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Harnessing the Power of Hydrogen

Harnessing the Power of Hydrogen. LAUREN PAWLING STEVE REINAUER JOSH OLZINSKI NISARG JOSHI. Objectives. What is hydrogen power? How does it work? What are hydrogen power’s goals? What are the problems presented by hydrogen power? What are the benefits of hydrogen power?

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Harnessing the Power of Hydrogen

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  1. Harnessing the Power of Hydrogen LAUREN PAWLING STEVE REINAUER JOSH OLZINSKI NISARG JOSHI

  2. Objectives • What is hydrogen power? • How does it work? • What are hydrogen power’s goals? • What are the problems presented by hydrogen power? • What are the benefits of hydrogen power? • How sustainable and reliable is hydrogen? • Overall effectiveness of hydrogen

  3. Hydrogen Power: What is it? • H is one of most common chemicals on earth and can be extracted from multiple sources • Hydrogen is not a fuel…it is a way of storing and transporting energy • Similar to a battery • First was used for space crafts • In order to use hydrogen energy, it must first be made • Extracting hydrogen from fossil fuels or using electricity to split water

  4. Hydrogen Power: How it works

  5. Ideal Goal for Hydrogen • Use renewable energy sources as means to generate hydrogen power • If fossil fuels are still used for hydrogen production, use method to get rid of carbon dioxide • All cars be run on hydrogen • Create hydrogen power infrastructure • Produce large amounts of hydrogen to pump into infrastructure

  6. Hydrogen Economy • If hydrogen economy actually came into place, there would be a way to distribute hydrogen power anywhere • Infrastructure (piping) One large production/distribution center Infrastructure Distribute to homes/work places

  7. Evidence Supporting Hydrogen Power • Hydrogen can produce up to 3x as much energy as natural gas • 9 million metric tons hydrogen / year • Enough to power 20-30 million cars or 5-8 million homes • While in use, hydrogen emits no carbon dioxide, only in production • Can be generated from water as waste and solar energy: both inexhaustible energies • Drivers using it can save money through hydrogen fuel over a long period of time

  8. Evidence Supporting Hydrogen Power • Water is MAIN byproduct • Weighs less than hydrocarbons • Has a greater output than hydrocarbons • Burns faster and at a much lower temperature than hydrocarbons • Large and growing industry • 2004: 50 million metric tons were produced globally • Growing by 10% annually • Low carbon hydrogen power is possible…

  9. Evidence Opposing Hydrogen Power • Requires an input of energy just to create hydrogen • Hydrogen is not readily available • Hydrogen is normally a gas hard to handle • More dangerous than other substances • Needs to be checked periodically • Hydrogen has been called the “least efficient and most expensive possible replacement for gasoline (petrol) in terms of reducing greenhouse gases” • Very costly

  10. Evidence Opposing Hydrogen Power • Extreme Cost • Right now only 4% of production is being used from electrolysis • Rest is from fossil fuels • Hydrogen uses fossil fuels in production and in return, creates greenhouse gases • Experts agree that hydrogen can be unpredictable • Example: Hindenburg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hindenburg_burning.jpg

  11. Evidence Opposing Hydrogen Power • Hard to store • Hydrogen can react with metals it’s stored in and cause leaks • Need to be able to produce at least ten times more in order for hydrogen powered vehicles to be normal • AND this needs to be done in an efficient and environmentally friendly way which is the problem • Morita, an analyst says that hydrogen is “not suitable for onboard storage” http://sitemaker.umich.edu/section4group1/hydrogen_power

  12. Hydrogen Run Vehicles • Very clean and efficient • Can become cost efficient over a long period of time • In hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles, the hydrogen is combusted in same way as traditional engines • In fuel cell conversion engines, the hydrogen is reacted with water to form electricity, using that to be power an electric traction motor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_economy

