Solar Energy

Solar energy is energy from the sun that travels from the sun to the earth in form of electromagnetic radiation. This is similar to radio waves, but in different frequency range. The amount of energy available outside the earth’s atmosphere is 1367 w/m². On a clear day the available solar energy is 100 w/m². This is because some of the energy is reflected or absorbed in the atmosphere. Energy is primarily dependant on how high the sun is in the sky and the cloud conditions. Solar energy can be used in a variety of different and efficient ways. Three main uses of solar energy are heating/cooling, electricity production, and chemical processes. The most widely sued is the heating of spaces and electricity production. There are very many advantages to conventional energy. One advantage is that energy from the sun is virtually free. Solar energy has the ability to stand alone, meaning that people don’t have to connect to power grids or gas grid. The use of solar energy is beginning to displace conventional energy, resulting in a proportional decrease in green house gases.       Solar energy can be used to power items, heat/cool homes and agriculture. In large numbers solar panels have the ability to power small communities. If residents have a surplus of electricity, electric companies can buy some from the resident. Smaller sized solar panels have the ability to start cars, recharge batteries and power household electronics. Solar panels are made of silicon chips that are combined together to receive light and turn it into electricity. Prices of solar panels have been expensive over the last few years, but scientists are researching producing cheaper solar panels. As the price of solar panels begins to lower, residents will begin to invest into the efficient and environmentally friendly solar panels. One new development by scientists is the invention of solar panels that are able to harness the suns invisible rays and turn them into electricity. Another new development is spray on solar panels. Although not available for consumers, scientists are continuing to vigorously test the new product. Scientists have also proposed to have solar farms in deserts that will be capable of providing power to whole cities. In Japan , about 50% of residential power will be provided by solar energy by the year 2030. The Japanese scientists are also facing a cost effectiveness hurdle. Solar panels currently cost 25-30 cents per kilo hour, meaning that solar energy can still be more expensive than conventional energy for residential homes. The average U.S. prices for electricity are less than 10 cents per Kilowatt- hour according to experts.                                                 

Hydrogen Vehicle

            During the past summer, we have had record high gas prices, causing families planning on road trips to cancel or postpone them. Hydrogen powered cars will soon solve that problem. A hydrogen vehicle is an automobile that is specially designed to contain hydrogen to power itself. Researchers say that with the help of nanotechnology, hydrogen cars will become more affordable. Hydrogen is more energy efficient than conventional batteries. Automobile companies are begging to manufacture test products of hydrogen cars, busses and even trucks. In California these hydrogen vehicles can be refueled on what is called the “hydrogen highway”. The first objective for scientists when it comes to hydrogen vehicles is to be less dependant on gasoline. The second objective is to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming and environmental problems. The only waste product from such a vehicle is water. A small number of hydrogen vehicles are currently running and in existence. At the moment gasoline cars are far cheaper and less expensive to own than conventional hydrogen vehicles. In hydrogen cars, fuel cells are the powerhouses that convert hydrogen into electricity. In a scientific report, researchers state that hydrogen cars are 10 times more efficient than conventional gasoline cars. In the United States the hydrogen vehicle is priced at 100 times more than the Department of Energy had desired. Nanotechnology could reduce the vehicle’s cost by developing revolutionary ways of storing hydrogen. Scientists predict that reasonably priced vehicles are years away and that most hydrogen cars will not be available for at least ten years.             

