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Hydrogen Economy

Hydrogen Economy. Travis Bayer Energy Law, 2010. Overview. Hydrocarbon Economy vs. Hydrogen Economy Past excitement vs. Current focus Hydrogen Basics How we produce it How we can use it Costs The future?. Current Hydrocarbon Economy. Fossil Fuels Pollution Local Global

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Hydrogen Economy

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  1. Hydrogen Economy Travis Bayer Energy Law, 2010

  2. Overview • Hydrocarbon Economy vs. Hydrogen Economy • Past excitement vs. Current focus • Hydrogen Basics • How we produce it • How we can use it • Costs • The future?

  3. Current Hydrocarbon Economy Fossil Fuels • Pollution • Local • Global • Energy Dependent • Cost • Supply

  4. What about a different solution? Benefits of Hydrogen • Replace a limited fuel supply • Security • Clean? • Possible safety from cyber-attacks?

  5. Excitement in early 2000s • President Bush’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative in 2003 • EPAct of 2005 • 2006 Advanced Energy Initiative • EISA

  6. But… Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu: “We asked ourselves, ‘Is it likely in the next 10 or 15, 20 years that we will convert to a hydrogen car economy? The answer, we felt, was ‘No.’”

  7. Hydrogen Basics • Most Abundant Element • Almost always found in compounds • E.g. H20 • High specific energy • An energy carrier, not a form of primary energy

  8. What we use it for today • Producing Ammonia for crop fertilizers – 60% • Hydrocracking – 23% • Methanol – 9% • Miscellaneous • Includes space programs!

  9. How do we produce Hydrogen? • Breaking down compounds • Fossil Fuels • Water Electrolysis

  10. Production: Fossil Fuels • 48% Natural Gas, 30% Oil, 18% Coal • Natural Gas Steam Reforming: • CH4 + H2O + Energy → CO + 3 H2 • CO + H2O → CO2 + H2 • Kvaener-process: • CnHm + Energy → nC + 1/2mH2

  11. Steam Reforming

  12. Production: Water Electrolysis Electrical power sources are connected to two electrodes which are placed in water: • Anode (oxidation): 2 H2O(l) → O2(g) + 4 H+(aq) + 4e− • Cathode (reduction): 2 H+(aq) + 2e− → H2(g) Most of the 4% produced by electrolysis is a side product in the production of industrial chlorine

  13. Electrolysis Efficiency • Consumes about 50kWh of electricity per kg of Hydrogen produced • Energy efficiency is in the range of 50-80%

  14. Renewable Sources and Electrolysis: The Carbon Free Solution? • Solar • E.g., Daniel Nocera • Wind • E.g., Xcel and NREL

  15. Green Dream

  16. Solar • Under the Recovery Act, Sun Catalytix received $4 million through ARPA-E • Claims near 100%efficicency

  17. Wind Approval Granted in 2007, already making fact findings

  18. Hydrogen’s role in our energy system • Hydrogen Fuel Cells • Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine

  19. Hydrogen Fuel Cells • Basics • Different Varieties • Efficiency • Possible Uses • Vehicles • Stationary Sources

  20. Fuel Cell: Basics • Electrochemical energy production • Not exactly like batteries • Reliable • 99.999% reliable in ideal conditions Basic Design:

  21. Fuel Cell: Varieties • Fuel Cells are defined by the electrolyte used • Mobile: Proton exchange membrane fuel cell • Stationary: PAFC • Many others

  22. PEMFC & PAFC Diagram

  23. Fuel Cell: Efficiency • High Theoretical Electrical Output Efficiency • In practice, about 40-50% efficient • Compare to practical efficiencies of: • Internal Combustion Engines: about 20% • Lithium-ion battery: about 90% • Still, a Hydrogen fuel cell requires about 2.5x more energy to make it than it provides in its service life.

  24. Fuel Cell: Possible Uses • Vehicles • No longer US administrations target, but: • Ford Airstream Concept car: • 2008 Honda FCX Clarity:

  25. Fuel Cell: Possible Uses • Stationary Sources • Cogeneration in Homes and Offices • Don’t need pure hydrogen, and don’t use platinum in anode • PAFC fuel cells can provide efficiencies close to 80% • New focus on SOFC • Mixed Source plants – Renewable + Fuel Cell • Distributed Generation?

  26. Hydrogen ICE • Possible, but recall that fuel cells are more efficient than combustion engines.

  27. Costs • Storage • Hydrogen Production • Cell Production • Distribution • Bottom line

  28. Costs: Storage • Liquid H • Too expensive • Compressed Gas • Container issues • Stored as a chemical hydride • Absorb in a solid storage material • Nanotubes?

  29. Costs: Hydrogen Production • 1 kg of H is roughly equivalent to 1 gallon of gasoline • Baseline cost of water electrolysis is currently about $6.25/kg of H • DOE goal of $3.10 by 2012 • Steam Reformation of Natural Gas is around $1.50/kg right now • Highly dependant on natural gas prices

  30. Costs: Fuel Cell Production • Platinum very expensive • A commodity, like natural gas, fluctuates in price

  31. Costs: Fuel Cell Production • Cost of most widely deployed stationary fuel cells: $4,500 per kilowatt • Cost of diesel generators: $800-1,500 per kilowatt • Cost of natural gas: $400 per kilowatt • DOE fuel cell goal: $400 per kilowatt • Cost of automobile fuel cells: $61 per kilowatt • Cost of internal combustion engine: $25-35 per kilowatt • DOE fuel cell goal: $30 per kilowatt

  32. Costs: Hydrogen Distribution • Hydrogen Pipelines + Refueling Stations • Embrittlement issues • Solvable problem • California Hydrogen Highway • The Chicken and the egg problem • GM still thinks feasible • With governmental incentives • Happening in other countries

  33. Where does that leave us? • Fuel cells in cars? • GM v. Chu

  34. DOE Goal • Lower Fuel Cell Costs to as low as $400 per kilowatt by 2020 • Keep in mind, Secretary Chu’s focus is on stationary fuel cells • EPAct of 2005 tax incentives • State financial incentives • State RPS

  35. Where does that leave us? • Fuel cells in stationary sources? • Private and Academic research? • GM and other automakers pushing towards Hydrogen? Can they do that without government support? • New electrolytes and catalysts that can lower costs?

  36. THE END • Sources: • NREL: • http://www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/proj_wind_hydrogen_video.html • http://www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/pdfs/47302.pdf • DOE data: • http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/fuelcells/index.html • GM Study:http://www.h2andyou.org/pdf/GM-SH%20HYDROGEN%20INFRA%20PAPER.pdf • Wikipedia: http://www.wikipedia.com • Energy, Economics, and the Environment: class textbook • Howstuffworks.com: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/fuel-cell4.htm • Scientific America: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=rip-hydrogen-economy-obama-cuts-hyd-2009-05-08 • Fuelcells.org: http://www.fuelcells.org/BusinessCaseforFuelCells.pdf • Report to Congress: http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/epact_743_fuel_cell_school_bus.pdf • http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/fuelcells/fc_challenges.html

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