Fuel Cell Calculator

Fuel Cell Energy

Please enter one value and change the efficiency factor, if needed. The other two values will be calculated. One kilogram of hydrogen has a heat value of 33.326 kilowatt-hours. At the combustion, it is transformed into 8.94 kilograms of water vapor.

Basically, a fuel cell is a device that generates energy through chemical combustion and converts it into electricity. The fuel can be any type of fuel, the oxidizing agent with which the fuel reacts is usually oxygen, which occurs in our atmosphere and is therefore readily available. Hydrogen is often used as fuel because it is available in large quantities. It can be obtained from water using electrolysis by adding energy. More energy is consumed than is later recovered, so the efficiency is less than 100 percent, which is an unavoidable physical necessity.

The advantage of fuel cells is that they can be quickly filled with a medium that is relatively easy to store (in contrast to electricity in batteries). Another advantage is that the combustion of hydrogen does not produce CO₂, which drives climate change. The disadvantage of a fuel cell, or combustion in general, is the loss of energy, which occurs not only when hydrogen (or another fuel) is burned, but also when it is produced.

One useful application of fuel cells could be the generation of energy in times of high energy demand using hydrogen previously produced from surplus energy. This technology is also suitable as a propulsion method where electric motors are difficult to use, such as in large aircraft and ships.