fuel cell
Loading your saved state.
fuel cell
A technical device that directly generates electrical energy through a chemical reaction between a fuel, such as hydrogen, and an oxidizing agent, such as oxygen. The by-products are usually only water and heat.
Autos mit Brennstoffzelle gelten als umweltfreundliche Alternative zu Verbrennungsmotoren.
Cars with fuel cells are considered an environmentally friendly alternative to combustion engines.
The word is made up of 'Brennstoff' (fuel) and 'Zelle' (cell). The 's' in between is a linking s that connects the two parts. Literally, it is a cell that works with fuel.
Die Forschung an der Brennstoffzelle macht große Fortschritte.
Research on the fuel cell is making great progress.
'Brennstoffzelle' (fuel cell) is a technical term from engineering and physics. You mainly find it in scientific, technical, or journalistic texts about energy and mobility.
In der Vorlesung haben wir die Funktionsweise der Brennstoffzelle besprochen.
In the lecture, we discussed how the fuel cell works.
Common combinations are 'ein Auto mit Brennstoffzelle' (a car with a fuel cell), 'der Antrieb durch eine Brennstoffzelle' (propulsion by a fuel cell), or 'mit Wasserstoff betriebene Brennstoffzellen' (fuel cells powered by hydrogen).
Dieses Schiff wird mit einer Brennstoffzelle angetrieben.
This ship is powered by a fuel cell.
battery
'der Akku' and 'die Brennstoffzelle' both have to do with electrical energy. An 'Akku' stores electricity and can be recharged, for example in a phone, laptop, or e-bike. A 'Brennstoffzelle' generates electricity through a chemical reaction, often with hydrogen and oxygen. So it is more of a technical device for generating energy. Learners may confuse the words because both can supply devices with electricity. The simple difference is: an 'Akku' stores energy, while a 'Brennstoffzelle' generates energy.
In diesem Bus erzeugt eine Brennstoffzelle den Strom für den Motor.
In this bus, a fuel cell generates the electricity for the motor.
Am Abend lade ich den Akku meines Handys auf, damit er morgen lange hält.
In the evening, I charge my phone's battery so it will last a long time tomorrow.