Hydrogen Fuel Cells

1
Hydrogen Fuel Cells

• Alternative Energy Source
• Claire Campbell and Mary Ann Aabye

2
Primary Goals

• Provide a fuel source that is
• Clean
• Readily available
• Inexpensive
• Provide a fuel source for
• Automobiles
• Electronics/Appliances
• Industry
• Home heating/cooling
• http//www.byexample.co
  m/projects/current/hydrogen_generator

3
Hydrogens Potential

• Very abundant
• Produces a lot of energy
• Burns clean
• Reduces other pollutants

http//sitemaker.umich.edu/section4group1/hydrogen
_power
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Producing Usable Hydrogen

• Hydrogen must be isolated
• Does not store well
• From water
• Water Splitting
• From fossil fuels
• oxidizing methanol
• http//www2.slac.stanford.edu/tip/
  2003/mar21/hydrogen.htm

5
How do Fuel Cells Work?

• Hydrogen fuel combines with oxygen to form
  electricity which in turn can power electric
  dependent machines.
• Hydrogen is NOT the actual fuel

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Diagrams
http//www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?sto
ryId5030050
http//www.apep.uci.edu/der/buildingintegration/2
/Technologies/FuelCells.aspx
7
Types of Fuel Cells

• Polymer exchange membrane transportation
• Solid oxide unreliable BUT when sustained is the
  most efficient
• Alkaline oldest
• Molten-carbonate large generators
• Phosphoric-acid good for small plants
• Direct-methanol expensive

8
General Uses

• Hydrogen technology is being used in technologies
  such as
• Cell phone batteries
• Power tools
• Hybrid cars
• Air conditioning units
• and heat pumps
• Actuators

9
Hybrid vs. Fuel Cells
http//www.hydrogencarinfo.com/bmwhydrogencar.html

http//www.evworld.com/press/Toyota_Volta.jpg
10
In the Military

• Fuel Cells have become popular in the US Military
• Mainly in Middle East
• Reduce dependence on foreign fuel
• Fuel cell generators are easy to transport
• Hydrogen vehicles get better mileage

• http//www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid946

11
Technological Obstacles

• Hydrogen is difficult to store once it is
  produced.
• To be stored for cars it must be in liquid form,
  which defies its natural gaseous state.
• The easiest way to produce hydrogen is to use
  fossil fuels.
• Production requires very hot thermal reactions.

12
Political Obstacles

• US government has actually supported hydrogen
  production for over 40 years (since the space
  program)
• Energy-Policy Act, 1992 funded for 5 years of
  research.
• Bush announced National Hydrogen Vision, but the
  initiative lacks funding and support from most
  average citizens.

13
Economic Obstacles

• Hydrogen production is expensive because it is
  rarely used.
• Right now, energy being produced meets the price
  of hydrogen production, but there isnt a net
  profit (assuming .08 kWh).
• The infrastructure to support hydrogen use is
  still being built.

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Negative Impacts

• Current
• Fossil fuels used to produce most hydrogen
• No trend towards more sustainable methods
• Future
• Leaks into the upper atmosphere

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Bibliography

• http//www.mtpc.org/cleanenergy/fuelcell/impactenv
  .htm
• http//www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/proj_production_deliv
  ery.html
• http//www.csa.com/discoveryguides/hydrogen/overvi
  ew.php