PRATIVA SECONDARY

SCHOOL
Palikhechowk, Pokhara

PROJECT WORK
on
“Commercial Batteries and Fuel Cells”

Submitted by Submitted to
Prakat Sharma Bikal Ranabhat Sir
Class: 12 ‘B’ Gokarna Nepal Sir
Roll no: 23 ______________
Introduction
Galvanic cells are mainly used as portable electrical energy storage devices. These
cells are serially combined to form a battery and are used for daily activities. These
batteries are known as commercial batteries. The basis of a galvanic/ electrochemical
cell is an oxidation-reduction reaction.

Requirements
A useful battery should fulfill the following requirements:

1. It should be lightweight and compact so it can be easily transported.

2. It should have a reasonably long life when it is being used and also when it is not.
3. The voltage of the battery should not vary appreciably during its use.

Classification:
Commercial cells are classified into 3 types:

a. Primary cell
b. Secondary cell
c. Fuel cell

Primary Cell
Primary cells are those cells in which the redox reaction occurs in one direction and
hence they become dead after some time and cannot be recharged or used again.
E.g., dry cells and mercury cells. They are used in transistor radios, flashlights, tape
recorders, calculators, torches, clocks, toys, video cameras, etc. Dry Cell
(Leclanche cell: Zn-C battery)
This cell is the compact form of the Leclanche cell after its discoverer George
Leclanche in 1866(French engineer).

Formation:
It consists of a cylindrical zinc container that acts as an anode. A graphite rod is placed
in the center (not touching the base) and acts as a cathode. The space between the
anode and cathode is so packed that the Zn container is in contact with NH4Cl and
ZnCl2 paste while the graphite rod is surrounded by MnO2 powder and carbon as
shown in figure (In some dry cells, the Zn container is filled with a paste of NH4Cl, MnO2,
and carbon, and graphite rod is immersed in the center). The graphite rod is fitted with
a metal cap and the cylinder is sealed at the top with pitch. The zinc container is
covered with cardboard to protect it from the atmosphere. It shows that the zinc
cylinder acts as an anode and the graphite rod acts as a cathode while pasting
(NH4Cl + ZnCl2) in the zinc cylinder and (MnO2 + C) surrounding the graphite rod as
electrolyte. The reaction takes place at the anode and cathode in the dry cell.

1. At Anode (Oxidation)
Zn(s) Zn2+(aq.) + 2e-
2. At Cathode (Reduction)
2MnO2(s) + 2NH4+ + 2e- Mn2O3(s) + 2NH3(g) + H2O(l)

Net Reaction:
Zn(s) + 2MnO2(s) + 2NH4+(aq.) →Zn2+(aq) + Mn2O3(s) + 2NH3(g) + H₂O(I)

Disadvantages:
1. It does not have a long battery life, since the NH4Cl, (acidic nature) corrodes the
zinc container even if the cell is not in use. So, the cell will discharge continuously.
2. When the electricity is drawn quickly the products of secondary reactions will
build up, so there is a sudden drop in potential observed.
Secondary Cell
Secondary cells are those which can be recharged (reversing redox reaction) and can
be used again and again. Thus, secondary cells are also called rechargeable storage,
or accumulator cells. Storage devices are secondary cells in which reactants are
regenerated by passing direct current from an external source. For example, lead
storage batteries and nickel-cadmium storage cells. The lead storage cell is used in
automobiles like cars, buses, trucks, etc.

Lead Storage (Accumulator) Battery:

In 1860, the Frenchman Gaston Planté (1834-1889) invented the first practical version of
a rechargeable battery based on lead-acid chemistry-the most successful secondary
battery of all ages.

Formation:
Lead storage battery generally consists of six cells, which are connected in series to get
a 12-volt battery. Each cell produces 2V. In each cell, the anode is made of lead
coated with spongy lead and a cathode is a grid of lead packed with lead dioxide
(PbO2). The electrolyte is the aqueous solution of 38% by mass of H₂SO₄ with a specific
gravity of 1.15. To increase the current output of each cell, the cathode plates are
joined together and the anode plates are joined together, i.e., the cells are connected
in parallel combination (anode to anode and cathode to cathode). To have an output
voltage of 12V, six cells are connected in series. The cell represented as Pb, PbSO4 (s) /
H₂SO₄ (38%)/PbO2 (s), Pb
Reaction:
When a lead storage battery is in use, it is said to have discharged. During the
discharge of the battery, the following reactions take place,
1. At Anode (Oxidation)
Reactions occur in two steps at the anode:
Pb → Pb++ + 2e- Pb++
+ SO4-- → PbSO4
__________________________________ Pb(s)
+ SO4-- (aq.) → PbSO₄(s) + 2e-
2. At Cathode (Reduction)
PbO2(s) + SO2-- (aq) + 4H+ (aq) + 2e- → PbSO4(s) + 2H₂O

