Fuel Cells Technology
Question
With reference to 'fuel cells' in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1.
If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by-products.
- 2.
Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers.
- 3.
Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).
Options
1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, producing only heat and water as by-products, making them environmentally clean. Statement 2 is incorrect: Fuel cells are versatile and can power both large installations (buildings) and small devices (laptops, mobile phones, vehicles). They are not limited to only buildings. Statement 3 is incorrect: Fuel cells produce Direct Current (DC), not Alternating Current (AC). An inverter would be needed to convert DC to AC. > KEY: H₂ + ½O₂ → H₂O + Heat + Electricity (DC). Fuel cells are scalable for all applications. Answer: (a).
Question details
Year
2015
Paper
GS Paper 1
Question
Q95
Subject
Science & Technology
Sub-topic
Alternative Energy Sources
Type
Statement-based
Difficulty
Medium
Nature
Static
Source hint
Science & Technology - Energy
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