!"#$%&'( *+', -',,.

/
0+$(1(& 23$456. 7%.4 89+(#3(4 2,':'(4 1(4% ;.'<+, 2,'=4$1=14"









>3.%( ?$3"91,,
!"#$# $&'() *+ ,#)+ -#..#/ 0.#1 23.(456#1
2
8+#1'(=' @ A=%B'

1hls documenL ls deslgned for pollLlclans/pollcymakers who are lnLeresLed ln supporLlng
hydrogen fuel cell Lechnology for auLomoblles. Slnce some pollLlclans may have llmlLed
background ln Lhls area, Lhls documenL ls deslgned Lo besLow baslc undersLandlng of how fuel
cells work. Armed wlLh Lhls knowledge, pollcymakers can make lnformed declslons on fundlng
declslons regardlng Lhls alLernaLlve energy carrler.

1he focus does noL lnclude converslon of elecLrlclLy lnLo mechanlcal energy ln cars slnce Lhls
Lechnology lsn'L excluslve Lo hydrogen-powered auLomoblles. 1he focus ls purely on Lhe unlque
aspecLs of hydrogen fuel cell Lechnology, namely obLalnlng hydrogen and converLlng pure
hydrogen lnLo useful elecLrlclLy.

C(4$%#+=41%( 4% *+', -',,.

AL lLs slmplesL, 3 5"#$%&'( <+', =',, 1. 3 #'D1=' +.'# 4% =%(D'$4 :%,'=+,3$ 5"#$%&'( 1(4%
','=4$1=14" E145 E34'$ 3. 45' %(," 9"B$%#+=4. Slnce hydrogen lsn'L avallable as a pure elemenL
ln naLure, energy ls requlred Lo exLracL hydrogen from varlous sources. 1hls means LhaL
hydrogen ls noL an energy
7#8.6(, buL raLher an energy
6&..3(.5 Any energy source can
be used Lo exLracL hydrogen
from naLural sources lncludlng
coal, wlnd, solar power,
geoLhermal, eLc.

Pydrogen fuel cells have a
mlnlmal lmpacL on Lhe
envlronmenL maklng Lhem an
aLLracLlve energy carrler. 1he
only chemlcals lnvolved ln Lhe
process are hydrogen, oxygen,
and waLer as opposed Lo
hazardous chemlcals lnvolved
ln combusLlon englnes such as
CC or SC
2
.

ln Lhls descrlpLlon, Lhere are Lwo maln aspecLs of Lhe hydrogen fuellng process LhaL wlll be
dlscussed: producLlon of pure hydrogen fuel from naLural sources and converslon of molecular
hydrogen lnLo elecLrlc currenL.
!"#$# $&'() 0.#1 9995:;56#1
3
F9431(1(& G+$' !"#$%&'( <$%: H34+$3, A%+$='.

uesplLe belng Lhe unlverse's mosL abundanL elemenL, pure molecular hydrogen ls noL found ln
naLure. 8aLher, hydrogen ls found as parL of oLher compounds and musL be separaLed
synLheLlcally. 1he maln sources of hydrogen for hydrogen producLlon are fossll fuels and waLer.
1he hydrogen ln boLh of Lhese compounds ls separaLed (Lhrough sLeam reformlng and
elecLrolysls, respecLlvely) and sLored for use ln fuel cells. Slnce energy ls requlred Lo make Lhe
hydrogen usable as a fuel, hydrogen ls noL an energy 7#8.6( buL raLher an energy 6&..3(.5 8oLh
of Lhese meLhods have Lhelr own advanLages and are used ln lndusLry for large-scale hydrogen
producLlon.









