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Teknikmobil.com – Long before we knew about fuel cells , they were first known as gaseous voltaic batteries or better known as gas batteries. The first gas battery was discovered by Grove in 1842. This gaseous voltaic battery (gas battery) uses platinum electrodes and sulfuric acid electrolyte, with hydrogen and oxygen as reactants. At that time, platinum was well known to be a catalyst for the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. The results of the discovery were first published as a result of Grove’s experiments under the name ” an important illustration” in 1839.
Honda Car with Hydrogen Fuel Cell © wired
Furthermore, Schoenbein had referred to this gas battery principle in 1838. He used it to explain the electric currents he measured in experiments in platinum electrodes. However, it was important for him to bring the results of experiments on the development of this gas battery to the scientific community after Grove’s demonstration of the gas battery.
Apart from these two inventors, there are many others who separately have claims in efforts to develop gas batteries before finally arriving at fuel cells. In full, five people who had a big influence on the discovery of the gas battery are as follows.