On November 22, 2024, the Open Fuel Cell (OFC) joined the fun at this year’s Night of Physics at the University of Duisburg-Essen (check it out here: Night of Physics). The event was all about giving the public a glimpse into the fascinating world of physics—and maybe convincing a few future physicists to join in!
The night had something for everyone: a peek at what it’s like to study physics at UDE, insights into how planets are formed, and even some speculation on whether Mars would make a cozy new home (spoiler: it’s debatable). And, of course, there were hands-on experiments galore!
One highlight was the “brush racer”—a small, zippy contraption that might just revolutionize the way we think about self-cleaning tech (or at least give Roomba a run for its money). It was fascinating, exhausting, and a whole lot of fun! Luckily, the Open Fuel Cell was there to provide the energy—literally and figuratively—to keep everyone’s curiosity buzzing.
A Little History Lesson with the OFC
Our setup didn’t just showcase today’s fuel cell tech—it also brought together three generations of OFC designs, like a little family reunion.
- The great-grandparent: A chunky, not-so-handy beast sculpted out of massive plastic plates. It wasn’t exactly practical, but you’ve got to start somewhere!
- The everyday workhorse: The single-cell OFC, now mostly 3D-printed, and often shown as an “explosion model” with its parts separated to explain how it all works.
- The new kid on the block: A fancy two-cell sandwich stack. It’s basically two fuel cells printed back-to-back, sharing a common anode plate. Very modern, very cool.
Build Your Own Fuel Cell Model
The explosion model is perfect for learning how a fuel cell works, and it’s super easy to make at home—our 3D-printable files are available for download on the website. It’s not just a fun project; it’s a great way to get up close and personal with the science of fuel cells.
