Apollo Command’s Fuel Cell

The Apollo Command Module‘s leading source of electric power is coming from a set of three “fuel cells” housed in the Service Module.

Manufacturer

United Aircraft Corporation, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division.

Dimension

3-D; 111.8 x 55.9cm, 111.1kg. (44 x 22 in., 245lb).

The lower section in this picture is a cylindric metallic pressure vessel with added plumbing and electrical connectors on the side. The upper section has a tubing and a spherical container.
The lower section in this picture is a cylindrical metallic pressure vessel with added plumbing and electrical connectors on the side. The upper section has a tubing and a spherical container.

The Apollo Fuel Cell reactants were stored in separate tanks in liquid form to decrease the space.

Additionally, this required keeping the oxygen at -173°C (-280°F) and a pressure of 63.26 kilograms per square centimeter equals 245 pounds per square inch.

Furthermore, the excess heat from the fuel cells was used to create the reactants to gaseous form before they entered the cell.

The Apollo fuel cell worked at a temperature of about 206°C equal 400°F, and the Gemini cell at about 65°C, which is about 150°F.

Materials

Pressure Jacket/Support Assembly – Nickel, Titanium, Stainless Steel. 

Hydrogen Electrode – Nickel.

Oxygen Electrode – Nickel and Nickel Oxide.

All fuel cell mixes oxygen and hydrogen to produce water and electricity. The water was utilized for drinking by the astronaut crew. 

This particular fuel cell was installed in the Service Module (SM) 102 during ground testing and operations conducted at the module's North American Aviation manufacturing site in California.
This particular fuel cell was installed in the Service Module (SM) 102 during ground testing and operations conducted at the module’s North American Aviation manufacturing site in California. 

The Apollo Fuel Section

Each of the fuel cell power plants holds 31 separate cells connected in series. 

Every cell has hydrogen and oxygen compartments and electrodes, which in combination, produce 27 to 31 volts. 

The standard power production for each power plant is 563 to 1420 watts, with a maximum of 2300 watts.

An Apollo spacecraft took three hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells in the service module.

Picture showing a fuel cell from the Apollo Service Module.
Picture showing a fuel cell from the Apollo Service Module.

Every unit contains 31 different fuel cells connected in series and operates at 27 to 31 volts.

The standard power output is 563 to 1420 watts, with a maximum of 2300 watts.

The primary construction materials are titanium, stainless steel, and nickel.

The manufacturer is Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corporation.

That’s it, and I hope you enjoyed this essay. Check out this article that reveals the inside of the Apollo Saturn V rocket and its significant components. See for yourself these fantastic drawings. You will be amazed.

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