Hydrogen Fueled Cars and Fuel Cell Technology

7/29/2019 Hydrogen Fueled Cars and Fuel Cell Technology

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SHIRDI SAI ENGINEERING COLLEGE

Seminar

Hydrogen fueled cars and fuel celltechnology

By

8th semester Mechanical A


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Introduction:

Hydrogen fuel technology is far from new technology, the first theories were

originally tossed around since the 1800s, from a Swiss inventor named

Isaac De Rivaz who created the very first automobile of which waspowered by nothing but water. Thus creating the very first hydrogen fueled

cars.

At the turn of 20th Century electric cars were more popular than gasoline-

powered models, for much the same reasons that consumers are taking a

second look at electric cars today: they did not emit noxious fumes, were

quiet, smoother and easier to drive.

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies have the potential to solve the majorenergy security and environmental challenges that face the world today-

dependence on petroleum imports, poor air quality, and greenhouse gas

emissions.

Some of the major aspects that support this are:

Hydrogen is abundantly available.

Hydrogen is a clean fuel.

The hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water can be easily and cleanly split

apart by electrolysis, ideally using electricity from clean sources, such as

solar panels and wind turbines. The resulting hydrogen can be compressed

for storage and use in fuel cells.


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Methods of production of Hydrogen:

Hydrogen can be produced chemically from hydrocarbon fossil fuels

or from a range of renewable sources. The molecular hydrogen

needed as an on-board fuel for hydrogen vehicles can be obtained

through many thermo chemical methods utilizing natural gas, coal (by

a process known as coal gasification), liquefied petroleum gas,

biomass (biomass gasification), by a process called thermolysis, or

as a microbial waste product called biohydrogen or Biological

hydrogen production. 95% of hydrogen is produced using natural gas,

and 85% of hydrogen produced is used to remove sulfur fromgasoline.

Electrolysis of water to break apart the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. .

Hydrogen can also be produced from water by electrolysis or by

chemical reduction using chemical hydrides or aluminum.

Wind, solar (photovoltaic cells), and nuclear hydrogen could be

possibilities for alternative forms of producing hydrogen.

Application of hydrogen fuel:

power vehicles

buildings and homes

Utility power plants


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Rocket fuel

Hydrogen fueled cars:

Hydrogen fueled cars are basically run by electric motors run directly by

fuel cells.

The reduction in the number of moving parts and easy serviceability is the

main advantage of an electric motor which is incorporated in fuel cell cars.


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Fuel Cell: Working


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A fuel cell converts stored chemical energy into electrical energy directly.


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Fuel cell produces power by a complex process and takes place by 2

electrochemical reactions.

Major components of a fuel cell are:

a. Electrolyte

b. Separatorthat keeps the reactants from mixing together.

c. Electrodes are catalysts where the electrochemical reactions occur.

d. Outer sides are bipolar plates which collect the current and generatea voltage from the cell.

Fuel cells can be run on various fuels like hydrogen, methane and gasoline.

Fuel cells run best on hydrogen.

Most fuel cells designed for use in vehicles produce less than 1.16 volts of

electricity - far from enough to power a vehicle. Therefore, multiple cells

must be assembled into a fuel cell stack. The potential power generated by

a fuel cell stack depends on the number and size of the individual fuel cellsthat comprise the stack and the surface area of the PEM (Polymer

Electrolyte Membrane/ Polymer Exchange membrane).


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Comparison between Hydrogen fuel and

petrol engine:

Conventional Petrolengine

Hydrogen fuel cell

Efficiency 18% - 20% 2 times more efficient thangasoline

CO2 &Greenhouseemissions

Yes No

Cost of fuel $50 per kilowatt in 2008 $95 per kilowatt in 2008 and isprojected to be $60 per kilowattin 2009.

Miles per gallon 14 30 53 - 60


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Prominent Hydrogen fueled cars using fuel

cell technology:

BMWs Hydrogen 7

Honda FCX Clarity


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Advantages

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.

Hydrogen is the most versatile of renewable energy resources -- a

universal fuel that can be burned in an engine or used in a fuel cell to

power vehicles, buildings and homes, utility power plants and

anything else that uses electrical energy.

Todays internal combustion engines can be readily converted to run

on a variety of fuels, including hydrogen. However, hydrogen fuelcells used to power cars with electric motors are two to three times

more efficient than gas-fuelled internal combustion engines.

Moreover, they have zero-emissions and, because they have few

moving parts, are quiet and vibration-free.

FCVs could reduce our dependence on foreign oil since hydrogen

can be derived from domestic sources, such natural gas and coal, as

well as renewable resources such as water. That would make our

economy less dependent on other countries and less vulnerable to oil

price shocks from an increasingly volatile oil market.

Hydrogen has the potential to run a fuel-cell engine with greater

efficiency over an internal combustion engine. The same amount of


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hydrogen will take a fuel-cell car at least twice as far as a car running

on gasoline.

Drawbacks

Most of the major negatives to widespread usage of hydrogen are

economic.

Hydrogen is a highly flammable gas. Stored under pressure in a gas

cylinder, it could represent a major hazard in a car wreck, for

example.

Hydrogen is also much harder to contain in normal usage. The

extremely small size of the hydrogen atoms allows them to slip

through the lattice of metal atoms. As such, metals that hold most

gases easily can be permeated by hydrogen. Worse, if the proper

metal is not used, the metal can become embrittled by the hydrogento the point it becomes as brittle as glass. Seals and fittings that will

stop natural gas allow hydrogen to pass through with ease.

Hydrogen gas is plentiful on Earth but it is found only in compound

form with other elements -- two hydrogen atoms combined with one


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oxygen atom is water (H20), and hydrogen combined with carbon

forms compounds (hydrocarbons) like methane, coal and petroleum.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Article by David Ellis, Researcher, NASA Lewis Research

Center

http://www.lovetoknow.com/home-garden.html

NREL Web site

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/

WIPO Magazine

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-

fuels/afv-pictures2.htm

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fcv_benefits.shtml

http://www.odec.ca/projects/2003/kaush3k/public_html/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Hydrogen Fueled Cars and Fuel Cell Technology

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