Hydrogen Technology

A new, practical hydrogen science for clean and less expensive energy solutions.

BMW HYDROGEN Technology 3D Animation

Thermal Processes For the Production Of Hydrogen

Thermal processes:

Natural Gas Reforming

Steam Methane Reforming

Hydrogen is produced from methane in natural gas using high-temperature steam

Methane reacts with the steam in presence of a catalyst to produce hydrogen

This process accounts for about 95% of the hydrogen used today in the U.S.

Partial oxidation

Produces hydrogen by burning methane in air

Gasification

Process in which coal or biomass is converted into gaseous components by applying heat under pressure and in the presence of steam

A subsequent series of chemical reactions produces a synthesis gas which reacts with steam to produce more hydrogen that can be separated

Renewable Liquid Reforming

Biomass is processed to make renewable liquid fuels, such as ethanol or bio-oil, that are then reacted with high-temperature steam to produce hydrogen

This process is very similar to reforming natural gas

Process Of Hydrogen Production

There are three general categories of Hydrogen production

Thermal Processes

Electrolyte Processes

Photolytic Processes

i will explain these processes in later posts

Production Of Hydrogen

Production

The biggest challenge regarding hydrogen production is the cost

Reducing the cost of hydrogen production so as to compete in the transportation sector with conventional fuels on a per-mile basis is a significant hurdle to Fuel Cell's success in the commercial marketplace

Hydrogen Efficiency

Major advantage of a hydrogen fuel cell is its efficiency. An internal combustion engine uses less than 20 percent of the chemical energy in gasoline, making it a relatively inefficient process. A fuel cell, by contrast, is considerably more efficient, utilizing roughly 60 percent of the energy available in hydrogen.

Conversion Of Energy

The processes which convert energy into useful forms have limited thermodynamic efficiencies, typically only 10-40%. This means that typically 60-90% of the input energy becomes waste energy. Often significant waste materials are also produced.

Advantage Of Hydrogen Fuel

1) Environmental advantages, no or very few CO2 emmisions 2) Uncoupling of primary energy sources and utilization. 3) Hydrogen is a gas, thus easier to store than electricity. 4) Hydrogen can be obtained from any primary energy source, including renewable. 5) Decentralized production is possible. Hydrogen is viewed as capable of providing services where electricity is not available, in particular as a fuel for vehicles and energy storage in remote areas. 6) Very efficient when used in fuel cells. 7) Very good experience of hydrogen as a chemical reactant (ammonia, methanol, oil refining). 7) Very good safety records (for a specific range of applications however).

Energy Conversion Technologies & Hydrogen

• One of the fundamental principles of physics is the conservation of energy. Energy can take on many forms, and various processes convert one form into another. Thermodynamics governs these conversions. While total energy always remains the same, after most conversion processes the amount of useful energy remaining is reduced.

WHY WE SHOULD USE HYDROGEN

• Hydrogen has the highest energy to weight ratio of all fuels.

• The energy to volume ratio amounts for the liquid to about 1/4 of crude oil,

• and for the gas to about 1/3 of natural gas.

ORBIT of Hydrogen Atom

Facts surrounding Hydrogen

Hydrogen is an odorless and colorless gas, due to its boiling point of -252.77o C. Its density of 0.0899 grams/liter make it lighter than the surrounding air and bestows the ability to rapidly dissipate if released into the atmosphere or spilled onto the ground. According to “Hydrogen in the Energy Sector” by Dr. Zittel; et al., when comparing energy density by weight, “hydrogen has the highest energy to weight ratio of all fuels. 1 kg of hydrogen contains the same amount of energy as 2.1 kg of natural gas or 2.8 kg of gasoline.” To clarify a point, hydrogen ranks last when
the comparing energy density by volume. Hydrogen possesses 2.36 kWh/liter as a liquid, natural gas contains 5.8 kWh/liter and gasoline registers at 8.76 kWh/liter. These facts are relevant to the analogy of the size of a hydrogen tank and the size of a comparable gasoline tank as well as the explosion hazard associated with the fuels.

MEDIUM FOR STORING ENERGY

Hydrogen is a medium for storing energy, otherwise known as an energy carrier. All energy carriers and fuels, such as gasoline and natural gas, have the characteristic of being volatile (containing potential energy).

Hydrogen’s Properties vs. Other Fuels

The properties that are characteristic of hydrogen allow hydrogen to have many advantages over fossil fuels in terms of safety. Hydrogen’s low density and ability to rapidly disperse allows it to escape to the atmosphere if a leak occurred. Propane and gasoline, with their high densities and slow dispersal allow the fuels to congregate near the ground increasing a risk of explosion.

BASIC INFO

Table: basic information about and classifications of hydrogen.

NAME: Hydrogen Symbol: H Atomic number: 1 Atomic weight: 1.00794 Standard state: gas at 298 K

Group in periodic table: 1 Group name: (none) Period in periodic table: 1 Block in periodic table: s-block Color: colorless Classification: Non-metallic

HYDROGEN ATOM

Hydrogen is a type of atom which was created shortly after the big bang.
Hydrogen atoms can join with other atoms using covalent bonds to create hydrogen molecules, water molecules as well as most of the molecules of life.
The shell model of the atom explains why hydrogen atoms can make 1 covalent bond.

HYDROGEN BONDING

The hydrogen bond is really a special case of dipole forces. A hydrogen bond is the attractive force between the hydrogen attached to an electronegative atom of one molecule and an electronegative atom of a different molecule. Usually the electronegative atom is oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine, which has a partial negative charge. The hydrogen then has the partial positive charge.

HYDROGEN MOLECULE