Renewable Energy Based Hydrogen Production

1. Renewable Energy Based Hydrogen Production Presented By: H2 Generation Client: Dr. Tom Acker

2. Joshua Spear – Team Leader Robert Burke – Team Mediator Ryan Hirschi – Financial Officer Andrew Boone – Secretary/Webpage H2 Generation Systems --

3. Presentation Overview Problem description/State of the Art Research Hydrogen Safety Awareness H2 Generation’s Deliverables Description of Design Analysis of Design Conclusion/Questions and Answer

4. The Client • Dr. Thomas Acker • Professor of Mechanical Engineering • Northern Arizona University • Coordinator of the Renewable Energies Resource Center • http://www.cet.nau.edu/Projects/RERC/

5. Is there an Alternative ? “With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.” President George W. Bush 2003 State of the Union Address

6. Problem Statement • Design a renewable energy based hydrogen generation station. • Client Requirements: • Use existing renewable energy sources to produce hydrogen gas. • Hydrogen must be produced using water collected on site. • Hydrogen must be stored in a manner available to fuel a vehicle.

7. Additional Design Criteria Hydrogen use in internal combustion • Purity of 99% • http://www.homepower.com/files/Hp67p42.pdf • Hydrogen use in fuel cell technology • Purity of 99.999% • USCAR (United States Council for Automotive Research) • http://www.uscar.org/Media/2002issue2/hydrogen.htm

8. H2 Generation Deliverables: • System design incorporating: • Specified Design • Thermodynamic analysis • Simulation • Website • Demonstration of concept model: • Design and construct

9. Design Costs Documents: $75 Fliers: $15 Poster: $15 Model Costs Electrolyzer: $160 Engine: $70 Misc: $30 Team Design Budget Maximum design budget of $1000 Total Budget Used: $365 (Under budget)

10. State of the Art Research • Hydrogen Production methods • Hydrogen Storage methods • Existing hydrogen production facilities The Schatz Solar Hydrogen Project http://www.humboldt.edu/~serc/trinidad.html

11. Safety Awareness:Shifting Paradigms Facts: • Hydrogen’s range of combustibility 4%-75% in air (much larger than gasoline) • Hydrogen’s flame is invisible in daylight • Hydrogen dissipates quickly Myths: • Hindenburg---real cause • H2 storage is excessively dangerous

12. Pre-Design Calculations • How Much Hydrogen Do We Need? =>48,000 gallons H2(STP) Assume:30 mpg car 50 miles/month • How Much H2 Gas do we get from water? => 1 gallon H20 ~1300 gallons H2 gas • How Much Water Do We Need? =>48,000 gallons/ 1300 gallons H2/gallon H20 => 36.92 gallons H20 (~11 million gallons H2 possible)

13. Pre-Design Calculations Cont. • How Much Energy Do We Have? => ~14,000 KWh @40% efficiency this yields 520,000 gallons H2 • What is the Limiting Factor? Electricity is by far the limiting factor in designing the system. Very little water is needed compared to what is available.

14. Proposed Project Components

15. Water Collection and Treatment System Design

16. Water Collection and Treatment Cost Projection *Miscellaneous Parts: • Garden Hose • Fittings • Stand

17. System Design I (High Purity) • Packard Hydrogen Generator B9800 • Hydrogen purity at 99.9999% • Solid polymer electrolyte • Output pressure 90 psig, with 72 L/h of H2 production • Hours to produce needed hydrogen: 7.4 h/day • Automatic shutoff, Hydrogen leak detection • Certified Safety: National Fire Protection Agency, OSHA http://www.alltechweb.com/productinfo/technical/datasheets/90741d.pdf

18. System I Total Cost

19. System Design II (Low Purity) • Components: • 3 PEM electrolyzers (Polymer-electrolyte membrane) • 2 Purification trains, Hydrogen leak detection

20. System II Total Cost

21. Hydrogen Storage System Design

22. Hydrogen Storage Cost Projection *Other Parts: • Pipes to connect components • Fittings/Adapters • Flashback Arrestors • Valves

23. Overall Estimated System Costs System #1 System #2

24. Existing Renewable Energies – Specifications and Analysis • Sun – PV Cells • Roof of the “Solar Shack” • 45 Degree South array • Wind – Wind Turbines • 1.5kW Bergey wind turbine • Precipitation – water collection • Roof of solar shack is used to collect water

25. Renewable Energy

26. Basic Renewable EnergyMonthly Break-Down • Solar accounts for 98.5% • Wind accounts for 1.5%

27. Battery / Energy Demand Battery Bank – 24 Volts @ 2400 Amp-hr Invert to and supply 120 VAC Electrical demand – Electrolyzer, compressor and sensor/control devices

28. Precipitation Availability • Area of collection: Roof of “Solar Shack” • Precipitation averages include over 30 years of data • Over 10,000 gallons of water will fall upon the “Solar Shack” Roof. • Recall: an estimate of 40 gallons required • Even with evaporation and snow loss, we will have a large excess

29. Analysis • Thermodynamic • Worst Efficiency: Air Compressor ~37% • Simulation • Using Solar Data from 2000 in Microsoft Excel • Neglecting wind power input (~1.5%) • Calculates volume of hydrogen the system could have produced each month • Simulation Results • Energy collected: 9,378 kWh • 133,965 gallons of H2 @ STP • ~ 1700 miles traveled by theoretical racecar

30. Working Hours Total Team Hours: 586 hours Average teammate hours: 146.5 hours

31. Conclusion • H2 Generation completed deliverables: • Specified Design • Thermo Dynamic Analysis • Computer Simulation • Demonstration of concept model • H2 Generation will soon be completing: • Final Report: May 2nd • Future Recommendations: • Improved Hydrogen Compressor

32. Acknowledgements H2 Generation sends thanks to: • Dr. Thomas Acker, NAU CET • Rob Slack, RERC • Bill Young, Bill Young Designs & Hobbies • Dr. Earl Duque, NAU CET • Dr. David Hartman, NAU CET

33. Demonstration of Concept Model

34. Questions or Comments? http://www.cet.nau.edu/Academic/Design/D4P/EGR486/ME/02-Projects/h2gas/index.html