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a highly flammable gas that is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Hydrogen is known to be the simplest, and the most plentiful element of the earth. Each hydrogen molecule has two atoms of hydrogen, e.g. H₂. Hydrogen is the lightest element and has a density of 0.0888 grams per litre. Hydrogen has the highest energy content and can never be found alone. This means that the element is always combined with other elements such as oxygen. Since hydrogen has such a high energy content, it must be handled with extreme care. For years, hydrogen has been transported nationally with no major incidents occurring. The are three main common sources of hydrogen production. One of them is the traditional method which includes natural gas, gasoline, diesel, and propane. The second method is renewable which includes methane, ethanol, landfill gas and bio- gas. The last method is water which includes using the process of electrolysis to electrify water to separate the two elements. Hydrogen has the ability to reduce demand for oil by 11 million barrels a day by the year 2040. Large amounts of hydrogen are extremely difficult to store in small spaces. Researches are still inventing new ways of hydrogen storage. Some options of hydrogen storage are on board gas tanks or on board hydrogen producing compounds that can be extracted when the vehicle is in operation. Hydrogen is distributed around nations using trucks that have the ability to carry the product in liquid form. Hydrogen refueling stations are pondering over the idea of onsite hydrogen production using wind or solar power. Two such stations operate in California . The amount of hydrogen needed to commence a hydrogen economy is about five times as much as we are producing at the moment. Some of the cheapest hydrogen production methods that are known to scientists are wind and solar power using electrolysis. In order for hydrogen to be enabled to be used in cars, the tanks must be built to accommodate a large amount of gas. Since gas tanks accommodate a large area in a vehicle, the hydrogen must be compressed, and the tanks must be built to withstand the pressure of the hydrogen, while still having the ability to being lightweight. Those are a few and very important facts about hydrogen.

Electrolysis of Water

Electrolysis is a scientific method that is used to separate a single compound into multiple elements. In this experiment I will be electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen and oxygen. The process of electrolysis requires a power source in order to electrify a compound. Since water, for example, is an electrical insulator we must add compounds such as salt or lemon juice to turn it into a conductor. The electrical source for electrolysis must be connected to the anode and the cathode on electrolysis equipment. The cathode is negatively charged, while the anode is positively charged. At the probe, in electrolysis equipment, electrons are absorbed by ions producing either hydrogen or oxygen. Since the anode is positive, it has a deficit of electrons while the cathode has a surplus of electrons. Efficiency of the process of electrolysis is measured by what fraction of electrical energy used produces hydrogen. The maximum efficiency of hydrogen or oxygen is estimated by scientists to be at 80-94%.   

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Hydrogen fuel cells are pieces of scientific equipment that have the ability to produce electricity using hydrogen and oxygen. Unlike conventional gasoline engines fuel cells do not run or break down. Fuel cells have the ability to produce electricity as long as the fuel is provided.  On a fuel cell, there are two different sides where different elements can be fed into it. One side is the cathode, the other the anode. Oxygen enters the fuel cell through the cathode, while hydrogen enters through the anode. Encourage by the catalyst, which is located inside the fuel cell, the hydrogen atom is split into two pieces. One of the pieces is the proton, the other the electron. The two atoms take different routes to the cathode side of the fuel cell. The proton passes through what is called an electrolyte, inside the fuel cell. The electrons create a separate current that can be utilized, before they return to the cathode to be reunited with hydrogen and oxygen to create the fuel cell’s only waste product, water. The current made by hydrogen is what produces the electricity. In the U.S. , their dependence on oil is expected to increase steadily. Researches say that passenger cars consume on average about 6 million barrels of oil every day, which is equivalent to about 85% of oil imports entering the United States. If 20% of cars in the United States used fuel cells, their imports would be cut by 1.5 million barrels a day. Fuel cells will allow countries to move away from a central station, long distance or high voltage power grids. Fuel cells have the ability to provide power to electric grid houses in the event of blackouts. Fuel cells achieve up to 99.99% reliability and less than 1 minute of downtime over a six year period. Systems that are fueled by hydrogen provide 50% more efficiency than electricity. Fuel cell vehicles are up to three times more efficient than internal combustion engines. Fuel cells produce only one emission, which is water. Today scientists have invented very many different types of fuel cells. Some of them include: phosphoric acid, direct methanol fuel cells, proton exchange, molten carbonate, alkaline, solid oxide, protonic ceramic fuel cells and regenerative fuel cells. Fuel cells have the potential to revolutionize the way we power our nations. Fuel cells have become an emerging new demand in this new technological