Harnessing Hydrogen for

Power:
Hydrogen Cars

Marisa Katz
Hannah Lobingier
 What exactly is a Hydrogen Car
 In a hydrogen car, its primary source of power is
from breaking down hydrogen
 The use of hydrogen usually happens by two methods
Hydrogen can be burned much like the combustion reaction
that takes place in the gas powered cars seen today. This is
called a internal hydrogen combustion engine
OR
Hydrogen can be set up to react with oxygen to produce water
and electricity. This is called a fuel cell.
Hydrogen Cars and Fuel Cells
 Major car companies today are focusing on using fuel cells,
instead of hydrogen internal combustion engines because it is
thought that fuel cells will be more efficient and produce
power in even cleaner ways. Instead of burning fuel in an
engine, fuel cells are electrochemical energy
conversion devices. Fuel cells convert hydrogen and
oxygen into water, and along the way produces
electricity.
 Ways of Getting Hydrogen
Water is covalently bonded so energy is necessary to break this
molecule apart into hydrogen and oxygen
 Electrolysis (separating water by using electric currents)
H22O + electricity → H22 + O22
ex.) battery, electrical outlet with a source of fossil fuels or
renewable energy
 Thermolysis (heat used to break up a substance)
H22O + heat → H22 + O22
ex.) solar panels
Other molecules with hydrogen can be broken up into their
components with added energy
 Biological sources
Algae deprived of sulfur will produce hydrogen in a bioreactor
 Hydrocarbons
Hydrogen comes from crude oil
 Fuel Cells: A Brief History
 In 1839 Sir
William Grove
invented the first
fuel cell called a
gas voltaic battery
 50 years later
Ludwig Mond and
Charles Langer
coined the term
“fuel cell” Picture of Modern Day Fuel Cell
 How Fuel Cells Work
 Fuel Cells are like batteries
 The type of fuel cell highlighted today
uses a constant flow of hydrogen to
produce energy
 A reaction takes place between the hydrogen
and oxygen that converts the energy released
into useable electrical energy
 The most common fuel cell is one that runs off
of proton exchange
This exchange takes place in the Proton Exchange
Membrane, or PEM
The Functions of Fuel Cells

http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/edu_k-12/teachers/fuelcells.html#dl
 How Energy is Made
 1. Hydrogen gas is pumped to
the anode
 2.The platinum anode acts as
a catalyst to a reaction that
ionizes the gas
 The ionization reaction breaks
hydrogen atoms into hydrogen
protons(+) and electrons(-)
 3.Ions are attracted to the
cathode but have two ways of
getting to it 5.Electrons are
 4.Protons pass through the forced around the
membrane membrane thus
releasing energy
 Hydrogen to Water
In the cathode O2 is ionized to O2-.
In the anode H2 is ionized to 2H+
2H+ + O2- = H2O
When these elements combine energy
is given off in electron form and gives
off power to run an engine and water is
also produced
 Fuel Cell: Energy and Clean
Bi-Products
 On the cathode side of the cell, oxygen is
being fed where it is then converted to
oxygen ions
 When the hydrogen protons and electrons
reach the cathode, new products are formed
due to the bonding of the ions.
 The “waste products” are water and heat
 Advantages
 Zero emissions (pure water is produced)
 No dependence on foreign oil
 Ability to harvest solar and renewable energy
 Not many moving parts in a vehicle (more
mileage before things start breaking)
 Hydrogen weighs less than gasoline (vehicles
would not need as much energy to move)
 Price Tag: Drawbacks to
Hydrogen Car
 Hydrogen Supply
 At this time there are very few stations that supply
hydrogen cylinders to power a car
 Also, the price for hydrogen is comparable to gas;
however it takes two or three times as much to
power a car.
 As of now it is very expensive to equip a car
with a hydrogen fuel cell.
 Hydrogen is expensive to make, store, and
transport
 As of now, in a fuel cell the center is a
platinum plate which is very expensive
 Comparable Efficiencies
 Hydrogen Fuel cells at over 50% efficiency
 Fossil fuel powered car at 10% - 20%
efficiency
 Hybrid powered cars have 30% - 35%
efficiency
 Ethanol is less efficient than fossil fuel
- ethanol gets 20% less mpg than fossil
fuels
 The Hydrogen Car Forefront
 In 2003, President Bush
instated a national program
called the Hydrogen Fuel
Initiative
 The goal is to “develop
hydrogen, fuel cell and
infrastructure technologies to
make fuel-cell vehicles
practical and cost-effective by
2020.”
 The US has put over 1
billion dollars to date in
hydrogen car research
Companies Getting Involved
 Ford
- P2000
 Honda
- FCX
 BMW (within 2 years)
- Hydrogen 7
 Mazda
- Wankel motor
 General Motors
- Sequel
 California: Goes Green
California has around 13 pilot
stations and plans some 170
commercial ones by 2010.
Arnold Swarchenegger has pledged to
turn one of his existing Hummers into
a hydrogen powered car
 Thank you
We would like to thank Dr. Skip Rochefort
for being so generous with his time.
The hydrogen car and fuel cell were
both lent to us to better demonstrate the
hydrogen car.
 Resources
 http://www.fi.edu/inquirer/hydrocar.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_vehicl
e#Hydrogen_production_cost
 http://planetforlife.com/h2/h2vehicle.html
 http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/354
/C6941/
 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4563676/
 http://www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/photos.html
 http://www.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell.htm
 Dr. Skip Rochefort