| What better way to get kids and teens interested in | | | | breaking water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen |
| alternative energy and physics than with a Hydrogen | | | | (O2). When a chemical charge is applied to water, the |
| Fuel Cell Car science kit? Not only will your future | | | | charge breaks the chemical bond between hydrogen |
| scientist have fun building learning how we can derive | | | | and oxygen and creates charged particles called ions. |
| energy from hydrogen, but they get a hands-on | | | | In this case, positively charged hydrogen ions and |
| working hydrogen car building project. Will they end up | | | | negatively charged ions are formed. An electrolyte, |
| becoming one of the future scientists who help to | | | | also called an electrolytic conductor, is a conducting |
| make hydrogen a viable energy source? Using a | | | | medium in which the flow of current is accompanied |
| device called a PEM hydrogen fuel cell, such as the | | | | by the movement of matter in the form of ions. An |
| ones sold by Science Store for the Stars, the chemical | | | | electrolyser has 2 electrodes where the ions form. |
| energy of hydrogen can be converted into electrical | | | | One electrode, called the anode, is positively charged, |
| energy we can use. PEM means Proton Exchange | | | | and attracts the negatively charged oxygen ions. The |
| Membrane and is similar to a battery, which also | | | | other electrode is called the cathode and attracts the |
| converts chemical energy into electrical energy. | | | | positively charged hydrogen ions. But to break the |
| However, a battery has a fixed amount of chemicals | | | | bonds of water requires energy. |
| inside it and a hydrogen fuel cell can continuously have | | | | What makes Hydrogen fuel so attractive? As |
| hydrogen and oxygen added to it meaning no | | | | mentioned before, the only by-product is water, so |
| recharging or throwing it away! The PEM dates back | | | | there is no carbon or other emissions to harm the |
| to 1839 when English physicist William Robert Grove | | | | environment. It is non-toxic, clean to use, and holds |
| first demonstrated his "gas voltaic battery." His | | | | much more energy per unit of weight than any other |
| experiments paved the way for the PEM fuel cell first | | | | element we know. It is also the least complex and |
| developed in the 1960s by General Electric which | | | | most abundant element of our visible universe so we |
| provided electric power and drinking water onboard | | | | know we won't run out any time soon! And Hydrogen |
| the Gemini spacecraft. | | | | may one day power not only our homes, but even |
| Hydrogen fuel is a wide open field of science as many | | | | small electronic devices. The limits are only in our |
| alternatives to the current gasoline model of vehicles | | | | minds. |
| are being studied and experimented with. We | | | | What are the downsides? The major downside to |
| consume conventional petroleum based fuels 100,000 | | | | hydrogen powered vehicles is the energy needed to |
| times faster than they are being made available, raising | | | | create the hydrogen. Although a car than runs purely |
| many questions about how long our conventional | | | | on hydrogen is not emitting any pollution, the hydrogen |
| energy supplies will last. China, and possibly India, will | | | | you just bought to fill your tank had to be created |
| soon surpass the United States in energy needs | | | | using electricity in some form. If a coal, oil, or gas plant |
| meaning viable energy alternatives will become even | | | | created the energy, then carbon monoxide was |
| more important. Could hydrogen power be the future? | | | | created to make the hydrogen. All of a sudden your |
| But before you get too excited, there are still many | | | | "green" car isn't so clean, is it? If you're using a |
| hurdles to leap before hydrogen cars become | | | | hydrogen/gasoline hybrid, you'd use less gas, but you'd |
| main-stream. Many of the top scientists and engineers | | | | still be using gas. Also, PEM fuel cells don't create |
| all around the world are in a race to overcome a | | | | much energy. To get enough energy to power a car, |
| number of commercialization and technical issues with | | | | for example, engineers must stack hundreds of fuel |
| hydrogen fuel cells and most automakers including | | | | cells together in a series. This means a more |
| Toyota, Ford, Honda, and GM are all researching the | | | | complicated system with more ways for something to |
| potential of this incredible source of energy. | | | | break down. And how much are you willing to pay for |
| The fuel cell in a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car kit is the | | | | a hydrogen car? Because the technology is so new |
| same process used by passenger hydrogen cars that | | | | and hydrogen cars are not being mass produced, the |
