Hydrogen Power

Why Use Hydrogen as an Energy Source?

• Hydrogen, when combined with oxygen (air) in a fuel cell, produces electricity with absolutely no pollution.

No smog-creating emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC's), nitrogen oxides (NOx) or carbon monoxide (CO)

No noise No ozone-depleting chemicals

No climate change "greenhouse" gases

Why Use Hydrogen as an Energy Source?

• Combining hydrogen and water in a fuel cell produces nothing but electricity and pure, clean water. This is why hydrogen is used in fuel cells on the Space Shuttle to provide electricity and pure water for the astronauts to drink

Why use Hydrogen?

• It is twice as efficient as internal combustion engines, which will reduce fuel consumption.

What is a Fuel Cell?

• A fuel cell is an electrochemical device, much like a battery, that produces electricity. Unlike a battery, however, a fuel cell does not run down. A fuel cell will continue to produce electricity as long as hydrogen and oxygen (from the air) are supplied to the device. But like batteries, they do run out and have to be replaced.

Fuel Cell

How it works

• Hydrogen is met with oxygen in the fuel cell where the hydrogen splits.

• The positive atom in the hydrogen is carried to the oxygen and the negative is carried through the engine.

• Energy is created at the split and the hydrogen races to match back up with the other hydrogen atom and creates water.

• This water is passed out the exhaust.

How it works

• Hydrogen will be stored in the trunk area of the car and follow a line to the engine in the front of the car.

BMW

• Dual Fuel Concept Car

BMW

• The car runs off of gasoline and hydrogen with a 12 cylinder engine producing 231 horsepower and 248 torque.

• The engine has a 50% efficiency.

• It is the world’s fastest hydrogen engine at 174 mph and a 0-60 time of under 6 sec.

• The engine is now available in the 760i and 760Li series BMW.

Improvements

• Hydrogen is too expensive to use right now (3-5 times gas prices now). 1 pound hydrogen has less energy than ½ gallon of gas. Around $1-1.4/pound of hydrogen.

• Fuel Cells and electric motors don’t last to the expectations that are demanded.

• 150,000 miles is the goal for the Fuel Cell and engine.