Hydrogen Cars, y’all

Alan Branch

Kellyn Parker

Kevin Szawala

Hydrogen Cars

• Problems• Solutions• Fuel Cells• Dangers• Obstacles• Benefits• Action• Future of H

Why go to hydrogen? - Problems

• Limited oil supply

• CO2 emissions cause pollution (Smog in large cities)

Limited Oil Supply

• According to the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) latest report, published in 2000, with 28.8 billion barrels currently being used a year (79 million a day), there is some 80 years of supply left in the ground.

CO2 emissions from cars

• The average mileage per year in a petrol car is 12,000. This equates to approximately 6 tons of CO2 per year

Increase in emissions from cars

• During the year 2000 in the United States alone, the number of motor vehicles has increased six times faster than the number of humans and twice as fast as the number of new drivers.  In California, it was found that 65% or more of air pollution since the 1940’s along the Southern coast was due to motor vehicle tailpipe emissions

Car Exhaust

Pollution caused by cars

Solutions

Peter Schwartz, of the Global Business Network,

• “by 2013, a third of all new cars sold could be hydrogen-powered, 15% of the national gas stations could pump hydrogen and the United States could get more than half of its energy from domestic sources.”

What is a Fuel Cell Engine?

• A fuel cell produces energy by converting hydrogen and oxygen into electricity

• Releases only water vapor and heat

PEM Fuel Cell

Dangers

• Ozone damage– The National Center for Atmospheric Research and a

team of scientists from several California universities, worry that released hydrogen into the upper atmosphere could deplete the ozone layer,

• Soil absorption– researchers from Cal Tech like John Eiler say, “This

man-made hydrogen will either be absorbed in the soil…or will react with other compounds in the atmosphere

Obstacles

• Restructuring of infrastructure– 20-50 years to convert gas stations

• Public Fear– 1937 German Hindenburg disaster

• Costs– According to Chris Birroni, GM’s leading fuel

cell expert, a gas-powered engine costs only $3,000 while a hydrogen fuel-cell engine costs $30,000.

Benefits of Hydrogen

• Clean and efficient

• Economic growth

• Energy security

• Backup power supply

Benefits – oil supply

• If 20 % of the vehicles today used fuel cells, our world could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels/day.

Benefits – pollution

• if 10% of automobiles nationwide were powered by fuel cells, regulated air pollutants would be cut by one million tons per year and 60 million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide would be eliminated.

Action

• What’s being done to make hydrogen powered cars mainstream.

Bush’s 2003 State of the Union Address

• $1.7 billion dollar plan to help the United States become the world leader in clean hydrogen-powered automobiles. 

California Clean Air Act of 1988

• 67% of air pollution in California caused by cars

• Since its instatement the state has asked for alternate fuels and propulsion systems like hydrogen fuel cells.

Who is making hydrogen powered cars?

– BMW– GM– Toyota– Honda– Ford– Many more to come…….

Future of Hydrogen

• The options are limitless

Batmobile?

References• Chen C, Feng W, Wang S, et al.  The future

of hydrogen infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles    in China and a case of application in Beijing.  Int J Hydrogen Energy 2004; 29: 355-367.

•   Davis, Nicole. “Is Hydrogen the Gasoline of

the Future?” National Geographic News. Sep. 2003.

 • Dönitz W.  Fuel Cells for mobile

applications, status, requirements and future application potential. Int J Hydrogen Energy 1998; 23: 611-615.

• Ewen-Campen, Ben, and Scott Long. Alternative Energy Vehicles. Apr. 2003.

• “How a PEM Fuel Cell Works.” National Science Foundation. 2005.

• “Hydrogen Fuel Cells.” BullNet. 2005.

• Jeong KS, Lee HS, Oh BS.  An experimental study of controlling strategies and drive forces for hydrogen fuel cell hybrid vehicles. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2002; 28: 215-222.

•  • Mulik, Katie. “Does Hydrogen Fuel Pose

Environmental Problems?” The News Hour. Oct. 2003.

• Oi T, Wada K.  Feasibility study on hydrogen refueling infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles using the off-peak power in Japan. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2004; 29: 347-354.

• "Ranji" SG, Van Vorst Wm D.  Impact of the California Clean Air Act. Int J Hydrogen Energy 1997; 22: 31-38.

• Shiels, Maggie. “Is Hydrogen the Fuel of the Future?” BBC News. Mar. 2003.

• "How much oil does the world have left?" The Observer. Jan. 2004; pg. 6.