A4'3: I'<%$:1(& %< *%..1, *+',.

lossll luels are currenLly Lhe world's largesL and cheapesL source of synLheLlcally produced
hydrogen. 1he hydrocarbons (compounds conLalnlng carbon and hydrogen) found ln naLural
gas undergo Lhe followlng chemlcal reacLlon called sLeam reformaLlon:


!
C
x
H
y
+ xH
2
O "xCO+ (
x + y
2
)H
2



1he hydrocarbons are comblned wlLh heaLed waLer whlch sLrlps off Lhe hydrogen aLoms and
releases pure hydrogen gas. 1he flnal producLs of sLeam reformaLlon are carbon monoxlde and
hydrogen. 1he overall process of converLlng Lhe hydrocarbons follows sLeps below shown
llgure 2:
G+$'
7%,'=+,3$
!"#$%&'(
*%..1,
*+',.
J34'$
2,'=4$%,".1.
A4'3:
I'<%$:1(&
<3=8.( >? ;&3) ;($"#47 #0 @+4.#=() !.#486$3#)
LnvlronmenLally lrlendly
Lxpenslve and Lnergy
lnLenslve
Masslve supply
LnvlronmenLally
Pazardous 8yproducLs
Cheap and Lnergy
LfflclenL
LlmlLed Supply
4

1. G$'K0$'34:'(4: 1he hydrocarbon and waLer feeds are boLh purlfled and pre-heaLed
2. !'341(&: 8oLh feeds are heaLed Lo approxlmaLely 900 C
3. I'<%$:341%(: 1he hoL hydrocarbon and waLer feeds are comblned ln Lhe presence of a
nlckel caLalysL and converLed lnLo carbon monoxlde and hydrogen
4. -%%,1(&: 1he producLs are cooled Lo room LemperaLure
3. G+$1<1=341%(LI'="=,1(&: 1he hydrogen ls purlfled and fed lnLo sLorage Lanks whlle Lhe
carbon monoxlde ls recycled for use ln heaLlng




2,'=4$%,".1. %< J34'$

An alLernaLlve meLhod of produclng hydrogen ls elecLrolysls of waLer. 1hls meLhod lsn'L used as
wldely as sLeam reformaLlon slnce lL requlres more energy and ls Lherefore more expenslve.
1he overall chemlcal reacLlon of Lhe decomposlLlon of waLer ls as follows:

!
2H
2
O "2H
2
+O
2


<3=8.( A? B$(&1 C(0#.1&$3#) !.#6(77D 0.#1 9995=E#*&ED"+4.#=()D*87DFE&$0#.156#1
5
1he applled elecLrlc currenL spllLs waLer lnLo lLs componenL elemenLs, hydrogen (Lhe deslred
producL) and oxygen gas. 1he overall process of elecLrolysls undergoes Lhe followlng sLeps
demonsLraLed ln llgure 3:

1. A negaLlvely charged caLhode and poslLlvely charged anode are placed ln waLer
2. An elecLrlc currenL ls run Lhrough Lhe elecLrodes
3. WaLer decomposes wlLh hydrogen gas appearlng aL Lhe caLhode and oxygen gas
appearlng aL Lhe anode












G3$4. %< 3 !"#$%&'( *+', -',,

Cnce Lhe hydrogen ls purlfled and collecLed, Lhe nexL sLep ls converLlng Lhe chemlcal energy
wlLhln hydrogen lnLo useful elecLrlc energy. 1he hydrogen fuel cell recelves hydrogen and
oxygen (from alr) feeds, whlch undergo a reverse elecLrolysls". lnsLead of requlrlng an elecLrlc
currenL (as ln elecLrolysls ln llgure 3), Lhls process supplles currenL. Slnce each lndlvldual fuel
cell provldes approxlmaLely one volL and powerlng a car requlre 100+ volLs, dozens of fuel cells
are assembled lnLo a fuel cell sLack Lo achleve Lhe necessary volLage. 1he chemlcal reacLlon of
comblnlng hydrogen wlLh oxygen Lo release elecLrlclLy and waLer ls as follows:

