Hydrogen Economy: Is It Reasonable or Not?

1. Hydrogen Economy: Is It Reasonable or Not? By Mike Stephany and Anthony Crawford

2. What is a Hydrogen Economy? • An economy that uses hydrogen as power for automobiles and electricity as an alternative to fossil fuels • An option to replace our fossil fuel economy and all its negative effects to the environment • It is a more environmentally friendly process of creating and using energy

3. Fossil Fuels • When burned they release poisonous gases into the atmosphere • Our present economy is entirely dependent on fossil fuels • Cars, trains, airplanes, power plants are all powered by fossil fuels • There are four major problems that fossil fuels produce

5. Air Pollution • When fossil fuels are burned they produce more than just carbon dioxide and water • Poisonous Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxide and unburned Hydrocarbons are emitted every time fossil fuels are burned • This is due to the internal combustion engine even with restrictions to be more environmentally friendly • Catalytic converters slow down the process of pollution however hydrogen is a better alternative

6. Air Pollution cont… • Cars and factories are making this issue of pollution a big problem in major cities • Layers of the ozone are in danger of disintegrating from this pollution • No ozone = no air

7. Environmental Pollution • Main causes: supertanker oil spills, oil well fires and pipeline explosions • Supertanker spills reek havoc on marine and local wildlife • Minor spills are frequent but the big ones are catastrophic

8. Global Warming • For every gallon of gas burned by automobiles, 5LBS OF CARBON DIOXIDE are released into the atmosphere • Carbon Dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is slowly raising the temperature of the earth by the greenhouse effect • Global warming is not a theory, it is how the planet is warming that is still unclear to present day scientists

9. Global Warming cont… • The melting of the polar ice caps is proof that the planet’s temperature is rising but scientists are not sure if it is due to the emission of pollution • This could potentially lead to the destruction of all costal cities

10. Dependence • Gas prices have been soaring above 4 dollars because the United States cannot produce enough oil to reach its demand • We import oil from Middle Eastern countries that jack up the prices because oil reserves are running scarce and because they hate us • This problem could be solved if we simply could rely less on oil and more on a homemade power source (hydrogen power)

11. Advantages of Hydrogen Energy • Making use of Hydrogen energy we can: • Eliminate pollution of fossil fuels • Bring a halt to the production of greenhouse gases • Break away from our dependence on countries of the Middle East • Obtain the production of Hydrogen • Hydrogen can be produced and distributed anywhere there is water and electricity

12. Common Questions • Where does Hydrogen come from? • How will we transport and distribute it? • How will we store hydrogen?

13. Where does it come from? • Unlike fossil fuels, Hydrogen is/was not stored for millions of years for us to simply pump and refine to put to use, so what do we do? • We can create hydrogen by the process of either: • a. Electrolysis of water • b. Reforming fossil fuels

14. Reforming Fossil Fuels • A fuel processor (a reformer) is used to split the hydrogen from hydrocarbons, which are present in oil and natural gas • Problem: When hydrocarbons are split the carbon dioxide is also released • No air pollution, but a greenhouse gas is released • Although this is not the best process, it is seen as an easy transition to a hydrogen economy

15. Reforming Fossil Fuels cont… • This process is used in cars that are considered “fuel cell cars” • Since there are not hydrogen stations like there are gas stations, using gas (good source of hydrogen) is the easiest way to obtain hydrogen power

16. Water Electrolysis • The process is done by splitting a water molecule to produce a Hydrogen and Oxygen • Major Advantage: It can be done anywhere • i.e. A box can be put in your garage that completes water electrolysis therefore hydrogen is there anytime for your own use • Unlike R.F.F., this is the ideal of a hydrogen economy

17. Water Electrolysis cont… • Hydrogen from renewable resources= Pure hydrogen economy • In order to have a pure hydrogen economy a major task must be accomplished: • Using electricity to produce hydrogen, but to use electricity not dependent on fossil fuels • Some Solutions: Nuclear power, Hydroelectric dams, Solar Cells, and Geothermal Power

18. The Future • Seems likely that nuclear power or solar power generating will become dominant to produce electricity • Several challenges have to be completed: • Doubling the electrical generating capacity • Power plants double and replace fossil fuel factories • Nuclear Plants cause a political and environmental problem • Solar plants pose the problem of extreme costs and a reasonable location

19. Storage • Hydrogen is considered a bulky gas and hard to work with unlike gasoline • Compressing hydrogen requires much energy and still has less energy than the same amount of gasoline • There’s a solution though: It can store as a solid with Sodium Borohydride (borax contained in detergents) • NaBH4 releases hydrogen, then becomes borax which can be recycled. • Once storage is standardized, hydrogen stations must be developed

20. Transportation • There must be a standard storage development • All hydrogen-car manufacturers must use the same standardized method to store hydrogen such as NaBH4 in order for a network of transportation and stations to be developed

21. So Is It Reasonable? • It may take some time, but it is reasonable if the proper steps are taken • Transition to fuel-celled-powered automobiles • Replace fossil fuel plants with and double solar/alternative energy plants • Standardized method of storing hydrogen energy • Develop a network of transportation and hydrogen stations • This revolution will be expensive at first, but as the transition is made costs will become less expensive • In the end, a Pure Hydrogen Economy is hoped to be made

22. Bibliography • http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hydrogen-economy6.htm • http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/print/9248 • http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3536156.stm