Fuel cells (1) are electrochemical devices that convert hydrogen and oxygen from the air into electricity, heat and water vapour. They were invented in 1839 by Sir William Grove, but the first use of fuel cells came over a century later, following the invention of the alkaline fuel cell by Francis Bacon in 1932.
These fuel cells were used in NASA space programmes from the mid-1960s to generate power for satellites and space capsules. They are now used in many more applications (2) and are being used to reduce carbon emissions, particularly in the automotive, aerospace and marine industries.
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