ENGR 101/HUM 200: Technology and Society

1. ENGR 101/HUM 200: Technology and Society October 25, 2005

2. Agenda • The Hydrogen Economy • Innovative Designs (video segment) • Hand back exams

3. Hydrogen Fuel v. Hydrogen Economy • Changes in energy sources have broad economic consequences • Energy is a key input into our economy • The current worldwide economy is dominated by fossil fuels • Energy fuels economic growth • Infrastructure is shaped by energy needs • Energy is infrastructure

4. Replace or Enable? • Replacement technology • Replaces an existing product • Electric vs. gas light • New product must cost less • Enabling technology • Provides a new capability • Airplanes and flight • Cost not as important Consider the technology for “Make it Better”

5. Fuel Cells Replace and Enable • Energy efficiency is about replacing a technology • Providing environmental protections (whether or not in response to regulations) is about enabling a technology

6. Hydrogen Replaces and Enables • If it increases efficiency of ICEs, that is replacement • If it creates a decentralized energy infrastructure, that is enabling

7. Hydrogen Economy • Network of three functional steps • Production • Storage • Use • But where does hydrogen come from? • Lots of it, but not in the right form for use as a fuel • Not just a fuel, but an infrastructure

8. Challenges Posed by H.E. • Competitive production • Distribution • Storage • Safety

9. Why Hydrogen? • Need replacement for fossil fuels • Energy independence, pricing, worldwide stores • Environmental regulations (Clean Air Act, CA’s zero emission standards) • Hydrogen is viewed as clean, renewable energy source • Hydrogen is also an energy carrier for renewable energy sources (stores, moves, and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers)

10. Some economic drivers: • Automobile manufacturers looking for good fuel match for fuel cell technology • Governor of California initiated Hydrogen Highway Project • 150-200 stations along state highways • 500K each • One step in chicken-egg dilemma

11. Where does hydrogen come from? • Introduction of hydrogen as an energy source for fuel cells doesn’t necessarily mean no use of fossil fuels • Hydrogen is produced from: • natural gas, coal, gasoline, methanol, or biomass through the application of heat (“reforming”) • from bacteria or algae through photosynthesis • using electricity or sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

12. Fossil Fuels • Not renewable • Reserves will eventually run out • Some debate on when; modes of extraction becoming more complex, more expensive • Prices are rising even now • By 2050, there will be a 50% increase in energy use worldwide • Population growth • Industrialization of developing countries

13. Current Energy Sources • Oil supplies 40% of the world’s energy needs • Oil accounts for 90% of energy used for transportation • Cars & trucks produce 10% of carbon dioxide emissions in the US • Power plants produce more than 40% of carbon dioxide in US

14. Fuel Cells and Hydrogen • Hydrogen fuel should not be confused with fuel cell technology • In order to use hydrogen as a fuel, it still needs to be ‘liberated’ from somewhere, and that takes energy • Hydrogen fuel can be used to power ICEs as well as fuel cells • Fuel cells are more efficient than either ICEs or batteries (can be constantly replenished: open v closed system) • ICE standards of longevity: 15 years or 170K miles • Current PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells: 2000 hours

15. Fuel Cells in development • Fuel cells as batteries for consumer electronics • Canon’s announcement 10/25 that it has developed fuel cells to replace conventional batteries for digital cameras and printers in 3 years • Have to find way to provide consumers with fuel

21. Some work being done at UW • http://depts.washington.edu/fuelcell/Info/FAQ/FAQ.htm • http://faculty.washington.edu/stuve/uwess/uwess.htm • http://faculty.washington.edu/cooperjs/Definitions/design_for_environment.htm • http://faculty.washington.edu/cooperjs/Definitions/life_cycle_assessment.htm • “Life cycle assessment is a protocol to assess the environmental, economic, and social impacts of an industrial system”

22. What Interrupts the Optimistic Narrative? • Hydrogen fuel burns clean but hydrogen fuel production is dirty • Hydrogen is not an energy source like oil, coal, wind or sun but an energy carrier like electricity or gasoline • But, the only byproduct from burning hydrogen in an ICE or a fuel cell is water

23. Likely Early Adopter Industries • For hydrogen as a fuel • Not cars • Difficulty manufacturing in advance of sufficient consumer demand • Fuel companies unlikely to invest in infrastructure (filling stations) till a critical mass of cars • For fuel cells • Battery replacements • Infrastructure elements that are looking for decentralization

24. Some Public Policy Issues • Infrastructure for developing countries • A “hydrogen economy would democratize energy generation so that all nations can have equal access to the benefits of electricity.” The Futurist • Values • Shift required for an energy policy that promotes energy independence based on diverse sources of cleaner energy, combined with tough emission standards, and conservation effort • Safety • Hindenberg misconception; hydrogen fires not easily detectable (odorless, colorless gas)

25. Next class • Guest lecture: Prof John Kramlich • Read The Diamond Age