Who invented the first fuel cell in 1838, utilizing an electrochemical process with hydrogen and oxygen?
Answer
Sir William Grove
Demonstrating an early intellectual pursuit of harnessing chemical energy through precise, engineered reactions, Sir William Grove invented the first functional fuel cell in 1838. This apparatus operated through an electrochemical process involving hydrogen and oxygen, rather than combustion. Although this technology was far removed from the immediate industrial needs of the 19th century—which were focused on lighting via gas or mechanical power via liquid fuels—the concept proved foundational, eventually underpinning later developments such as those utilized in NASA programs. This invention predates the widespread use of manufactured gas, kerosene, and the modern liquid fuel era.
Related Questions
Which individual was instrumental in transforming manufactured fuel gas into a public service by incorporating the Gas Light and Coke Company in 1812?What was the primary objective when Edwin Drake drilled the first commercial crude oil well in Pennsylvania in 1859?What chemical process, patented by William Meriam Burton in 1913, was key to increasing the yield of usable gasoline components?What role did purifiers, often employing lime or iron ore, play in the manufactured fuel gas industry?What feature was inherent in Rudolf Diesel's initial compression-ignition engine design that differentiated its fuel requirements from early gasoline engines?Which invention is characterized as an 'invention of utility' established to solve the clear problem of societal lighting in the early 1800s?What substance, discovered through research led by Charles F. Kettering, was critical for allowing higher compression ratios in gasoline engines without engine knocking?What was the initial status of gasoline when it was first produced as a lighter fraction during the distillation of crude oil?Which engineering process, developed by Eugene Houdry in 1937, improved gasoline quality beyond the capabilities of earlier thermal cracking methods?Who invented the first fuel cell in 1838, utilizing an electrochemical process with hydrogen and oxygen?