Harnessing Hydrogen for

Power:
Hydrogen Cars
Presented by

Sunny saini
Branch : M.E.

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 an 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)
H2O + electricity H2 + O2
ex.) battery, electrical outlet with a source of fossil fuels or
renewable energy
Thermolysis (heat used to break up a substance)
H2O + heat H2 + O2
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
4.Protons pass through the
membrane

5.Electrons are
forced around
the 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
- Winkle 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
Rocheport 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_vehic
le#Hydrogen_production_cost
http://planetforlife.com/h2/h2vehicle.html
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/35
4/C6941/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4563676/
http://www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/photos.html
http://www.howstuffworks.com/fuel-cell.htm
Dr. Skip Rocheport