How to Build Fuel Cell Cars

You can make a fuel cell engine using hydrogen

A fuel cell car is an alternative fuel vehicle. The fuel that is used for a fuel cell car is hydrogen. Hydrogen is a renewable source of energy, and therefore it can be used as an alternative to crude oil, which is the main source of fuel for cars. Hydrogen is a derivative of fossil fuels as well as biomass. It is most well known to come from water, or hydrogen dioxide. When it comes from water, it is more enviromentally friendly. You can build a fuel cell engine for a car that can be used for low level racing.

Things You'll Need

• Hydrogen
• Hydrogen tank
• Fuel cell stack
• Air compressor
• Power control unit (PCU)
• Battery
• Electric motor

Instructions

1. Place a cathode and an anode into water. The purpose of this is to separate the hydrogen from other components. The water will become charged with electricity. The hydrogen will be attracted to the cathode, allowing it to be captured for fuel cells. You can purchase cathodes and anode rods from water heater suppliers or plumbing stores.

2. Position a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane(PEM) between the cathode and anode. The hydrogen will enter the membrane, and pull it towards the cathode. The electrons will be removed and pushed through an outside circuit, where they will reattach to the hydrogen. The outside circuit is what actually gives the engine the power.

3. Place the hyrdrogen into the fuel cell. The hydrogen recharges the batteries within the fuel cell to produce electricity. In hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the fuel cell is to the rear of the vehicle next to the back wheel arch. This electricity provides the power for the motor to run. Switch the engine on to test it. If the engine does not start, check to make sure there are no leakages. You may not have collected enough hydrogen. Start the process again, and it should now work.

References

• US Department of Energy: Fuel Cell Vehicles:
• Stock Racing: Installing a Fuel Cell