A fuel cell is basically a device that can be fueled up with hydrogen and oxygen, produce electricity, and have water as its only emissions, making it attractive to enviroment-minded automotive engineers.
Is it possible for a fuel cell to emit hydrogen peroxide, a more useful compound than water?
Also, some auto engineers have made FCs that run on hydrocarbon fuel, but the cell can be “poisoned” by carbon monoxide. Can the CO be removed if the FC is fed pure ozone?
Question 1: No, because it takes energy to turn water (H2O) into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The basic fuel cell equation is:
4H + O2 --> 2 H20 + energy
The equation for hydrogen peroxide is
2 H20 + 02 + energy --> 2 H2O2
Thus, rather than getting energy out of the fuel cell, you’d have to put energy in.
Question 2: No, because the carbon monoxide (CO) is a byproduct of the splitting of the hydrocarbon fuel. This takes place outside the fuel cell, in order to obtain the hydrogen to power the fuel cell. However, the amount of CO is a function of exactly how the fuel is split, so it can be reduced or eliminated by a variety of means.
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