Fuel Cell Earth

The basics of fuel cell technology dates back to the 19th century, when William Grove exploited the energy produced by simple chemical reactions. Instead of fire, the energy gave way to electricity, because the electrons passed from one element to another in the reaction through an external circuit. As research continued in the next century, a British scientist built the first alkaline fuel-cell system in the 1950s. The system produced one kilowatt of power, which became the basis for providing primary electric power for NASA's Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. Much has developed in the decades since. When the problems of the '70s oil crisis arose, energy-


conserving fuel cells became popular. During this time, natural gas companies recognized that fuel such as natural gas could power fuel cells, and started pouring funds into the idea. The '80s also witnessed another boom in research when fuel cells were utilized in cars, utility-power production and waste-disposal systems. As technology advanced in the '80s and beyond, several entities joined in spending money on fuel-cell research, including the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, the Electric Power Research Institute, and private development companies.