| will be available for us to purchase in the near future. | | | | price alone will be too much for the average American |
| With a hydrogen/electric hybrid car, such as the | | | | to afford, at least in the near future. Availability of filling |
| Toyota Highlander SUV, you'd head for the nearest | | | | stations is another issue. It will be very costly to install |
| hydrogen filling station and fill the tank with hydrogen | | | | hydrogen filling stations to the same degree as we |
| gas (H2) at about 10,000 pounds per square inch. As | | | | currently have gasoline stations. Currently, the easiest |
| you drive around, the electric batteries are charged by | | | | places to find a hydrogen filling station is in Orange |
| the hydrogen/oxygen chemical process and | | | | County, California, Westchester County, New York, or |
| regenerative breaking (current gas/electric hybrids also | | | | Washington, D.C. Travel more than a hundred or so |
| employ this) to charge the batteries. The car itself | | | | miles outside these areas and you may get stranded. |
| actually runs on an electric engine. As a matter of fact, | | | | These are just some of the issues that are waiting to |
| there are currently hydrogen busses on the road in | | | | be solved by a future scientist. |
| some major cities. | | | | What advancements are to there to be made? Plenty! |
| So how does a hydrogen fuel cell work? The Fuel Cell | | | | Auto companies are looking into creating hydrogen |
| Car kits contain a reversible PEM fuel cell which | | | | without using carbon emitting sources like coal plants. |
| means Proton Exchange Membrane. Being reversible, | | | | Solar power is one consideration being investigated. |
| the fuel cell can operate both as an electrolyser, | | | | However, solar panels are currently not very efficient |
| producing Hydrogen (H2) and Oxygen (O2) from | | | | (another great scientific field of study) but would be a |
| water (H2O), and also as a fuel cell (reverse | | | | clean renewable source of energy to produce the |
| electrolyser) to convert the chemical energy of | | | | hydrogen if it can be done cheaply and efficiently. |
| Hydrogen to electricity with the by-product being | | | | There is much advancement to be made in the fuel |
| water vapor and heat. | | | | cell design itself. Honda solved one problem simply by |
| Let's first look at the process of turning the hydrogen | | | | re-orientating the position of the fuel cell. Traditionally, |
| (chemical energy) into electricity to power our car. This | | | | fuel cells were placed lying flat under the floor of the |
| is the reverse electrolysis or fuel cell. The PEM fuel cell | | | | car which meant the water created as a by-product |
| consists primarily of four components, the anode | | | | needed to be aggressively pumped out of the fuel cell |
| (negative electrode), the cathode (positive electrode), a | | | | using more energy. Honda's FCX hydrogen car has a |
| catalyst and an electrolyte. Hydrogen gas pumped into | | | | vertically oriented fuel cell, allowing gravity to do much |
| the anode strikes the catalyst (a thin layer of platinum) | | | | of the work and saving energy. Wasn't that a great |
| and splits into hydrogen protons and electrons. On the | | | | idea? The size and efficiency of the hydrogen engines |
| opposite side of the fuel cell, oxygen enters the | | | | is another area where future improvements will be |
| cathode. Sandwiched between the anode and | | | | important as well as better ways to cool the engine. |
| cathode is a thin electrolyte membrane that looks like | | | | As you can see there are a many opportunities in the |
| plastic wrap you'd find in your kitchen. It permits the | | | | science field of hydrogen fuel cell development, and it's |
| positively charged protons to pass through from the | | | | a very interesting subject. Although some of this may |
| anode to the cathode but blocks the negatively | | | | sound complicated, it becomes much easier to |
| charged electrons which are forced to flow through an | | | | understand when you're building, hands-on, the actual |
| external circuit to form an electric current. When the | | | | Fuel Cell Car model. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car kits are |
| electric current returns from doing work, such as | | | | popular for kids starting at about age 10 and up and |
| powering an electric motor, it reacts with oxygen and | | | | are great science fair projects. Even many adults find |
| the hydrogen ions at the cathode to form water and | | | | them fascinating and they're a fantastic way to |
| heat. That means no smog-forming emissions or | | | | participate in a project with your child. And whether |
| greenhouse gasses! | | | | they become the next great scientist or not, it's just a |
| Now let's look at the electrolyser - the process of | | | | fun way to learn science! |