Abstract :
This report on fuel cell research on the European continent deals with the main lines of present activities, i.e., high temperature cells with semi-solid electrolytes, the Bacon HYDROX cell operating at medium temperatures and high pressures and the electrochemical energy converters operating at ambient temperature and pressure. The author devotes the main part of his report to these low temperature types including the Double Skeleton Catalyst ("DSK") system of the German Fuel Cell Consortium, the Swiss Monoskeleton ("MSK") system and the German system of dissolving a liquid carbonaceous fuel such as methanol in a cell with catalytically different electrodes. In addition, various applications of such cells, e.g., for storage of electrical energy by electrolysis of water and subsequent recombination of hydrogen and oxygen are reviewed.