PEM free fuel cell

[if_u_say_so]

I wish to construct a very simple fuel cell. I wont spend a lot of time going into detail of my design but all I want to know is:

 

-If i had a tank of hydrogen gas and a tank of oxygen gas and inside the tanks was a platinum electrode (the catalyst for converting h2 and o2 into its ions). By connecting the two electrodes together with a component in between, e.g. a light bulb. Will this produce an electrical current?

 

-What will happen to the gases (oxygen and hydrogen)? Where will they go? because they are only joined by a wire they cant react together to form water

 

The reason I ask this is because many fuel cells require an expensive, hard to find material which is used as a membrane to allow the ions to pass through it to react with the ions on the other side to form water, this is called a PEM (proton exchange membrane). I just want to build the simplest fuel cell possible.

 

I have done so much research on this subject that I have become confused so please don't hesitate to tell me why or why not this wont work.

[Bluenoise]

Nothing will happen period with your design.

 

The PEM is what makes a hydrogen fuel cell work. (Well all that I'm aware of there maybe other types)

 

It's very simple actually. The hydrogen wants to react with the oxygen, but to do so it must pass through the membrane, however this is a special membrane that does not allow electrons to pass through. Only protons. Thus a seperate path must be provided for the electrons such as a wire. No what happens when electrons pass through a wire? We get an electric current.

 

So the protons go through the membrane the electrons through the wire and they combine with Oxygen to make water.

[if_u_say_so]

Ahh yes I understand now thank you. However, what if water was used as the membrane? The h+ ions could react with OH- ions in the water to create a water and a current.

 

I have drawn up a quick diagram to show. Basically current is applied to the electrodes, producing hydrogen and oxygen which gets trapped in the test tubes. Then a component is added to allow the electrons to flow.

 

 

 

Note Mistakes in diagram - There will be different levels of gases produced in each test tube. The test tube on the right looks as if it is sealed, it is not.

 

Will this work. I got my idea from this website: http://www.sci-toys.com/scitoys/scitoys/echem/fuel_cell/fuel_cell.html

 

Basically I want to do the same as what they have done on the website but i wish to store hydrogen and oxygen some how instead of just using small bubbles of it.