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Hydrogen Power

"Paving the way to a brighter
new future in fuel"

Table of Contents:

Abstract ............................................................................................................................
Introduction ......................................................................................................................
Historical Background .......................................................................................................
The Perfect Fuel ................................................................................................................
TINJARP .........................................................................................................................
Political & Economic Implications ......................................................................................
Environmental Impact ........................................................................................................
Safety ...............................................................................................................................
Health ...............................................................................................................................
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................
Works Cited .....................................................................................................................
Works Consulted ..............................................................................................................
My Experiments with Hydrogen .........................................................................................
Hydrogen Cars ..................................................................................................................
Graphs of Hydrogen vs. Gasoline .......................................................................................

Abstract:

Hydrogen fuel can be implemented as a renewable energy medium with immense potential. When utilized properly, it has the potential to entirely replace fossil fuels altogether. Transforming our largely oil based economy, to a new hydrogen economy, which will provide sustainability throughout the 21^st century, and beyond, for as long as the sun continues to shine.

Is it possible for hydrogen to compete with oil in a global market?

This paper will examine all aspects involved in making this transition become a reality, including political, economical, environmental, and safety issues, using hands on experience, as well as lots of great internet resources, interviews, books, magazines, and videos.

When these aspects have been fully comprehended it will be clear just how much hydrogen can make a difference, how great the impact, coming to the natural conclusion that hydrogen does, have the potential to do so, and more.

Introduction:

most people think of hydrogen, they think of the first atom on the periodic table, the Hindenburg, and maybe even the hydrogen bomb, but there is much more to hydrogen. On earth the hydrogen atom contains a single proton, around which orbits a single electron. It is also the world’s lightest, most abundant, and most explosive element. For these reasons it is also the most useful, both for its lifting ability, as well as its explosive power. In fact the sun burns up 11 billion pounds of hydrogen every second (McAlister). It was through this burning of hydrogen that photosynthesis created the very fossil fuel we so enjoy today.

Hydrogen is considered an “energy storage medium,” much like batteries, (Camp) and can be made quite simply. The best method would be to take electricity to split (electrolyze) water into hydrogen and oxygen. This could be done on a large scale in a hydrogen plant. The US currently produces 100 billion cubic feet per year of hydrogen for industry, and the space program (McAlister).

Hydrogen is the heart of all hydro carbon fuels (fossil fuels) pure hydrogen and carbon can be extracted. Carbon is a very reusable resource and is known for its light weight and strength (Camp). Carbon would most likely be implemented as a method for storing hydrogen, rather than using the traditional steel tank, which isn?t as safe. A newer, hi-tech method called, ?carbon fiber? can be used to store hydrogen. Currently this method of extracting hydrogen from oil is preferred due to its high efficiency, which means most hydrogen used today is derived from a fossil fuel, but this will change. Once obtained hydrogen can run virtually every application where other fuels are used today. Basically anything that operates on a flame like a gas stove, or anything that operates on a explosion like a internal combustion engine, anything that runs off electricity or could be run by a battery, done through a fuel cell, or anything else that doesn’t fit into those three categories. Hydrogen can truly run anything that consumes energy of any kind, in any shape or form.

The goal of this paper will be to find out: is it possible for hydrogen to compete with oil in a global market? Determining whether hydrogen actually has the ability, we know hydrogen has the capability to entirely replace fossil fuels altogether, but a single element can not do so alone. The real question is not whether it has the ability, but whether it has the money and support to backup such a challenge. This paper will explore all the possibilities, as well as the views of those who say yes, hydrogen is the key to a bright future creating a renewable, self-sufficient resource that will one day in the near future make oil obsolete, as well as those who will always say no.

Addressing the feasibility of hydrogen, whether it can compete, in dollars with oil, going through all the aspects involved in making the dream of hydrogen become a reality. Explaining away many of the myths revolving around hydrogen, proving it to be the safest, cleanest, most powerful, most politically and economically feasible, most profitable and most easily adopted fuel. Showing that hydrogen is the renewable resource that will supply us with all of our energy needs through the twenty-first century and beyond, for as long as the sun continues to shine.

Historical Background:

The essay you are about to read may sound revolutionary at first, but the technology is all real. Hydrogen was discovered by Henry Cavendish in London, England in 1766 (Zint). Unlike many new ideas for displacing oil, like cold fusion which rely on unproven future technology, hydrogen relies on centuries old proven technology. Which has passed the scrutiny of time.

