the circuit board has three
6 positions: Down position for cell phone

vibrator, middle for off position, and UP position for fuel cell car. Turn the switch on the
circuit board to the Down position for running the cell phone vibrator. Take three voltage
measurements within 20 seconds and record the values up to 3 decimal points in your lab
notebook.

into

CHEM 0330L Spring 2016

13. Plug the black cable from COM into the hydrogen side banana socket and the red cable
from the VmA into the oxygen side banana socket of the fuel cell.
14. Turn on the multimeter and set the scale to the 2V range. Take three measurements within
a couple of seconds of one another and record the voltage values up to three decimal places.
Remove the cable from the fuel cell immediately after taking the readings.
15. Shown in Figure 4, a circuit board with the cell phone vibrator is mounted onto the front of the
car and connected to the car motor. Connect two power plugs from the circuit board to the
banana sockets on either side of the fuel cell so that the colors match. Ask your TA to check
your connections.
16. Measure the voltage through the fuel cell while the cell phone vibrator is running by using an
alligator clip to connect the positive probe cable from the multimeter to the V+ terminal on the
circuit board and the negative probe cable to the V- terminal. The switch on the circuit board has
three positions: the down position turns on the cell phone vibrator, the middle position is off, and
the up position turns on the fuel cell car. Turn the switch to the down position to run the cell
phone vibrator. Take three voltage measurements within a couple of seconds of one another and
record the values up to three decimal places. Turn the switch to the off position and remove the
cable on the circuit board immediately after taking the readings.
17. Obtain the current during the fuel cell operation of the mini cell phone vibrator by measuring
the voltage across a fixed 0.1 resistor built in the circuit instead of across the actual cell phone
vibrator. The voltage of the fixed 0.1 resistor can be measured by connecting the multimeter
(with the same method as the voltage measurement) to VR+ and VR- on the circuit board.
Change the scale to the 200 mV range on your multimeter. Turn the switch to the down position
to run the cell phone vibrator. Measure the voltages three times in units of mV within a couple of
seconds of one another and record the values up to one decimal place. Turn the switch to the off
position and remove the cable on the circuit board immediately after taking the readings. From
the voltage and the resistance, you can calculate the current using Ohms law.
18. Check the volume level of the H2 and O2 gases in the inner containers and turn the switch to
the up position in order to power the car motor and watch the hydrogen fuel cell-powered car run.
Turn the switch to the off position after three minutes. A fuel cell has a limited lifetime, and
we need to save it for future use. Observe the decrease in O2 and H2 gas levels after running the
car.
19. After finishing the experiment, turn the switch on the circuit board and multimeter to the off
position and disconnect the cables. Place the fuel cell back into the small plastic bag and leave
the short tubes connected to the fuel cell. Make sure that the Ziploc bag is not broken (if
necessary, obtain a new bag from the stockroom) and that it is sealed well enough to keep the
cell under humidified conditions. Pour the water in the gas cylinders into the sink by carefully
tilting the car chassis. Make sure that no water spills on the circuit board or on the car motors.
Please make sure that you put everything including the tubes and small components back into
the box. Before leaving, ask the TA to check the car kit.
DI water can be disposed of in the sink.