# How technically/physically plausible is this exotic sci-fi fuel cell concept?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-technically-physically-plausible-is-this-exotic-sci-fi-fuel-cell-concept/675795>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 8, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-technically-physically-plausible-is-this-exotic-sci-fi-fuel-cell-concept/675795 "2013-12-08T03:18:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-technically-physically-plausible-is-this-exotic-sci-fi-fuel-cell-concept/675795/1 "2013-12-08T03:18:59Z")

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I have to admit, chemistry and fuel cell design aren’t my strong suits. But I was wondering if anyone could help me fact-check an unusual fictional fuel cell design mentioned in [a steampunk robotics site](http://www.bigredhair.com/boilerplate/bp.lab.html):

> [@](#):
>
> **[The] fuel cells produced power by oxidizing Iron to Iron Sulfate in a working medium of liquid Mercury catalyzed by dissolved Lead. This can be seen from the frequent references to (HgFeSO)2 and Pb in Campion’s notes.** The electricity from the fuel cell was directly applied to a single electric motor[.]
> 
> While the fuel source of reduced iron and sulfur was readily available and reasonably inexpensive during the late 1800s, the system was hardly environmentally friendly - and it is no wonder that modern fuel cell research has come nowhere near to a similar solution.

It certainly _sounds_ interesting, to be sure, but the fact I’ve never even _heard_ of anything similar in the real world leaves me wondering if this is even a _theoretically_ possible means of producing electricity, if not a technologically possible or plausible scheme…or if this is just a gussied up variant of “eye of newt and some minced Quantums.” Y’know, pure technobabble.

So…might any of you bully chums help me sort out this piffle from the bosh?

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**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-technically-physically-plausible-is-this-exotic-sci-fi-fuel-cell-concept/675795/2 "2013-12-08T04:06:39Z")

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It sounds similar to the [Mercury Beating Heart](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_beating_heart) reaction, and I suspect that’s what inspired it. I I don’t know if it theoretically possible to make an iron-iron sulfate battery using a mercury/lead amalgam as an electrolyte, but there is at least a chemical reaction there that could be used as a power source.

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**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\
**Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-technically-physically-plausible-is-this-exotic-sci-fi-fuel-cell-concept/675795/3 "2013-12-08T11:43:07Z")

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> [@AndrewL](#):
>
> It sounds similar to the [Mercury Beating Heart](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_beating_heart) reaction, and I suspect that’s what inspired it. I I don’t know if it theoretically possible to make an iron-iron sulfate battery using a mercury/lead amalgam as an electrolyte, but there is at least a chemical reaction there that could be used as a power source.

Holy crap, the [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WF8zFieuKU) of that is strange!