Active Area
The area of a fuel cell electrode which is electrochemically active and able to produce electricity from the supplied fuel
Anode
The fuel electrode in a fuel cell at which oxidation occurs.
APU – Auxiliary Power Unit
An auxiliary power unit or APU (for example a fuel cell) provides electricity and is supplemental to the main power source of a vehicle (such as an internal combustion engine).
Bipolar Plate
A fuel cell stack component which allows electricity to be conducted between adjacent fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies in a stack. They are often designed to channel the flow of gases and heat to and from the cell.
Catalyst
A catalyst increases the rate of a reaction without itself being consumed. In a fuel cell catalysts are used for the electrodes (to break down hydrogen into electrons and protons).
Catalyst loading
The catalyst loading refers to the mass of catalyst per unit area of a fuel cell electrode.
Cathode
The oxygen/air electrode in a fuel cell where reduction occurs.
CCM
CCM stands for Catalyst coated membrane.
Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC)
A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) functions in a similar way to a PEMFC and uses the same electrolyte, but reforms methanol directly on its electrode to form hydrogen.
Electrode
The electrode is where reaction of a chemical species occurs and electrons are either released or accepted. Typically this will be a metal, such as platinum in PEMFC.
Electrolyser
An electrochemical device which works like a fuel cell in reverse and can split water into its constituent molecules, hydrogen and oxygen, by passing an electric current through it.
Electrolyte
A substance which carries charge via the migration of ions; together with the external connections of a fuel cell, an electrical circuit can be created.
Fuel Cell
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device, which converts chemical energy to electrical energy without combustion. Unlike a battery, a fuel cell will continuously produce electricity as long as fuel is supplied and the catalyst remains active.
GDE
Gas diffusion electrode i.e. catalyst is coated onto the GDL
GDL
Gas diffusion layers, typically made out of carbon paper or cloth, play a number of important roles in a fuel cell, such as structural support, reactant transport, water removal, and heat conduction.
kWh
Kilowatt-hour, a unit of energy. A device with a power output of one kilowatt running for one hour would generate one kilowatt-hour of energy.
Membrane
This separates two electrodes of a fuel cell, acting as the electrolyte and allowing passage of ions between the electrodes.
Membrane Electrode Assemblies – MEA
Membrane electrode assembly or MEA, a structured component in a PEMFC and DMFC, consisting of a membrane with an electrode on each side.
MeOH
Methanol, a fuel that is used in DMFCs.
Pd
Palladium is one of the platinum group metals and can be used for the purification of reformed hydrogen for fuel cells.
Pemfc fuel cell
Proton exchange or polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells or (PEMFC) use a solid acid membrane as the electrolyte. PEMFC operate at low temperatures (100°C) and use platinum-containing electrodes.
Polarisation curve
A measure of cell performance that indicates the relationship between current density and voltage across a fuel cell.
Proton exchange membrane (PEM)
Proton exchange membranes, also referred to as polymer electrolyte membranes due to their composition, separate the feed gases in a PEMFC or DMFC and act as the electrolyte by allowing the passage of protons.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Proton exchange or polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) use a solid acid membrane as the electrolyte. PEMFC operate at low temperatures (100°C) and use platinum-containing electrodes.
Pt
Platinum is a commonly used catalyst material for PEMFC and DMFC technologies.
Reversible fuel cell
A reversible, or regenerative, fuel cell can operate as a fuel cell, or in reverse like an electrolyser.
Ru
Ruthenium is a member of the platinum group of metals and is used in DMFC to assist with internal fuel reforming.
Separator plates
Separator plates are used to separate fuel cells from one another arranged in a fuel cell stack.
Single cell
A single cell is the smallest and most basic form of fuel cell. It is useful for testing and development purposes to predict how stacks will perform.
Stack
A fuel cell stack is an arrangement of individual fuel cells, usually in series to provide a useful output voltage.