ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell

Hey there little buddy! Today we're going to talk about something called a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell. It's a special type of machine that does something really cool - it makes electricity!

You know how batteries can run out of power and need to be recharged? Well, a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell can keep making electricity as long as it has fuel and oxygen.

So, let's break it down. First, we need to know what a fuel cell is. A fuel cell is sort of like a battery, but instead of storing energy, it creates energy. There are different types of fuel cells, but today we're talking about the high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

This special type of fuel cell has a membrane in the middle that separates two important parts of the machine. One side has hydrogen gas, and the other side has oxygen gas. The two gases come together on opposite sides of the membrane, and when they do, they make water, heat, and most importantly, electricity!

But how does that all happen? Well, that's where the membrane comes in. The membrane is a special material that only lets positively charged particles, called protons, pass through. The other important part of the fuel cell is the catalyst, which helps break apart the hydrogen in a way that lets protons pass through the membrane.

So, when hydrogen gas comes into contact with the catalyst, it gives up its electrons and turns into protons. Those protons pass through the membrane and combine with oxygen on the other side to make water. When the protons pass through the membrane, they create a current of electricity that we can use to power things like cars, homes, and even satellites!

Now, remember when I said this was a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell? The reason it's called that is because the membrane needs to be really hot - at around 150-200°C - in order to work properly. At that temperature, the membrane is more efficient at letting protons pass through, which means we get more electricity out of the fuel cell.

So, that's a little bit about the high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell! It's a pretty cool machine that helps us create clean energy, and it all happens because of a special membrane that lets protons pass through.