Net Reaction:

Pb(s) + PbO2(s) + 4H+(aq) + 2SO4-- (aq.) → 2PbSO₄(s) + 2H2O(l) +Energy

In addition to water, PbSO4 is formed at both anode and cathode but lead, PbO2, and
sulphuric acid are used up during discharging of the cell. PbSO4 formed in the overall
reaction is solid and hence gets deposited on the electrodes. The cell potential is about
1.8-2V. If the density of sulphuric acid falls below 1.20 gm/cc the cell must be recharged.
When the cell is to be recharged, the cell reaction is driven in the reverse direction by
using external energy. The electrodes of the cell are restored to their original condition
and the concentration of sulphuric acid also increases.

2PbSO4(s) + 2H2O (1) +Energy → Pb(s) + PbO2(s) + 2H2SO4(aq.) (Charging process)

The rechargeable battery is an electrochemical cell during discharging and becomes

an electrolytic cell during charging. In the discharging process, the electrolyte
component acid is converted into the equivalent of water, and in the charging process,
the water is converted to the equivalent of acid, thus at any time the concentration or
specific gravity of acid will determine the life of a battery.
Fuel Cells
A fuel cell is a device in which the chemical energy of a fuel (H₂, methane, ethanol,
etc.) is directly converted into electrical energy reactants are continuously fed and
products are removed. The conversion of heat energy into electrical energy is possible
since the combustion of fuel is a redox reaction. For example,

2H2(g) + O2(g) → 2H₂O(l)

Fuel cells are designed in such a way that the materials to be oxidized and reduced at
the electrodes are stored outside the cell and are constantly supplied to the electrodes.
A fuel cell is a flow battery that continues to operate as long as the reactants from
outside are fed into the cell. Examples of fuel cells are hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells,
propane-O₂ fuel cells, and methanol-O2 fuel cells. Out of these cells, the hydrogen-
oxygen fuel cell is the most successful.

Hydrogen-Oxygen fuel cell

The general design of the hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell is shown in the figure. It consists of
porous carbon electrodes containing suitable catalysts (generally finely divided
platinum and palladium) incorporated in them. Concentrated KOH or NaOH or ion
exchange resin saturated with water solution is placed between the electrodes which
act as an electrolyte. Hydrogen and oxygen gases are bubbled through the porous
electrode into the KOH or NaOH solution under a process of 50 atm and about 250°C.

The reaction taking place in a hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell is obtained by adding

oxidation and reduction half-reactions,

2H2(g) + 4OH-(aq) →4H2O(l) + 4e- O2(g)

+ 2H2O(l) + 4e- →4OH-(aq) Overall
Reaction:
2H2(g) + O2(g) → 2H2O(l)

Since the standard reduction potential of water = -0.83 volt and the standard reduction
potential of OH is +0.40volt, Eºcell = Eºcathode - Eºanode = 0.40 – (-0.83) = 1.23 volt. The
reactants (i.e., H2 and O2) are fed continuously to the electrodes, and the products (i.e.,
H2O) are removed continuously from the electrolyte (i.e., KOH/NaOH) compartments.

Applications of hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell

i. Used as an auxiliary energy source in space vehicles like the Apollo space
program, submarines, and other military vehicles.
ii. The product water is a valuable source of fresh water for astronauts. iii.
Widely used as a source of power in transportation like electric mobiles
etc.
 iv. Efficiently employed for power generation which is used for domestic and
industrial purposes.

Advantage of fuel cell

Some important advantages of fuel cells over ordinary dry cells are,
i. Continuous source of energy: Unlike conventional batteries, energy can be
obtained from the fuel cell continuously so long as the supply of fuel is
maintained. They are used in space crafts, and military vehicles for electrical
power supply.
ii. Pollution-free: There is no harmful or objectionable product formed in a fuel
cell. Hence, they do not cause pollution problems.
iii. High efficiency: The efficiency of the fuel cell is approximately 70%-75%,
which is much higher than the efficiency of conventional cells.