Hydrogen

Hydrogen Power

Now you are probably asking yourself,

HEY, HOW DOES THIS WORK?

Click the right arrow key to find out

Quick Facts

Thallya, Clara, Emily, Sarah

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• 97% of transportation fuel currently comes from crude oil- Alternative sources of energy are needed to sustain a growing population

• Hydrogen is the simplest element to exist and is the most abundant gas

If cars started running off of hydrogen fuel cells, the only emission produced would be water vapor.

BUT WAIT! What does this mean for the environment?!

How it Works

Once Hydrogen is extracted from compounds found in nature through methods such as steam reforming (High temperature steam separates the hydrogen from other atoms), and electrolysis (an electrical current separates water into oxygen and hydrogen), it is used in fuel cells to create energy.

Successful Examples

Potential Uses

Fuel Cell Powered Cars

Heating and Electricity for buildings

NASA powers space shuttles with fuel cells and the water emission is recycled for drinking

Refining

Treating Metals

Food Processing

Transportation

Store Wind and Solar Energy

Click on the interactive animation below to learn about how hydrogen is used in a fuel cell.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fuelcell8.swf

What would happen ECONOMICALLY if we expanded the use of hydrogen power?

Advantages

Economics

Now GO EAT YOUR COOKIE

• A new energy economy, with Hydrogen produced from renewable resources promises ultimate relief from increased energy demands, air pollution, and rising energy costs.
• Hydrogen is very expensive to transport
• Hydrogen can cost as much as 1.5X-2.5X more than gasoline.
• It will take 25-50 years to establish hydrogen power as a stable source of energy

H

• Renewable if produced from renewable resources like wind, solar, geothermal
• Easier to store than electricity
• Nontoxic
• Highly efficient
• Safer than gasoline or natural gas
• Relatively low environmental impact.

Environmental Concerns

But hydrogen power can't be all bad!

Click right arrow to see the advantages to hydrogen power

• Since Hydrogen by itself is not found in nature, it must be extracted from Hydrogen containing compounds, such as Water, Methane, Coal, Petroleum, and Biomass

Disadvantages/Cons

No fuel cell distribution in place yet

• The increased water vapor released into the environment will throw off the water cycle causing more precipitation.

Expensive to produce with current technology

2

Short driving range for current fuel cell cars

• If extracted from carbon compounds, Hydrogen fuel causes Carbon Dioxide emissions

In addition to some of the environmental disadvantages of this energy source, there are some more cons...

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Is extremely explosive if hydrogen leaks

• Excessive Hydrogen Gas (H ) may decrease the concentration of protective ozone in the stratosphere

• Hydrogen power is nonrenewable if extracted from fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal.