Alcohol Based Fuelcells Rooke
Content
Alcohol Fuel Cells Cells as an Alternative Solution Solu Solution tion to Foreign Oil Dependence
Agnes B. Rooke
Cells as a Alcohol Fuel Cells Alcohol Fuel Cells Cve ells a Viable Alternati lternative lternativ e toasthe Internal Combustion ngine
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!olic" Should Address# $ Reduce dependence on %oreign oil $ Increasing demand on transportation in%rastructure $ Address the availabilit" o% re%ueling sites& promote cooperation both on a technical and %iscal level bet'een government and industr" (ta) incentives* $ Reduce air pollution $ +eed %or direct government involvement in the %uel cell industr" $ Reduce noise pollution $ Bene%it %arm communities 'ho produce Biomass %eedstock $ Stimulate the technological development o% %uel cells
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Summar" o% Conclusions $ Foreign oil dependenc" can be reduced 'ith %uel cells $ nvironmental air pollution can be reduced 'ith %uel cells $ Fuel cell vehicles produce less noise than traditional vehicles $ ,he need %or Biomass borne %uels such as thanol 'ould stimulate the economic development development o% rural %arm communities $ Fuel cell research and development %or transportation 'ould stimulate technological development o% %uel cells in otheralso areassuch as portable electricall" po'ered
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Summar" o% Conclusions $ Vehicles using %uel cells are less e)pensive to maintain and operate then conventional internal combustion vehicles $ Vehicles utiliing alcohol %uels can bene%it %rom the e)isting gasoline in%rastructure
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American Reliance on Oil
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1olecules used in a re%ormation %uel cell s"stem Carbon 1ono)ide
/"drocarbon Carbon Dio)ide
0ater
O)"gen
/"drogen
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/o' a Fuel Cell 0orks 0orks Reformation
/"drocarbons (such as thanol*- 0ater (/2O* and O)"gen (O2* are processed through a re%ormer to produce /"drogen (/2*- Carbon Dio)ide (CO2* and Carbon 1ono)ide (CO*
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/"drocarbon 3 0ater 3 O)"gen
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Carbon
1ono)ide 3 Carbon Dio)ide 3 /"drogen
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Further Oxidation of Carbon to therks Dioxide /o' a Fuel Cell 0orks 0o
Additional 'ater is no' added to the s"stem. ,his additional 'ater serves to %urther o)idie the Carbon 1ono)ide into less harm%ul Carbon Dio)ide. ,his 4CO Conversion5 step also produces an additional molecule o% h"drogen in the process- thus increasing the e%%icienc" o% the s"stem.
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Residual 0ater is 6tilied %or CO Conversion
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/o' a Fuel Cell 0orks 0orks Release of Carbon Dioxide
Follo'ing the %urther o)idation o% Carbon 1ono)ideall the the atmosphere Carbon Dio)ide is released into as e)haust. At this point the resulting h"drogen is read" %or use in the %uel cell. Since the Carbon Dioxide produced during our reformation and oxidation process is part of the “living” carbon cycle, numerically speaing any additional carbon dioxide produced !ill be incorporated into our rene!able Fuel "lcohol once ne! #iomass is gro!n$
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Carbon Dio)ide is Released into the Atmosphere
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/o' a Fuel Cell 0orks %ydrogen is Oxidi&ed and 'lectrons /o' a Fuel Cell 0orks 0orks Flo! A catal"tic reaction converts diatomic diatom ic h"drogen into electrons and protons. ,he !rotons (o)idied monoatomic h"drogen* then pass through the semi7permeable membrane into the cathodethen region o% the cell. ,heand resulting lectrons pass through a circuit that %lo's through through a motor m otor-'here electrical potential energ" is converted into 'ork.
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lectrons !ass ,hrough an lectric 1otor to !roduce 1echanical nerg"
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/o' Fuel Combine Cell 0orks Oxygen 0o rks 'lectrons anda(rotons !ith ,he lectrons and !rotons no' recombine 'ith o)"gen %rom the atmosphere to %orm 'ater and heat
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lectrons- !rotons and O)"gen Combine
3 O)"gen
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0ater is Formed
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,hermal nerg" and 0ater are Released into the nvironment
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/o' a rene'able Biomass Based Fuel Actuall" Reduces A Atmospheric tmospheric Carbon Dio)ide Content One additional bene%it %or the use o% %uel cells is a net negative contribution to the atmospheric Carbon Dio)ide Content. Since Alcohol based %uels are not petroleum based and originate %rom Bio1ass- the" are both rene'able and good %or the environment. An" Carbon Dio)id Dio)ide e produced in in the Fuel Cell Cell process 'ill simpl" be incorporated into ne' Bio1ass %uels that 'ill be gro'n. ,he net negative contribution results because o% gro'n Bio1ass that 'on8t be converted into useable %uel such as Cellulose and other plant %ibers.
