THE ROLE OF THE HYDROGENFUEL CELL IN PROVIDINGCLEAN ENERGY OF THE

FUTURE

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

• 1983 Brundtland Commission- OurCommon Future 1987

• Sustainable Development –Development that meets the needs ofthe present without compromising theability of future generations to meet theirown needs

• Our Common Future depends onsustainable development

• Historically the production of energythroughout the world has not been sustainable

• Large quantities of Carbon were sequesteredmillions of years ago through photosynthesisin green plants

• Decay in the absence of oxygen and undertemperature and pressure formed coal, oil,and natural gas

• Burning of these Hydrocarbon fuels results inthe sudden release of carbon in the form ofCO2

SO WHY MUST ENERGY BETRANSFORMED ?

• Global Warming

• Significant Challenge of 21st Century

• Effects of CO2 Emissions

• Contribution of Fossil Fuel Energy Sources

• Alternative Energy Sources

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEGREENHOUSE EFFECT

CO2 - a byproduct of the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas

l The earth’s atmosphere contains,by volume, 78% nitrogen, 21%oxygen, and 0.9% argon, and0.039% other trace gases.

l Nitrogen, oxygen, and argonhave no warming properties.

l Of the atmosphere’s main naturalconstituents, only H2O, CO2 andO3 have warming properties.Each of these three warminggases has 3 atoms. Their triadconfiguration can vibrate at theright rate to absorb and re-radiateinfrared rays.

l CO2 makes up just1/2,800th of theatmosphere. Togetherwith other trace gases,even that tiny amountmakes the earth’ssurface about 59o

warmer.

l Even a relatively smalladditional amount canraise the temperature ofthe earth significantly.

•Rising Sea Level

•Precipitation and other climatologicalchanges

•Altered forests, crop yields and watersupplies

•Receding glaciers

•Softening of permafrost

•Coral bleaching

Portage Glacier near Anchorage,Alaska

Portage Glacier 1950 Portage Glacier 2001

•Rising temperaturesin ocean waters area contributing cause

•Whitening of coralcolonies due to theloss of symbioticzooanthallae from thetissue of Polyps

•This loss exposesthe white calciumcarbonate skeletonsof the coral colony

Ice Under Fire: Antarctica

•Antarctic continent issurrounded by floatingice sheets called iceshelves.

•They fringe almosthalf the coastline.

•This is the Muller iceshelf on the Antarcticpeninsula.

•It exhibits aphenomenonsimilar to the PortageGlacier in Alaska.

Death ratesincrease onextremely hotdays—July 1995heat wave inChicago killedmore than 700people.

So–if CO2 Emissions from FossilFuels are so bad–

•SIMPLEST ATOM

•MOST PLENTIFUL ELEMENT IN THEUNIVERSE

•DOES NOT OCCUR NATURALLY AS AGAS

•ALWAYS COMBINED WITH OTHERELEMENTS

•OFTEN WITH OXYGEN AS WATER ORIN ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

2

• Reforming- The process of freeing H2 fromhydrocarbons by applying heat to:§ Natural gas, methanol, propane, gasoline§ Currently most H2 is made this way from natural

gas§ Problem…reforming H2 costs more than

combusting hydrocarbon fuels in their natural state

• Certain algae and bacteria, using sunlight astheir energy source, give off H2

ABC News Feb 2001Pond Scum asFuel Factories

Starved of Oxygen, Plants Produce Hydrogen

Sun + Algae + Water = Hydrogen

Green algae, a simple plant thatgrows all over the world, has theunique ability to convert water andsunlight into hydrogen gas.

• In ordinary air and sunlight algae usesphotosynthesis like other plants toproduce oxygen.

• But when deprived of a key nutrient,sulfur, and forced to live in an oxygenfree environment, it takes up a differentlifestyle.

• Under these conditions the algaethrows a metabolic switch in order tosurvive.

• In an alternative way of breathing,developed over millions of years in anenvironment where there is no sulfuror oxygen, the algae makeshydrogen.

• In experiments, algae cells are grownin the ordinary way, giving plantssunlight and nutrients.

• Then the supply of sulfur and oxygenis cut off, forcing it to click themetabolic switch.

• Within a few hours the algae beginsproducing pure hydrogen.

•One of theearliestmethods ofproducing H2

•Large scaleproductionwould requireelectricityfrom the grid

Electrolysis of Water : The producing ofchemical changes by passage of anelectric current through an electrolyte.

SO, WHAT IF WE REVERSE THEPROCESS AND MIX H2 AND 02 ?

Using two electrodessandwiched around anelectrolyte:

§oxygen passes overone electrode—§ hydrogen over theother—

Generating electricity,water, and heat.

- +

- +

• Discovered in 1839 By Sir William RobertGrove

• Early recognition that if electrolysis couldsplit water into H2 and O2 , combining H2and O2 could produce electricity

• World’s first gas battery

• Fossil fuels and the steam engine prevailed

• Interest dormant until around 1960

NASA has usedliquid H2 topropel the spaceshuttle into orbit.

NASA pioneereddevelopment offuel cells.

Hydrogen fuel cellson board the shuttleprovide both electricpower and puredrinking water.

250 KW Proton ExchangeMembrane Fuel Cell Power Plant

The only wasteproduct is waterat 170o, whichcould fuel theheating systemfor a building.

Other Applications of Fuel Cells

Distributed Power•Any small-scale power generation technologythat provides electric power at a site closer tocustomers than central station generation. (Onsite generation)

•Technologies available include turbinegenerators, photovoltaic panels, wind turbines,and fuel cells.

•These can be applicable right down to theindividual residence.

REPLACING THEINTERNALCOMBUSTIONENGINE

•Combusts 8 millionbarrels of non-renewable oil per day(450 gals per personannually)

•Emits 25% of U.S.Greenhouse gases

The Six Main Causesof Energy Loss in aVehicle

•80% of energyin fuel lost toengine heat andexhaust

•20% actuallyturns the wheels

•Of the resultingforce, 95%moves the car, 5%the driver

• Ultra-lightconstruction

• Low drag design• Hybrid-electric

drive• Efficient

accessories• Hydrogen fuel cell

engine

Amory Lovins RMI

Experimental fuel cell car •Liquid Hydrogen fuel

•Emits only water vapor

•Meets California standards as a zero emissions vehicle

•Top speed 90 MPH,cruising range 280 miles

• The vision of building an energy infrastructurethat uses hydrogen as an energy carrier.

• Many scientists and other informed individualstoday believe that hydrogen will be the basicenergy source that will power future societies.

• It will replace the energy sources of today - oil,coal, and natural gas.

TOWARD A MORE SECURE ANDCLEANER ENERGY FUTURE FOR

AMERICA

A National Vision of America’s Transitionto a Hydrogen Economy—To 2030 and

Beyond

The national hydrogen vision meeting Washington DC 15-16 November 2001

TRANSFORMATIONHAS ALREADY BEGUN

HydrogenEconomy

HydrocarbonEconomy