Harnessing Hydrogen for Power: Hydrogen Cars

1
Harnessing Hydrogen for Power Hydrogen Cars

• Marisa Katz
• Hannah Lobingier

2
What exactly is a Hydrogen Car

• In a hydrogen car, its primary source of power is
  from breaking down hydrogen
• The use of hydrogen usually happens by two
  methods
• Hydrogen can be burned much like the combustion
  reaction that takes place in the gas powered cars
  seen today. This is called a internal hydrogen
  combustion engine
• OR
• Hydrogen can be set up to react with oxygen to
  produce water and electricity. This is called a
  fuel cell.

3
Hydrogen Cars and Fuel Cells

• Major car companies today are focusing on using
  fuel cells, instead of hydrogen internal
  combustion engines because it is thought that
  fuel cells will be more efficient and produce
  power in even cleaner ways. Instead of burning
  fuel in an engine, fuel cells are electrochemical
  energy conversion devices. Fuel cells convert
  hydrogen and oxygen into water, and along the way
  produces electricity.

4
Ways of Getting Hydrogen

• Water is covalently bonded so energy is necessary
  to break this molecule apart into hydrogen and
  oxygen
• Electrolysis (separating water by using electric
  currents)
• H2O electricity ? H2 O2
• ex.) battery, electrical outlet with a source of
  fossil fuels or renewable energy
• Thermolysis (heat used to break up a substance)
• H2O heat ? H2 O2
• ex.) solar panels
• Other molecules with hydrogen can be broken up
  into their components with added energy
• Biological sources
• Algae deprived of sulfur will produce hydrogen in
  a bioreactor
• Hydrocarbons
• Hydrogen comes from crude oil

5
Fuel Cells A Brief History

• In 1839 Sir William Grove invented the first fuel
  cell called a gas voltaic battery
• 50 years later Ludwig Mond and Charles Langer
  coined the term fuel cell

Picture of Modern Day Fuel Cell
6
How Fuel Cells Work

• Fuel Cells are like batteries
• The type of fuel cell highlighted today uses a
  constant flow of hydrogen to produce energy
• A reaction takes place between the hydrogen and
  oxygen that converts the energy released into
  useable electrical energy
• The most common fuel cell is one that runs off of
  proton exchange
• This exchange takes place in the Proton Exchange
  Membrane, or PEM

7
The Functions of Fuel Cells
http//www.gm.com/company/gmability/edu_k-12/teach
ers/fuelcells.htmldl
8
How Energy is Made

• 1. Hydrogen gas is pumped to the anode
• 2.The platinum anode acts as a catalyst to a
  reaction that ionizes the gas
• The ionization reaction breaks hydrogen atoms
  into hydrogen protons() and electrons(-)
• 3.Ions are attracted to the cathode but have two
  ways of getting to it
• 4.Protons pass through the membrane

• 5.Electrons are forced around the membrane thus
  releasing energy

9
Hydrogen to Water

• In the cathode O2 is ionized to O2-.
• In the anode H2 is ionized to 2H
• 2H O2- H2O
• When these elements combine energy is given off
  in electron form and gives off power to run an
  engine and water is also produced

10
Fuel Cell Energy and Clean Bi-Products

• On the cathode side of the cell, oxygen is being
  fed where it is then converted to oxygen ions
• When the hydrogen protons and electrons reach the
  cathode, new products are formed due to the
  bonding of the ions.
• The waste products are water and heat

11
Advantages

• Zero emissions (pure water is produced)
• No dependence on foreign oil
• Ability to harvest solar and renewable energy
• Not many moving parts in a vehicle (more mileage
  before things start breaking)
• Hydrogen weighs less than gasoline (vehicles
  would not need as much energy to move)

12
Price Tag Drawbacks to Hydrogen Car

• Hydrogen Supply
• At this time there are very few stations that
  supply hydrogen cylinders to power a car
• Also, the price for hydrogen is comparable to
  gas however it takes two or three times as much
  to power a car.
• As of now it is very expensive to equip a car
  with a hydrogen fuel cell.
• Hydrogen is expensive to make, store, and
  transport
• As of now, in a fuel cell the center is a
  platinum plate which is very expensive

13
Comparable Efficiencies

• Hydrogen Fuel cells at over 50 efficiency
• Fossil fuel powered car at 10 - 20 efficiency
• Hybrid powered cars have 30 - 35 efficiency
• Ethanol is less efficient than fossil fuel
• - ethanol gets 20 less mpg than fossil fuels

14
The Hydrogen Car Forefront

• In 2003, President Bush instated a national
  program called the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
• The goal is to develop hydrogen, fuel cell and
  infrastructure technologies to make fuel-cell
  vehicles practical and cost-effective by 2020.
• The US has put over 1 billion dollars to date in
  hydrogen car research

15
Companies Getting Involved

• Ford
• - P2000
• Honda
• - FCX
• BMW (within 2 years)
• - Hydrogen 7
• Mazda
• - Wankel motor
• General Motors
• - Sequel

16
California Goes Green

• California has around 13 pilot stations and plans
  some 170 commercial ones by 2010.
• Arnold Swarchenegger has pledged to turn one of
  his existing Hummers into a hydrogen powered car

17
Thank you

• We would like to thank Dr. Skip Rochefort for
  being so generous with his time. The hydrogen
  car and fuel cell were both lent to us to better
  demonstrate the hydrogen car.

18
Resources

• http//www.fi.edu/inquirer/hydrocar.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_vehicleHydr
  ogen_production_cost
• http//planetforlife.com/h2/h2vehicle.html
• http//www.mobilemag.com/content/100/354/C6941/
• http//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4563676/
• http//www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/photos.html
• http//www.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell.htm
• Dr. Skip Rochefort