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,he Carbon C"cle in our nvironment 6CO2 + 12H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2
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De%inition o% Flash !oint ,he %lash point o% a %uel is the temperature at 'hich vapor given o%% 'ill ignite 'hen an e)ternal %lame is applied under speci%ied test conditions. conditions. A %lash point is de%ined to minimie %ire risk during normal storage and handling.
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Flash !oint o% Various /"drocarbons Flash !oint 9 F!
$ / /" "drogen
F! 9 7:2; F
$ ! !rropane
F! 9 7<2= F
$ > >a asoline
F! 9 7:= F
$ 1 1e ethanol
F! 9 =2 F
$ tthanol
F! 9 == F
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!roperties o% /"drogen • 0ill be stored as pressured gas in %uel
cell vehicles& ?i@uid /2 is e)pensive and can8t easil" be stored %or long periods o% time $ Storage vessel is bulk" and e)pensive $ /"drogen gas container must be strong enough contain volatile h"drogen gas during ato tra%%ic accident
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!roperties o% /"drogen
$ /"drogen must be produced and can8t directl" be 4harvested5 $ lectrol"sis o% 'ater and biomass ethanol re%ormation are the most likel" candidates %or production o% h"drogen $ !ossesses an e)tremel" lo' %lash point (7:2; F*& there%ore at an" temperature on earth h"drogen could easil" combust
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!ropane in a Fuel Cell $ !ropane is a non7rene'able resource $ !ropane has a lo' %lash point and is more dangerous then %uels such as 1ethanol or thanol
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1ethanol in a Fuel Cell $ 1ethanol can easil" be stored in li@uid %orm $ 1ethanol has a moderatel" high %lash point $ Onboard re%ormation o% methanol is re@uired %or the direct use o% methanol in %uel cell vehicle $ 1ethanol is a rene'able resource
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thanol in a Fuel Cell $ thanol is easil" stored as a li@uid $ thanol has a higher %lash point then 1ethanol& thus it e)hibits greater sa%et" $ = thanol ma" be re%ormed onboard a %uel cell vehicle (E.; per gallon*& 'et thanol is cheep to produce $ +earl" pure thanol must no' be added to >asoline in some urban areas (Chicago etc.*& ,his is e)pensive and is subsidied b" the government through %arm provisions
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Chicago C,A Busses Operating onboard reformed 'thanol
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thanol !roduction
$thanol is an alcohol7based alternative %uel produced b" %ermenting and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple sugars& could also be made %rom lo' cost materials such as sa'dust and 'aist paper $Feedstocks %or this %uel include corn- barle" and 'heat- 'hich contain appreciable amounts o% sugar- such as starch $thanol can also be produced %rom 4cellulosic biomass5 such as trees and grasses- 'hich contain cellulose- and it is called Bioethanol $,oda" ethanol production %acilities are located in 2E states- and have capacit" to produce 2.= Billion gallons per "ear
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1ethanol !roduction $ 1ethanol is made %rom natural gas- land%ill gas- sugar cane bagasse- coal- or 'ood chips
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0hat are the bene%its o% thanolG $Reduces our dependence on %oreign oil $Reduces air pollution $Is a rene'able %uel $1ore then ; billion has been invested in HE ethanol production %acilities $,he thanol industr" is responsible %or more m ore then :E-EEE direct and indirect obs- 'hile it directl" and indirectl" adds more than H billion to the American econom" each "ear $net ,he%arm demand %or more grain than created ethanol production increases income <2b" billion annuall" $1an" %armers no' o'n and operate ethanol plants- allo'ing them to add value to their o'n corn $Domestic ethanol production reduces demand %or imported oil
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Carbon Dio)ide Bene%its $ All petroleum h"drocarbon %uels cause increased atmospheric carbon dio)ide levels because the" represent the combustion o% %ossilied carbon- thus adding additional Carbon Dio)ide to the atmosphere $ B" contrast- using rene'able %uels- such as ethanol- does not increase atmospheric carbon dio)ide levels. ,he carbon dio)ide %ormed during combustion is balanced b" that absorbed during the annual gro'th o% plants used to produce ethanol.
