Electric cells produce current through oxidation-reduction reactions. They can be used in reverse for metal deposition or as LEDs. Fuel cells, including those using hydrogen, are being developed as an alternative to fossil fuels. Gamma electric cells can produce high voltage output directly from nuclear radiation.
An electric cell is a simple device capable of delivering an electric current. One or more electric cells working together to supply a current make up a battery. The chemical reaction of an electric cell is classified as “oxidation reduction”. Electrons are transferred, oxidizing one chemical species through the removal of electrons, reducing another by adding electrons. The reaction in an electric cell can sometimes be obviously chemical, as with the copper-zinc battery; in other cases, such as the solar cell, it may be less obvious.
Electric cells can find a reverse application, such as in the galvanic process, whereby an external voltage is applied which transfers electrons in the reverse direction, resulting in metal deposition on substrates. Among the most common deposits are nickel, solder, chromium, copper, silver and gold. Interestingly, solar cells can have their action reversed. Instead of light striking their surfaces to produce electricity, a current can be introduced which causes light to be emitted, albeit at a different frequency, namely infrared. This is the principle of the light emitting diode or LED.
One form of cell that is under intense investigation is that of the fuel cell. This is mainly due to the need for an alternative fuel to replace coal and oil. The most interesting fuel cell uses hydrogen as fuel. Combustion of hydrogen into oxygen produces pure water, rather than greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Another difficulty is finding the correct electrolytic medium to enable the process to be successful.
There are other more complex types of fuel cells. Among these are the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), proton exchange memory (PEM) fuel cell, and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). At the current stage of development, all of them have serious shortcomings. Some require a very high degree of fuel purity, some require expensive platinum curing, and one require very high temperatures to operate. All use hydrogen as a base fuel.
In 1971, US patent number 3,591,860 was granted for a nuclear industrial device called a gamma electric cell. This invention was designed to produce a high voltage output directly from nuclear radiation. It is able to do this without first going through a heat cycle. Since it can even produce electricity directly from radioactive isotopes, it is considered a safe alternative energy source. Unfortunately the invention of the cell phone has been wrongly attributed by some to the patent holder of the gamma electric cell.
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