1. Harnessing the Power of Hydrogen
LAUREN PAWLING
STEVE REINAUER
JOSH OLZINSKI
NISARG JOSHI

2. Objectives What is hydrogen power? How does it work?
What are hydrogen power’s goals?
What are the problems presented by hydrogen power?
What are the benefits of hydrogen power?
How sustainable and reliable is hydrogen?
Overall effectiveness of hydrogen

3. Hydrogen Power: What is it?
H is one of most common chemicals on earth and can be extracted from multiple sources
Hydrogen is not a fuel…it is a way of storing and transporting energy
Similar to a battery
First was used for space crafts
In order to use hydrogen energy, it must first be made
Extracting hydrogen from fossil fuels or using electricity to split water

4. Hydrogen Power: How it works
Simply works through the exchange of H+ ions between the catalysts from the stored hyrdogen
The electrons cannot pass and create an electric flow
This electric flow creates energy

5. Ideal Goal for Hydrogen
Use renewable energy sources as means to generate hydrogen power
If fossil fuels are still used for hydrogen production, use method to get rid of carbon dioxide
All cars be run on hydrogen
Create hydrogen power infrastructure
Produce large amounts of hydrogen to pump into infrastructure

6. Hydrogen Economy
If hydrogen economy actually came into place, there would be a way to distribute hydrogen power anywhere
Infrastructure (piping)
One large production/distribution center
Infrastructure
Distribute to homes/work places

7. Evidence Supporting Hydrogen Power
Hydrogen can produce up to 3x as much energy as natural gas
9 million metric tons hydrogen / year
Enough to power million cars or 5-8 million homes
While in use, hydrogen emits no carbon dioxide, only in production
Can be generated from water as waste and solar energy: both inexhaustible energies
Drivers using it can save money through hydrogen fuel over a long period of time

8. Evidence Supporting Hydrogen Power
Water is MAIN byproduct
Weighs less than hydrocarbons
Has a greater output than hydrocarbons
Burns faster and at a much lower temperature than hydrocarbons
Large and growing industry
2004: 50 million metric tons were produced globally
Growing by 10% annually
Low carbon hydrogen power is possible…

9. Evidence Opposing Hydrogen Power
Requires an input of energy just to create hydrogen
Hydrogen is not readily available
Hydrogen is normally a gas hard to handle
More dangerous than other substances
Needs to be checked periodically
Hydrogen has been called the “least efficient and most expensive possible replacement for gasoline (petrol) in terms of reducing greenhouse gases”
Very costly

10. Evidence Opposing Hydrogen Power
Extreme Cost
Right now only 4% of production is being used from electrolysis
Rest is from fossil fuels
Hydrogen uses fossil fuels in production and in return, creates greenhouse gases
Experts agree that hydrogen can be unpredictable
Example: Hindenburg

11. Evidence Opposing Hydrogen Power
Hard to store
Hydrogen can react with metals it’s stored in and cause leaks
Need to be able to produce at least ten times more in order for hydrogen powered vehicles to be normal
AND this needs to be done in an efficient and environmentally friendly way which is the problem
Morita, an analyst says that hydrogen is “not suitable for onboard storage”

12. Hydrogen Run Vehicles Very clean and efficient
Can become cost efficient over a long period of time
In hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles, the hydrogen is combusted in same way as traditional engines
In fuel cell conversion engines, the hydrogen is reacted with water to form electricity, using that to be power an electric traction motor

13. Environmental Concerns
Fossil fuel reforming (a way of hydrogen production) leads to the increase of carbon dioxide
Electrolysis also leads to increase of carbon dioxide
Possibility of formation of free radicals in stratosphere
Hydrogen gas leaks out slowly (significant amounts could be harmful)
Free radicals would lead to ozone depletion
“ Using dirty energy to make clean energy doesn’t solve the problem-it just moves it around”
Improper burning of hydrogen produces highly polluting nitrous oxides

14. Safety Concerns
Hydrogen is not simply flammable, it creates explosions
Hydrogen has the highest explosives with air other than acetylene
Pure hydrogen-oxygen flames burn in UV rays that are nearly invisible to humans
Hydrogen is odorless
Detected through flame detector

15. Social Laws/Political Problems
Many hydrogen codes and standards for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, stationary fuel cell applications and portable fuel cell applications
In order to commercialize hydrogen power, advocates want to change laws to make it easier to distribute to a wide area
Trying to change building codes and quality control processes to save money through the federal and state government

16. Any Laws Preventing Hydrogen Power?
Standard for the Installation of stationary fuel cell power systems
From National Fire Protection Association
Many laws concerning safety of hydrogen
World’s First Higher Educational Programme in Hydrogen safety
European Commission trying to educate every day people
Trying to make hydrogen power safer by educating
Hard to use hydrogen in areas that are closed
Example: tunnels
Extremely explosive and dangerous
Certain laws explain where hydrogen power can/cannot be used

17. Enhanced in Developed Areas Development in New Areas
Hydrogen Production
Enhanced in Developed Areas
Development in New Areas
Possible but expensive
In order to reduce carbon emissions, plants are being produced in areas that can feed renewable energies into the plants
Need hydrogen plant in addition to plant for energy source
Largely produced in California, Louisiana, and Texas
Globally Iceland and China are large producers
Continue to produce in areas that have developed renewable resources

18. U.S. Hydrogen Production

19. Japan's Hydrogen Community
Iceland’s Geothermal

20. Technical Impediments in Development and Deployment
Production, Storage, and Delivery
Uses a great deal of energy to isolate hydrogen from natural compounds
Energy also used to package hydrogen gas
Loses energy when converting to usable energy
Only about 25% of energy is left for use after production

21. Possibilities to Overcome Impediments
Figure out better ways to produce
Improving existing processes such as steam methane production, multi-fuel gasification, and electrolysis
New ways to store hydrogen power
None of current storage devices satisfy current needs
New ways to deliver hydrogen power
If a complete infrastructure comes into play, the distribution will be overcome

22. Sustainability of Hydrogen Power
Hydrogen is sustainable
As long as energy is able to be produced from hydrogen, the hydrogen is very near an inexhaustible source
Electrolysis of water
But this requires an input of energy
Most commonly energy comes from fossil fuels
Sometimes solar, geothermal, wind, biomass, nuclear (very small percentage)
Fossil fuels are the cheapest ($9.50 vs $1 per gallons of gasoline equivalent)
Until completely weaned off of fossil fuels, hydrogen power will always have some dependence upon fossil fuels, therefore always nearing depletion
Hydrogen has the ability to be truly sustainable
Not quite there

23. Truth or Consequences?
Construction of world’s first “emission-free” hydrogen power plant
Will use wind and solar energy to split water apart into hydrogen and oxygen
BUT permitting process is not quite complete and building has yet to begin

24. Conclusion
Hydrogen power has many benefits but appears to have too many loose ends to be a great answer to current energy demands
High cost
No real loss of greenhouse gases
Unpredictable and highly explosive
Benefits don’t outweigh the disadvantages
Right now no energy storage scheme or infrastructure in place
Hydrogen has ability to be a great source of energy in the future but there are multiple points that need to be fixed in order to maximize use and efficiency and overall reduce the hazards related to it