!
2H
2
+O
2
"2H
2
O

1he only chemlcal producL of Lhls reacLlon ls pure waLer ln addlLlon Lo Lhe elecLrlc currenL
recovered.
<3=8.( G? HE(6$.#E+737 D 0.#1 9995I3(9/#)(56#1
6
llgure 4 demonsLraLes how Lhe elecLrlclLy ls produced ln a sLepwlse fashlon. 1here are 4 maln
componenLs of fuel cells:

Anode/CaLhode
CaLalysL
olymer LlecLrolyLe Membrane (LM)
8acklng Layers

Cnce Lhe fuel cell converLs Lhe hydrogen lnLo useful elecLrlclLy, Lhe elecLrlclLy ls fed Lo Lhe
exLernal clrculL charglng a baLLery LhaL Lhen powers Lhe auLomoblle.







<3=8.( J? @+4.#=() <8(E K(EE D 0.#1 999508(E(6#)#1+5=#I
7
8(%#'L-345%#'

1he anode and caLhode exlsL Lo provlde a :'3(. %< #1.4$19+41(& ','=4$%(.. Pydrogen and
oxygen gas are fed lnLo Lhe fuel cell and channels eLched onLo Lhe anode/caLhode help dlsperse
Lhe gases equally. 1he anode Lakes elecLrons removed from hydrogen aLoms and dlrecLs Lhem
lnLo Lhe exLernal clrculL. 1he caLhode Lakes elecLrons LhaL have passed Lhrough Lhe clrculL and
recomblnes Lhem wlLh charged hydrogen and oxygen Lo produce waLer.

-343,".4

laLlnum ls Lhe mosL commonly used caLalysL ln fuel cells. A carbon paper wlLh a Lhln layer of
plaLlnum powder allows for Lhe maxlmum surface area Lo be exposed Lo Lhe gases. 1he
funcLlon of Lhe caLalysL ls Lo 3==','$34' 45' $'3=41%( by asslsLlng wlLh spllLLlng Lhe hydrogen
from lLs elecLrons. WlLhouL a caLalysL, Lhe reacLlon would occur Loo slowly Lo be useful.

G%,":'$ 2,'=4$%,"4' 7':9$3(' MG27N

1he olymer LlecLrolyLe Membrane (LM) ls Lhe key componenL ln a fuel cell LhaL .'B3$34'. 45'
','=4$%(. <$%: 45' B%.141D'," =53$&'# 5"#$%&'( 1%(.. A LM ls composed of LreaLed Lhln
plasLlc fllm LhaL only conducLs proLons and ls lmpermeable Lo elecLrons and gases such as
hydrogen or oxygen. AfLer Lhe plaLlnum caLalysL spllLs Lhe hydrogen molecules, Lhe hydrogen
proLons are pushed across Lhe membrane whlle Lhe elecLrons are conducLed by Lhe anode and
puL lnLo Lhe clrculL. An lneffecLlve LM would lmpede Lhe separaLlon of elecLrons from
hydrogen and dlsrupL Lhe enLlre fuel cell.

O3=P1(& Q3"'$.

1he backlng layers do noL parLlclpaLe ln any chemlsLry wlLhln Lhe fuel cell, buL slmply help
:3R1:1S' 45' =+$$'(4 'R4$3=4'#. 1hey ensure effecLlve dlffuslon, manage waLer flow, and
dlrecL Lhe hydrogen and oxygen where Lhey are needed.


8
-%(=,+.1%(

1he Lechnology demonsLraLed ln Lhls documenL ls currenLly ln use ln many auLomoblles Loday.
LxLracLlng hydrogen from naLural sources and converLlng lL lnLo energy provldes a vlable
alLernaLlve Lo LradlLlonal lnLernal combusLlon englnes. Pydrogen cars could reshape
LransporLaLlon wlLhln our counLry, buL more research ls needed Lo make lL feaslble for adopLlon
on a wlder scale. WlLh adequaLe supporL and fundlng, Lhls Lechnology could reduce
LransporLaLlon cosLs and almosL ellmlnaLe polluLlon caused by Lhe mllllons of cars LhaL Lravel
every day.