[scientizscht (OP)]

Hello

Are pumps necessary for fuel cells?
Or they can be pumpless? What is the benefit of having pumps and how much is it?

Thanks!

[scientizscht (OP)]

Anyone?

[Bored chemist]

No.

[scientizscht (OP)]

So are they naturally aspirated with oxygen diffused directly from the atmosphere?

[Bored chemist]

... or fed from a cylinder.

[scientizscht (OP)]

... or fed from a cylinder.

So the fuel cells in cars have two cylinders, one for hydrogen and one for oxygen?

[Bored chemist]

And some have an air pump and a methanol tank.
There are lots of varieties.
If you rely on diffusion you won't get much current.

[scientizscht (OP)]

What is the multiple between diffusion and pump? Are we talking about a 20% increase in current or 200%?
The pumps will require quite a lot of energy and there will also be quite significant energy losses so I wonder if they are justified by offering a significant boost in current.

[Bored chemist]

You might be talking about a thousand fold increase or more.
Diffusion is pretty slow.

[scientizscht (OP)]

What about fuel cells that run with liquid?

[scientizscht (OP)]

So you are saying that using pumps in fuel cells turns one naturally aspirated fuel cell into a thousand of them?

Why is diffusion slow as there is no gap in oxygen created when something burns. Oxygen is replenished instantly.

[Bored chemist]

So you are saying that using pumps in fuel cells turns one naturally aspirated fuel cell into a thousand of them?

Why is diffusion slow as there is no gap in oxygen created when something burns. Oxygen is replenished instantly.

I'm saying that a naturally aspirated fuel cell is not generally a good design.
Part of the problem is getting nitrogen out of the way