The Perfect Fuel:

Hydrogen cars have been in magazines like “Popular Mechanics” for years, new prototype after new prototype, but to what avail? The technology is there, but it will take big business to bring hydrogen to the pump station, to put a hydrogen car on every car lot, and that is exactly what is happening. Countries like; Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Canada and Japan are leading the way. Gas companies like; Exxon Mobil, Texaco, BP and Shell. “We believe in hydrogen as one of the world's principal energy resources far into the future, our aims are two-fold,” says Don Huberts, Chief Executive Officer of Shell Hydrogen (Walton). Car companies like; Mercedes, Honda, Ford, GM’s Holden, Toyota and BMW, (see appendices for pictures) "It feels like a normal car. It can be operated like a normal car. And so the feeling for our customers will be, they have a high powered car, a normal car with clean emissions," comments Klaus Pehr, head of concept cars for BMW. Countless others are all trying to get in on the action. The way the new BMW 750hL sedan hydrogen/gasoline, hybrid works, is that it can run on both hydrogen and gasoline, it has two gas caps, when a hydrogen fueling station isn’t available, you just flip the switch and run on gasoline.

Gasoline is incredibly cheap, a gallon of water in a grocery store is almost as expensive as a gallon of gasoline, but in the long run no mater what the cost, the switch will need to be made to a renewable energy source. The question is how long, if hydrogen can compete with gasoline only then will this dream of hydrogen become a reality in our foreseeable future. Since oil prices aren’t going up as of just yet, in order for hydrogen to compete with oil in a global market the price is going to go down. It is estimated that hydrogen could, theoretically be cost competitive at seventy-five cents per gallon, equivalent of gasoline. This estimate is if solar dish gensets were used as the electricity source for hydrogen production. Solar gensets hold the worlds record for converting solar energy to electricity (McAlister). Using this method a relatively small area of land could manufacture enough Solar-Hydrogen to supply the entire energy requirements for the United States. According to a study funded by Saudi Arabia ,even if less efficient photovoltaic cells were used, a relatively small area of land could displace all their oil exports (Phoenix Project). It costs 45 kilowatt hours to produce 1 gallon of gasoline equivalent hydrogen (Camp). No matter what the method, the fact remains, hydrogen is the key to a bright future creating a renewable, self-sufficient resource that will one day in the near future make oil obsolete.

Hydrogen has the highest energy to weight ratio, NASA has used it as a rocket fuel since the 1940’s. Most people don’t notice it, but if you watch a shuttle lift off you can see that the three rockets attached to the shuttle its self have a light blue almost clear flame, that is the on board hydrogen rocket. NASA also uses hydrogen for it’s primary fuel while out in space, and for making drinking water, one pound of hydrogen when combined with oxygen will make nine pounds of pure distilled drinking water. Through the process, it will generate a significant amount of usable electricity as a byproduct. The Navy has been using electrolyzers for their submarines to make oxygen for long missions; they would turn on the Diesel engines, and turn the sea water into hydrogen and oxygen, essentially opposite of what NASA is doing. In fact the American Hydrogen Association has one of the original electrolyzers from a submarine. It is still fully functional today, and has over one hundred million life support hours to its credit since 1955, as a oxygen generator for submarines and NATO (ElectroChemistry & Fuel Cell Class Video).

When most people think of alternative renewable energy they think of the electric car. You charge it for three hours and only get a fifty mile range. It's slow, small, uncomfortable, and batteries need replacement every twelve months. With hydrogen you don’t have to give up any of your luxury. In fact, hydrogen is more powerful than gasoline. Liquid Hydrogen has a BTU (British Thermal Unit) of 60,000 per pound where as gasoline has a BTU of 18,000 per pound. Which means that hydrogen is lighter and more powerful, it can go further for it’s weight. While hydrogen is only a energy medium similar to a battery, its much more efficient, powerful and light-weight. In fact there is talk of using hydrogen as a power source for laptops and cell phones (Fuel Cells to run cell phones, Laptops). The reason being that you simply get more power for your weight rather than carrying around those big bulky batteries that are always needing replaced every couple years. You would have a lighter, more compact, stronger battery. It would be done through a fuel cell, basically a compact, reversible electrolyzer, but that’s another essay.

