In the American Navy research laboratories it was developed a hydrogen fuel cell-powered plane that was capable to fly during more than 23 hours in a test accomplished last week. The Íon Tiger, as it is called, got to fly during that period without emitting any pollutant particle and its motor is silent, a secondary conquest of that project.

For who doesn’t know, the cell of fuel is to feed an electric motor from the use of a fuel that is the liquid hydrogen in that case. In a thick way, the thing works like this: inside a compartment called fuel cell, the hydrogen is put in presence of oxygen. But the two elements don’t mix because they are separate for an insulating membrane which is electrical.

As it is known, any combustion only happens in the presence of oxygen. But in this case the fuel “burn” doesn’t happen the hydrogen doesn’t get in touch with the oxygen. However, it is enough the two to approach enough so that the hydrogen molecules “break”, separating the electrons from the protons from their nucleus. The insulating membrane allows the hydrogen protons passage to associate with the oxygen, generating steam water.

However, the electrons are obstructed by the insulating membrane, proceeding for the battery that will work an electric motor that will rotate a helix, but that equally could move an automobile, as the several prototypes that Daimler-Chrysler already is testing for years.

The incredible is that this technology doesn’t have anything of new. It was created by the Welsh chemist Sir William Robert Grove in 1843, 30 years before the intern combustion motor, which was developed in the decade of 1870 by the Germans Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz, founders of Daimler-Benz (current Daimler-Chrysler).

Via: Tree Hugger.