Fuel cells can achieve the voltage necessary for a process by which method?

• A. fuel cells can be stacked
• B. you need a transformer
• C. you need to increase hydrogen pressure
• D. you need to connect in parallel with wind turbines

Answer: (A)

Voltage from a single fuel cell is fairly low, so to meet a higher voltage requirement you connect multiple cells in series, creating a stack. In a series arrangement, the voltages of each cell add up, giving a higher overall output while the current through every cell stays the same. This stacking is the standard way to reach the needed process voltage from fuel cells.

Increasing hydrogen pressure doesn’t raise the electrical voltage; it affects reaction dynamics and power density more than the emitted voltage. Connecting cells in parallel increases the available current, not the voltage. A transformer isn’t the typical method to raise the DC output from fuel cells—you’d use a stack configuration along with appropriate power electronics to tailor the voltage.