Download Fossils Today, Hydrogen Tomorrow

Fossils Today,
Hydrogen Tomorrow
Our Future With a
Hydrogen Economy
By: Mike Nikolov and
Charlie Giger
Definition
 A hydrogen economy is a hypothetical
economy in which the energy needed for motive
power (for automobiles and other vehicle types)
or electricity (for stationary applications) is
derived from reacting hydrogen with oxygen.
While the primary purpose is to eliminate the
use of carbon-based fossil fuels and thus
reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a secondary
goal is to provide an energy carrier to replace
dwindling supplies of petroleum as well as to
provide energy independence to countries
without oil resources.
Why A Hydrogen Economy?
1. Global Warming
2. Fossil Fuel depletion
3. Dependence on fossil fuels
4. Environmental Pollution
5. Gas Prices! ! !
Benefits
 Hydrogen is an environmentally cleaner
source of energy to end-users, particularly
in transportation applications. This is
because it does not release pollutants or
greenhouse gases at the point of end use.
Studies have concluded that most of the
hydrogen supply chain pathways would
release significantly less carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere than would gasoline used
even in hybrid electric vehicles.
Methods of Production
 Biological Production
 Electrolysis
 High-Temperature Electrolysis (HTE)
 Thermo-Chemical Production
 Reactive Production
Biological Production
 Bio-hydrogen can be produced in an algae
bioreactor. An experiment in the 1990s found that
when algae is deprived from sulfur, the production
of hydrogen occurs instead of oxygen.
 In bioreactors, biohydrogen can be created by
utilizing raw material, such as waste streams. The
routine consists of bacteria feeding on
hydrocarbons and exhaling hydrogen and CO2.
The CO2 can be secluded successfully by many
methods, resulting in hydrogen gas.
Bioreactor Process
Electrolysis
 The main methods of hydrogen production
depend on exothermic chemical reactions of
fossil fuels to furnish the energy needed to
chemically transform raw material into
hydrogen. But when the energy supply is
mechanical (hydropower or wind turbines),
hydrogen can be produced by way of
electrolysis of water or a process that brings
about a chemical reaction by passing electric
current through a material (in this case H20).
High-Temperature Electrolysis
(HTE)
 Hydrogen can be rendered from energy provided in the
form of heat (e.g., that of concentrating solar thermal or
nuclear) and electricity through high-temperature
electrolysis (HTE).
 HTE of water transform more of the first heat energy into
chemical energy (hydrogen), having a chance of doubling
efficiency, to about 50%. Some of the energy in HTE is
provided in the form of heat, and less of the energy must
be converted twice (from heat to electricity, and then to
chemical form), and so potentially much less energy is
required per kilogram of hydrogen made. HTE has been
shown in a laboratory, but not commercially.
Thermo-Chemical Production
 Thermo-chemical processes are able to make
hydrogen and oxygen from water and heat
without using electricity. These experiments
tend to be more efficient than hightemperature electrolysis. Thermo -chemical
energy such as gas or coal is not considered,
because the chemical path is more efficient.
 Thermo-chemical hydrogen production are
not yet able to be made at production levels,
although the chemical has been made in
laboratories.
Reactive Production
 Hydrogen is an element that combines with
many different metals. Sodium, with water
and sodium metal reacting, make sodium
hydroxide and hydrogen. A recent interest
as been the element, aluminum (as an
aluminum/gallium alloy) reacting with water
to make aluminum oxide and hydrogen.
Metal is used entirely throughout the
process.
•Storage
•The mass of the tanks needed for compressed hydrogen reduces the fuel
economy of the vehicle.
•Distinct from storing molecular hydrogen, hydrogen can be stored as a
chemical hydride or in some other hydrogen-containing compound.
•Hydrogen gas is reacted with some other materials to produce the hydrogen
storage material, which can be transported relatively easily. At the point of
use the hydrogen storage material can be made to decompose, yielding
hydrogen gas.
• As well as the mass and volume density problems associated with
molecular hydrogen storage, current barriers to practical storage schemes
stem from the high pressure and temperature conditions needed for hydride
formation and hydrogen release.
Supply & Demand Chart
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Efficiency as an Automotive
Fuel
 An explanation of the energy utilized
during a thermodynamic process, is
mostly applied to automotive fuels. With
today's technology, the manufacture of
hydrogen by way of steam conversion
can be accomplished with a thermal
efficiency of 75 to 80 percent. Additional
energy will be made to compress the
hydrogen, and to transport it to the filling
station by way of truck or pipeline.
Steps Toward a Cleaner
Future
What All Cars and Gas
Stations Should Be Like