Hydrogen has many practical uses, for example, you can easily convert any combustion engine to run on hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used as a cooking fuel, to heat your home, drive your car, and mow your lawn. Hydrogen can run your generator and run the electricity for your home. With the addition of a fuel cell, hydrogen can be turned back to electricity to run your computer, your lights. It can be used in place of electricity, in place of gasoline, and in place or propane or natural gas (Camp). It can be used to suit all the world’s power needs. Unlike with so many things, which only the rich more developed countries, can afford. Hydrogen can power any country where the sun shines.

TINJARP:

In working with my Technical Advisor I have been able to see hydrogen at work with,m y own eyes. He gets his hydrogen in Portland, and has a hydrogen powered generator, barbeque, and lawnmower.

I have also been able to do some actual hands on experimenting with a fuel cell car and experiment kit, that came complete with a lab manual which allows you to go through the steps in understanding how the technology works. Best of all the little car actually goes pretty fast Click Here to read more about this.

Further more, with the aid of a very helpful web site, I was able to actually build a electrolyzer, from scratch, over the summer (Egel).

Political & Economical Implications:

Oil is used for a wide range of polymers medicines and fertilizers, but once burned it is forever lost. Remaining oil reserves are being exponentially consumed, on a global scale. Due to increasing population and consumption per population. An example of exponential verses arithmetic: if you start out with a penny and increase arithmetically, by the end of the month you will have thirty-one cents. However, if you start out with a penny and increase exponentially, by the end of the same month you will have ten million, seven hounded thirty-seven thousand, four hounded eighteen dollars and twenty-four cents (ElectroChemistry & Fuel Cell Class Video). This goes to show how inevitable a switch to hydrogen is.

The United States consumes approximately two point two billion barrels of oil ever year, supplementing with hydrogen could reduce the trade deficit by sixty billion dollars (McAlister). That’s not even taking into account all the money that they United States spends maintaining the military or, “protecting our investments” in the Middle East. “People who are willing to give up freedom for the sake of short term security, deserve neither freedom or security.” - Benjamin Franklin. It all ties in together our economy the environment, national security and possibly war.

There are those who believe that involvement in the Middle East, taking on the role of, “world police” may be jeopardizing our national security. Which is why we need to be self sufficient, rather than turning to Russia for oil, we should turn to ourselves. It is not only a strain on our finances, but it is also a strain on our safety. Which is why we should act know, before it’s too late and world war three begins.

The estimated petroleum reserves in the earths crust is about one trillion barrels of oil, at twenty five billion barrels per year increasing at one to one half percent per year, at current rates there is a thirty year oil supply remaining (McAlister). “Shifting to hydrogen was not a question of whether but when,” said a Shell Oil executive.

One proposal for change would be a fair accounting act, that will factor in environmental and other external energy cost. “Bringing market prices in line with energy’s hidden burdens will be one of the challenges of the coming decades,” said Harold M. Hubbard of Scientific America Magazine. These so called, “hidden” costs include: the maintaining of a military in the Middle East, corrosion of buildings, crop loses, billions of dollars of environmental damage, as well as healthcare costs due to pollution. If these external coasts were all factored in hydrogen would be by far the cheapest fuel on the market.

President Bush has openly given his support for hydrogen. He believes that ultimately the transition is inevitable, but currently is looking for short term solutions. As stated earlier many countries are already pushing toward hydrogen. That may have something to due with the fact that gasoline prices in the US are extremely low. In Europe however they pay four dollars a gallon which would explain why they are so far ahead of us in the field of hydrogen. That is why the government needs to start with something like the fair accounting act. Most average people will not support hydrogen until gas prices begin to skyrocket. One of the things holding hydrogen back is our government subsidies gasoline, the real cost is a additional 30 cents per gallon which we don't see (Karl). This could be eliminated and to the contrary tax incentives could be applied to aid in the spread of a hydrogen industry.

With the transition to hydrogen comes the “hydrogen economy,” a whole new industry, and infrastructure must be put into place. Creating new jobs for both the blue and white collared workers, thousands of permanent scientific and industrial jobs. Building plants, manufacturing parts, selling equipment, and developing technology. Not only in the US, but the rest of the world as well, providing a boom in the worlds economy. Creating new companies, and business to lead the way. Buy stocks in hydrogen, there are going to be a lot of people who get rich of this. Be the first to get in on the action, before they all catch on.

