Magnesium-air fuel cell
Encyclopedia
A Magnesium-Air Fuel Cell (MAFC) is a type of fuel cell
which uses a magnesium
anode
, oxygen from air as a cathode
and a salt water electrolyte
.
Research and commercialization of the technology by MagPower Systems has shown an efficiency of 90% and an operating range of -20 to 55 degrees Celsius.
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
which uses a magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
anode
Anode
An anode is an electrode through which electric current flows into a polarized electrical device. Mnemonic: ACID ....
, oxygen from air as a cathode
Cathode
A cathode is an electrode through which electric current flows out of a polarized electrical device. Mnemonic: CCD .Cathode polarity is not always negative...
and a salt water electrolyte
Electrolyte
In chemistry, an electrolyte is any substance containing free ions that make the substance electrically conductive. The most typical electrolyte is an ionic solution, but molten electrolytes and solid electrolytes are also possible....
.
Research and commercialization of the technology by MagPower Systems has shown an efficiency of 90% and an operating range of -20 to 55 degrees Celsius.