  13. Environmental Concerns • Fossil fuel reforming (a way of hydrogen production) leads to the increase of carbon dioxide • Electrolysis also leads to increase of carbon dioxide • Possibility of formation of free radicals in stratosphere • Hydrogen gas leaks out slowly (significant amounts could be harmful) • Free radicals would lead to ozone depletion “ Using dirty energy to make clean energy doesn’t solve the problem-it just moves it around” • Improper burning of hydrogen produces highly polluting nitrous oxides

  14. Safety Concerns • Hydrogen is not simply flammable, it creates explosions • Hydrogen has the highest explosives with air other than acetylene • Pure hydrogen-oxygen flames burn in UV rays that are nearly invisible to humans • Hydrogen is odorless • Detected through flame detector http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_economy

  15. Social Laws/Political Problems • Many hydrogen codes and standards for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, stationary fuel cell applications and portable fuel cell applications • In order to commercialize hydrogen power, advocates want to change laws to make it easier to distribute to a wide area • Trying to change building codes and quality control processes to save money through the federal and state government http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_economy

  16. Any Laws Preventing Hydrogen Power? • Standard for the Installation of stationary fuel cell power systems • From National Fire Protection Association • Many laws concerning safety of hydrogen • World’s First Higher Educational Programme in Hydrogen safety • European Commission trying to educate every day people • Trying to make hydrogen power safer by educating • Hard to use hydrogen in areas that are closed • Example: tunnels • Extremely explosive and dangerous • Certain laws explain where hydrogen power can/cannot be used

  17. Hydrogen Production Enhanced in Developed Areas Development in New Areas • Largely produced in California, Louisiana, and Texas • Globally Iceland and China are large producers • Continue to produce in areas that have developed renewable resources • Possible but expensive • In order to reduce carbon emissions, plants are being produced in areas that can feed renewable energies into the plants • Need hydrogen plant in addition to plant for energy source

  18. U.S. Hydrogen Production https://apps3.eere.energy.gov/ba/pba/analysis_database/docs/image/hydrogen_production_by_volume.gif

  19. Japan's Hydrogen Community Iceland’s Geothermal http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl

  20. Technical Impediments in Development and Deployment • Production, Storage, and Delivery • Uses a great deal of energy to isolate hydrogen from natural compounds • Energy also used to package hydrogen gas • Loses energy when converting to usable energy • Only about 25% of energy is left for use after production

  21. Possibilities to Overcome Impediments • Figure out better ways to produce • Improving existing processes such as steam methane production, multi-fuel gasification, and electrolysis • New ways to store hydrogen power • None of current storage devices satisfy current needs • New ways to deliver hydrogen power • If a complete infrastructure comes into play, the distribution will be overcome

  22. Sustainability of Hydrogen Power • Hydrogen is sustainable • As long as energy is able to be produced from hydrogen, the hydrogen is very near an inexhaustible source • Electrolysis of water • But this requires an input of energy • Most commonly energy comes from fossil fuels • Sometimes solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, nuclear (very small percentage) • Fossil fuels are the cheapest ($9.50 vs $1 per gallons of gasoline equivalent) • Until completely weaned off of fossil fuels, hydrogen power will always have some dependence upon fossil fuels, therefore always nearing depletion • Hydrogen has the ability to be truly sustainable • Not quite there

  23. Truth or Consequences? • Construction of world’s first “emission-free” hydrogen power plant • Will use wind and solar energy to split water apart into hydrogen and oxygen • BUT permitting process is not quite complete and building has yet to begin

  24. Conclusion • Hydrogen power has many benefits but appears to have too many loose ends to be a great answer to current energy demands • High cost • No real loss of greenhouse gases • Unpredictable and highly explosive • Benefits don’t outweigh the disadvantages • Right now no energy storage scheme or infrastructure in place • Hydrogen has ability to be a great source of energy in the future but there are multiple points that need to be fixed in order to maximize use and efficiency and overall reduce the hazards related to it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_economy

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