Environmental Impact:

Most environmentalists, let alone ordinary citizens don’t even realize the extent to which hydrogen can go in solving our most pressing issues, pollution and global warming, just to name a couple. The air that comes out of the exhaust pipe of a combustion engine running off hydrogen is cleaner than it was when it went in, called “minus emissions.” Engine oil remains clean for a extended period of time, because there is no sulfur or carbon compounds to degrade the oil. Engines using hydrogen will last much longer and start faster in any weather. Existing cars could be converted to run on hydrogen, in fact introducing a small amount of hydrogen two to five percent into internal combustion engines that currently run off gasoline, diesel, or natural gas increases the efficiency, improves gas, mileage and reduces pollutants quite remarkably (McAlister). “I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen will constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light . . .” - Jules Verne, Mysterious Island.

More oil is dumped into the ocean by routine oil tankers every year, then from a oil spill. This is because ocean seawater is used to clean out the ships gigantic tanks before refilling. In order to insure a “fresh batch,” or so to speak. (Phoenix Project)

In many third world countries natives are forced to destroying what little remains of their natural forests just to keep warm, and to cook with, and when wood is not available they are forced to burn what ever they can find, usual human waste, results in a series of respiratory problems. Hydrogen can provide a solution to these most pressing needs. Burning hydrogen yields water and reduces smog by burning unbent hydrocarbons in the air (Camp).

Hydrogen can be produced form water, sewage, garbage, landfills, agricultural biomass, paper product waste and many methods. Hydrogen is naturally produced by plants and is colorless, odorless tasteless and nontoxic. “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next sever generations.” - The great law of the Iroquois Nation.

Safety:

Hydrogen is not commonly thought of as a safe fuel, this is in part due to the wide spread belief/myth that hydrogen is to blame for the Hindenburg disaster of 1937, but there is new evidence to discredit that theory. Brian, a NASA scientist at Cape Caneveral has discovered the real cause. “Neither the hydrogen in the hull nor a bomb was to blame, but a special fabric for the outer skin that, when ignited, burns like dry leaves” (DiChristina).

His suspicions of the Hindenburg fabric covering were raised when he learned that a cellulose nitrate (gun powder) dope with powdered aluminum (a fuel) might have been used on the Hindenburg. He was able to obtain a 60 year old piece of the fabric to test his hypothesis. Furthermore, a hydrogen flame is almost invisible in day light, it burns a light blue. We know from many eye witness accounts as well as actual photographs, that the flames were red and orange. This supports his theory that hydrogen was not the source of the flames (DiChristina).

He was able to prove his theory into fact, and the plaque in the Kennedy Space Center has been changed reading a more accurate portrayal of the history of the Hindenburg. It would appear that the Germans agree with his claim. German electrical engineer, Otto Beyersdorff, on 28 June 1937 wrote “The actual cause of the fire was the extreme easy flammability of the covering material brought about by discharges of an electrostatic nature” (DiChristina).

BMW has done extensive crash testing to prove the safety of its hydrogen vehicles, they tested their hydrogen tanks in a series of accident simulations that included collision, fire and tank ruptures. In all cases, the hydrogen cars fared better then conventional gasoline vehicles (Neil). This is due to the fact that when a hydrogen tank is ruptured the hydrogen quickly escapes harmlessly up into the atmosphere. Hydrogen also burns quickly, and must have the right ration of oxygen to hydrogen in order to be flammable, (a seven to one ration) pure hydrogen is not flammable. Therefore hydrogen is actually safer than gasoline.

Health:

The burning of fossil fuel causes pollution, which causes millions to suffer from lung, respiratory, and allergic reactions, also radiation from nuclear power plants. Just a couple weeks ago on KLCC, they were talking about how diesel fumes from school buses are causing asthma attacks.

Hydrogen would eliminate all of these problems. Imagine cooking on a hydrogen flame, heating with a hydrogen furnace, power up you lights with a hydrogen fuel cell, switching on you cell phone with its hydrogen battery, wouldn’t it be great?

Carbon monoxide poisoning, from leaky furnaces can be fatal. Carbon dioxide fills the air, it is estimated that each year the percentage of oxygen to carbon dioxide is slightly lower which means less air for us to breath. Think about it, if you start up a car in the garage, and take a twenty minute nap, you may never wake up. So what do you think is happening to your body when your driving down a twelve lane interstate in a big city, stuck in traffic all afternoon, must be doing wonders. While little is know about the long term affects of breathing in these pollutants, they could be related to the increase in cancers as well as a whole array of other diseases. Whether you think so or not, the fact remains that it’s not the greatest thing to be living in.