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Fuel Cell Automobile Automobile
$Fuel Cell has no moving parts $Re@uires no oil %or lubrication or general maintance $+ot limited b" the Carnot c"cle or mechanical connections Involving %riction $Reduced noise in operation limited onl" to the air compressor or %ans $1ore com%ortable then conventional vehicles# <* no transmission %or a smooth ride& 2* less noise& ;* no dirt" transmission e)haust& and :* more interior room
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thanol %uel cells technolog" $Device can obtain :E7=E e%%icienc" in conversion o% a %uel into useable po'er (as opposed to appro)imatel" < e%%icienc" %or the average combustion engine* $0et thanol is cheap $B" 2EE- a %leet o% ;-EEE %uel cell buses and =-EEE cars c ars could consume about < million gallons o% ethanol "earl" $Compressed gas c"linders used %or h"drogen %uel cells 'eigh 2E times more then the %uel in them& in contrast light %eather'eight plastic containers 'ill hold gallons li@uid ethanol ando%'ill subtract %rom the passenger or cargoo%carr"ing capacit" thenot vehicle
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,echnical and !olic" Barriers $4deplo"abilit" gap5 o% another <E7<= "ears be%ore a business case can be made %or mass market %uel cell cars $Fuel cells need to receive a high priorit" %or government research %unding $0ell targeted ta) incentives such as the Senate C?AR Act (Cleaner %%icient Automobiles Resulting From Advanced Car ,echnologies* 'ill help advance clean vehicle technologies $ Absence Absence o% o% market7'ide re@uirements re@uirements %or higher %uel %uel econom" blocks progress on man" vehicle technologiesincluding %uel cells $Intellectual propert" rights- such as patents rights can hinder cheap development o% ethanol %uel cells
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RFA A RF ,he Rene'able Fuels Association RFA RF A (RFA* announced that
According to the latest latest %igures %rom Argo Argonne nne +ational +ational ?aborator"- the use o% ethanol7blended %uels reduced
carbon dio)ide7:.; e@uivalent greenhouse gas during emissions b" appro)imatel" million tons in the 6.S.A. 2EE2& this reduction is e@uivalent to removing the annual greenhouse gas emissions o% more than H;H-EEE cars %rom the roads 4B" pursuing policies to increase the use o% ethanol- 'e can not onl" enhance energ" securit" and boost rural economic development& 'e can reduce air pollution and cut greenhouse gas emissions.5
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Importance o% the big oil companies and other large companies in Implementing %uel cell technolog" $Oil companies need to help build up a national net'ork o% %illing stations& alcohol %uels are dispensed ust like gasoline $1odest capital e)penditures are re@uired to convert e)isting gasoline stations to alcohol operation $Oil companies have mone" and energ" market kno'7ho' $States must develop uni%orm standards %or the sector 'ith the advice o% oil companies $Some o% the Companies 'orking on %uel cells# >eneral 1otorsJuantum Fuel S"stems ,echnologies- Ford- DaimlerChr"slerChevron ,e)aco- !!? Corp.- >eneral lectric- Du!ont- ;1BASF- Siemens
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>eneral 1otors 1odel Vehicles Vehicles $Cars 'ith %uel cell technolog" 'ill not have gas or break pedal $Stop- trust to'ard and back'ards- speed control 'ill be per%ormed b" using steering 'heel onl" $engine 'ill be @uiet and smooth- driving compared to 4%loating on air5 $,arget# "ear o% 2E<E 'hen < mln cars put on the market $!rice# cheap& ordinar" car price- ever"bod" should be able to a%%ord the vehicle $!redict huge market& make trillions o% $Bush8s research %unding to develop %uel cells around ;.H billion
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thanol Fuel Cells in other applications $In earl" 2EE: ,oshiba plans to use an alcohol %uel cell to po'er a laptop $Running time# = hours $1ethanol 'ill be used as a portable po'er source& to po'er the %uel cell the alcohol %uel is provided in small =Ecc cartridges the sie o% a computer mouse $Cartridge is re%illable $ Average Average po'er output output is <272E0<272E0- and and unused energ" energ" is stored in the %uel cell
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thanol Fuel Cells in other applications
$+C and SO+K are developing %uel cells that turn methanol directl" into electricit" and could have man" times the capacit" o% current lithium7ion batteries $,he" use recentl" discovered %orms o% carbon7Full carbon7Fullerenes& erenes& $6se o% %ullerene sheets rolled into a microscopic conesincorporating incorporatin g platinum atoms to catal"e the electrochemical reaction that rips methanol apart electrochemical $Such cells are 2E more e%%icient than e)isting %uel cells $Could give mobile phones and laptops man" 'eeks o% operation be%ore recharging $production# 2EE;72EE= $
,his s"stem could also be one da" be used in vehicles Alcohol Based Fuel Cells –
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