A proton exchange membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cell, king-size. Fujitsu inaugurated this fuel cell at its Sunnyvale, Calif., campus on Friday. The fuel cell sits in the parking lot and looks like a pair of giant green dumpsters. Made by UTC Power, the fuel cell will produce 200 kilowatts of power, which is enough to power half of the cooling needed in Fujitsu's data center.

Ever wonder how a hydrogen fuel cell works?
In a nutshell, natural gas (methane, made from carbon and hydrogen) is heated with steam until it cracks. Hydrogen is harvested and then piped to a different unit with a membrane. The membrane harvests electrons from the hydrogen molecules. Carbon dioxide and water are the byproducts. The hot water from the reaction can be used to heat buildings.

via Michael Kanellos/CNET News.com | tags: hydrogen fuel cell fujitsu methane water byproducts

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posted by dan - 11:03 AM August 18, 2007