Conclusion:

We now fully understand hydrogen for what it is. We have explained away some of the myths revolving around hydrogen. We have explored political, economic, environmental, health and safety complications and seen that hydrogen exceeds in all aspects. Then the answer should be obvious, hydrogen is the key to a bright future creating a renewable, self-sufficient recourse that will one day in the near future make oil obsolete.

We have seen how hydrogen, when produced efficiently to its full potential, is able to compete with oil in a global market, at a fraction of the price. Hydrogen truly is the perfect fuel, the fuel that may save us in Iraq, the fuel that brought us to the moon, the fuel that will save us from our own destruction, the fuel that will guide us through the twenty-first century and beyond, for as long as the sun continues to shine, and there is someone willing to reap its treasure.

Works Cited:

Camp, Micah. Personal Interview. 28 April 2002.

DiChristina, Mariette. What Really Downed the Hindenburg? Popular Science November. 1997: 71-76.

Egel, Geoff. A Simple School Science Fair Device For Students For Making Your Own Hydrogen And Oxygen. Energy 21. 12       July 2002
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/bp/16/electrolysis.htm 

ElectroChemistry & Fuel Cell Class Video. American Hydrogen Association, 1999.

Fuel Cell Car & Experiment Kit. Thames & Kosmos. 1 April 2002
http://www.thamesandkosmos.com/

Fuel Cells to Run Cell Phones, Laptops. Edittech International. 14 September 2002
http://www.sap.info/public/en/article.php4/comvArticle-174953c8c0d0297a7d/en

McAlister, Roy. Facts That Every Citizen Should Know About Hydrogen. The American Hydrogen Association. 14 September 2002
http://www.clean-air.org/ahaknow.html

Neil, Dunlop. BMW's Paradigm Shift: The Hydrogen-Powered Car. Edmunds News. June 2002
http://www.edmunds.com/news/innovations/articles/46906/article.html

Phoenix Project, The. Square Peg Production, 2000.

Walton, Marsha. Could hydrogen be the fuel of the future? CNN. 4 June 2002
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/science/03/16/hydrogen.cars/

Zint, Brian. Facts. ZSPnet. 14 September 2002
http://www.angelfire.com/sd/ZSPdomain/HydrogenHomepage/History.html

Works Consulted:

Franch-Kosmas, Verlags-Gmbh & Co. Fuel Cell Car & Experiment Kit Lab Manual. Newport: Thomas & Kosmos LCC, 2001.

Hebert, Josef. Bush Abandons High-Mileage Car Program For Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Approach. ENN Environmental News Network. 4 June 2002
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/01/01102002/ap_46085.asp

Heins, Conrad. Hydrogen as a Potential Fuel. United States Hydrogen & The American Hydrogen Association--Midwest Division. 30 March 2002
http://www.ush2.com/page2.html

Hoffmann, Peter. Honda Installs Solar Hydrogen Fueling Station. Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter. 1 April 2002
http://www.hfcletter.com/letter/august01/

Hydrogen-Based Sustainable Power For The 21st Century. Shell Hydrogen. 4 April 2002
http://www2.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=hydrogen-en

Laherrère, Jean. Hydrogen Process - How it Works. SHEC Labs. 20 March 2002
http://www.shec-labs.com/process.htm

McAlister, Roy. Get The Lead Out! The Hydrogen Association. 2 June 2002
http://www.clean-air.org/Bangladesh%20Special/Get_The_Lead_Out.htm

Reid, Harry. Why Hydrogen? National Hydrogen Association. 4 April 2002
http://www.hydrogenus.com/why_reid.htm

Solar Hydrogen Production by Electrolysis. Home Power Magazine. 4 April 2002
http://www.homepower.com/magazine/downloads_hydrogen.cfm

Szewczyk, Erik. Introduction to Hydrogen Energy. The American Hydrogen Association. 2 April 2002
http://ahanw.dhs.org/

Hindenburg Disaster. National Hydrogen Association. 2 April 2002
http://www.hydrogenus.com/

Walton, Marsha. Could hydrogen be the fuel of the future? CNN. 4 June 2002
http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/science/03/16/hydrogen.cars/

Appendix:

My Hydrogen Experiments | Hydrogen Cars | Graphs of Hydrogen vs. Gasoline

Why Hydrogen? | Shell Hydrogen | Solar Hydrogen Fuel Station | Fuel Cell Car and Experiment Kit | Phoenix Project

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Extended Essay | By Jeremiah Mondello | December 13, 2002

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