Hydrogen+Cell+Power

 __** Hydrogen Cell Power **__ ** The Energy of The Future **  Amanda Dai & Allyson Noenickx (Noedai)

H2O ... is the way to go [7]

Important Vocabulary [3] **1.** An **__Anode__** is a positively charged electrode which carries hydrogen. This is required for the making of electricity using the concept of hydrogen cell power.


 * 2.** __**Atom**__ : the smallest component of an element but contains every characteristic concerning that element within its nucleus. Atoms have a positively charged nucleus and is surrounded by electrons. Hydrogen is a type of atom that is mandatory for the creation of hydrogen fuel cells.


 * 3.** **__Cathode__** is a negatively charged oxidant electrode. The anode and the cathode are separated by an ion-conducting membrane which will allow oxygen to pass through both sides and result as electricity.


 * 4.** **__Conductive__** means to have the quality or power of conducting heat or electricity or sound. In order for the hydrogen bonds to separate, there must be a conductor which sends electricity through water, thus creating and parting the negative and positive ions.


 * 5. __Electrolysis__** is the production of chemical changes by passage of an electric current through an electrolyte. Electrolysis is used to transform hydrogen cells into electrical power.


 * 6. __Emission__** is when matter or energy is released from an object or a particle. Hydrogen cell power does not secrete emissions except for a byproduct of water, which in turn can be reused as a technique of conserving the environment.


 * 7. __Feedstock__** is raw material that is necessary in industrial processing. In steam reforming, methane and steam react and produce synthesis gas that is made as feedstock.
 * 8. __Hydrogen__** is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas that combines chemically with oxygen to form water: the lightest of the known elements. Hydrogen is an atom used to create water, which is the main source to produce hydrogen cell power. When hydrogen bonds in water are broken it creates electrical energy.


 * 9. __Ion:__** an atom (or a group of atoms) that has become either positively or negatively charged due to loss of one or more electrons. Hydrogen atoms are broken into ions through electrolysis.


 * 10. __Methane__** is a colorless yet flammable gas that is used as fuel and a main source of hydrogen. Using the method of steam reforming (explained below), hydrogen cells will be extracted from methane and later turn into electricity.


 * 11. __Steam reforming__** is a procedure that uses steam to separate hydrogen and oxygen atoms. These are used in the production of electricity from hydrogen cells.


 * 12. __Synthesis Gas__** is a mixture of gases that is generated for feedstock. This gas in principally made up of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.


 * 13. __Terminals__** mark where the circuit created by the conductor enters and exits. In any approach to the construction of hydrogen cell power, a conductor of some sort will have terminals in order for the circuit to come in and leave the water.

__The Steps of Turning Hydrogen into Heat and Electrical Energy__

__Electrolysis [6]:__ **1. ** An electric current passes through water, H2O, and breaks the electromagnetic bond between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
 * 2. **The hydrogen atom becomes an positively charged ion by losing an electron. The oxygen atom becomes a negatively charged ion.
 * 3. **The two terminals of which electric current enters and exits, also have charges. The cathode terminal has a positive charge and the anode has a negative charge.
 * 4. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">The anode terminal (negative) attracts the hydrogen ions (positive). The cathode terminal (positive), attracts the oxygen ions (negative).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">5. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">Then steam forms in the two terminals, creating heat energy.
 * 6.** Fuel cells are constructed after the ions separate.
 * 7.** When oxygen passes through the fuel cell, the electrode (oxygen) will not be able to maneuver through the ion-conducting membrane, so it travels around.
 * 8.** Positive ions (hydrogen) slip through the membrane. However, it leaves electrons because the electrons were not able to pass by. Instead, the electrons go around the cell wall, which is electrical energy.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">**This is a diagram that shows the process of electrolysis.

media type="youtube" key="555fydDkBoo" height="385" width="480"**
 * This video shows how electrolysis works.** [1]

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">__Steam reforming [4]:__ 1. Feedstock purification. This is removes poisons to increase the effectiveness of catalysts. 2. Product purification. Carbon dioxide is detached from the hydrogen cells and makes 99.9% pure hydrogen. 3. Reforming Natural Gas. Methane and steam chemically react and result in synthesis gas. 4. Shift Reaction. Carbon monoxide is reacted with the steam and turned into carbon dioxide, which in turn separates hydrogen and carbon dioxide. 5. Hydrogen is transformed into fuel cells. 6. Carbon dioxide escapes from the cell. 7. Like electrolysis, when oxygen passes the fuel cell, electricity will be the outcome.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">__Conservation of Energy__ <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">__Electrolysis:__


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In step one electrical energy is passing through H2O.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In step two the oxygen and Hydrogen atoms transform into ions.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In step five the oxygen and hydrogen ions transform into steam in the terminals.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In steps seven and eight the electrons in the hydrogen cell are transformed into electrical energy.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> __Steam Reforming__ __:__ **


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-weight: normal;">In step two carbon dioxide is detached from the hydrogen cells.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-weight: normal;">In step three methane and steam are combined to make gas.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-weight: normal;">In step four the carbon monoxide is transformed into carbon monoxide by the steam. Then the carbon dioxide is again detached
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-weight: normal;">In steps five through seven the hydrogen fuel cells are transformed into electrical energy.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">__Advantages__ Hydrogen cell power is able to charge and fuel objects from microchips to cars [2]. The hydrogen fuel cells create electricity and energy without exerting emissions harmful to the environment. The only byproducts that are deposited are water and heat. Furthermore, the cells are significantly more effective than gasoline- double the efficiency- and release far less pollution [5]. In the past five years there has been a ten-fold increase in the power created by the fuel cells and a ten-fold decrease among the overall cost [5].

This bus runs on completely hydrogen fuel cells.[1] <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">__Disadvantages__ Fuel cell production is expensive because the demand of them is so little, but since hydrogen cells have a simple structure, the mass production cost will be extremely low once they become more popular [5]. It is more expensive to create the hydrogen fuel cells than the amount earned by using them [5]. In steam reforming, the cost is extremely small, but carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere [4]. Even so, during blackouts or brownouts, even if the main electrical system is off, electricity produced by hydrogen fuel cells will continue to work regardless of the situation [5].

media type="youtube" key="esuAlB4NVi0" height="405" width="500" **<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">This is a simplified explanation of how fuel cells result in electrical energy.[2] **

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">__News Article:__ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/blog2/

__<span style="color: #24ff00; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 112%;">Resources: __ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; white-space: pre;"> [1] __Hydrogen Generator Separates Oxygen.__ 10 May 20008. YouTube. 9 April 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=555fydDkBoo&feature=player_embedded [2] __How Fuel Cells Work__. 5 June 2008. YouTube. 10 April 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=555fydDkBoo&feature=player_embedded

[3] __Dictionary Definitions.__ 2010. Dictionary.com. 7 April 2010. http://dictionary.reference.com/

[4] __Hydrogen Production- Steam Methane Reforming.__ 11 April 2010. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. 11 April 2010. 6hydrogenproductionsteammethanereforming.pdf

[5] Snyder, Andrew. __Hydrogen Fuel Cells.__ April 2003. Columbia University. 11 April 2010. http://www.columbia.edu/~ajs120/hydrogen/web-pages/h-fuel-cell-adv.htm

[6] Schlager, Neil and Jayne, Weisblatt. __Alternative Energy.__ Michigan: Thomson Gale, 2006.

[7] http://www.flickr.com/photos/azrainman/1798824344/