Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine Project

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of hydrogen as a fuel for ICE vehicles. The speaker has achieved the production of hydrogen through electrolysis of water, but is unsure of how to properly use it in the engine without producing harmful emissions. Suggestions are made to sell the oxygen produced separately and to use electric motors instead of ICEs. The speaker also mentions the possibility of using solar energy to extract hydrogen. The conversation concludes with the idea of using hydrogen for fuel cells instead of burning it in an ICE, and the comparison to using lead acid batteries for energy storage.
  • #1
jmex
38
1
Hello PFs,

(It should be eco-friendly project)
I am working on ICE using hydrogen fuel. My very first step is to produce hydrogen from water that i have achieved by electrolysis.(hope to see another method as i have heard one to produce from sunlight) I am using this hydrogen and oxygen directly into engine along with air, about 33% of hydrogen in cylinder and rest oxygen and air. This i believe is producing NOx which i don't want. Well i have to work hard i know, but stuck in the first step as whether to line the separated directly into the cylinder or go for purifying H2. If anyone has already done some research in this field, kindly guide.

Thanks
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
If you are producing both H2 and O2 by electrolysis of water then it is important to isolate them and to store them separately so as to avoid the hazard of an explosion. They will be in the correct ratio for combustion, but you will have to meter them so as to keep the ratio correct, and you will need two tanks.

The O2 will be heavier than the H2. So you might consider selling your O2 locally, that way you do not have to cart it around with you. You then only need one tank on the vehicle. You can burn your pure H2 with air in the same way that LPG is used.
 
  • #3
Thanks for your reply baluncore.
but if i mix H2 with air, won't it produce NOx?
 
  • #4
and if you are suggesting to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water on ground and not in automobile. Maybe electrolysis is not perfect method for separation. Can you suggest any? And i have read a year ago about separation using sunlight as source and titania as catalyst. I would like to know more about this technique. Correct me if i am wrong.
 
  • #5
Generating hydrogen and oxygen on the vehicle will be very inefficient. An ICE is very inefficient compared to electric motors. You would be better using electric current to charge a battery for use with electric motors. Then you have the added efficiency of regenerative braking and many alternative sources of charge.

jmex said:
but if i mix H2 with air, won't it produce NOx?
Yes there will be some NOx produced but you can control it like is done in LPG / CNG powered vehicles.

Maybe you should study all possible ways of storing energy efficiently, and safely.
 
  • Like
Likes 1 person
  • #6
can you suggest me any alternate method to produce hydrogen rather then electrolysis. And what pressure will be safe to store hydrogen?
 
  • #7
Where do you want to use your hydrogen? What source materials do you have from which you might extract hydrogen. Water, methane and many others. Environment and economy are important.

To get any energy out you must first put some in. What source of energy do you have to perform the energetic chemistry necessary to separate the hydrogen.

The more pressure you use to store your hydrogen, the more energy you put into compressing it. PF and I do not recommend it for beginners but cryogenic liquid hydrogen is quite possible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Main_Engine

We have managed to avoid inefficient hydrogen fuelled ICEs in vehicles because electric power is cleaner and much more efficient. Performance of electric vehicles is way better than hydrogen fuelled ICEs because the generator needed for regenerative braking is the same unit as the motor used for acceleration. If you have hydrogen then it would be better used for generation of electricity by reverse electrolysis which is a fuel cell, than to be burned in an ICE.
 
  • #8
Where do you want to use your hydrogen? What source materials do you have from which you might extract hydrogen. Water, methane and many others. Environment and economy are important.

source i would like to take should be surplus. Here i would like to extract hydrogen from water.

To get any energy out you must first put some in. What source of energy do you have to perform the energetic chemistry necessary to separate the hydrogen.


Obviously the energy will be greater, to extract hydrogen from water, in electrolysis. Hence i would like to use solar to extract hydrogen.

The more pressure you use to store your hydrogen, the more energy you put into compressing it. PF and I do not recommend it for beginners but cryogenic liquid hydrogen is quite possible. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Main_Engine

thanks for the article but i am not going for this right now.

We have managed to avoid inefficient hydrogen fuelled ICEs in vehicles because electric power is cleaner and much more efficient. Performance of electric vehicles is way better than hydrogen fuelled ICEs because the generator needed for regenerative braking is the same unit as the motor used for acceleration. If you have hydrogen then it would be better used for generation of electricity by reverse electrolysis which is a fuel cell, than to be burned in an ICE.

I was more thinking of just producing H2 on the vehicle. BTW your suggestion sounds good of using it as fuel cell just like batteries. But why not lead acid batteries then? Produce energy, convert it into electricity and charge batteries. This will be atleast safe.
 

1. What is an Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine Project?

An Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine Project is a research and development initiative aimed at creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly engine that uses hydrogen as its main fuel source.

2. How does a Hydrogen Engine work?

A Hydrogen Engine works by converting hydrogen gas into energy through a process called combustion. Hydrogen gas is mixed with air and ignited, producing heat and water vapor which powers the engine.

3. What are the benefits of an Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine?

An Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine offers numerous benefits, including reduced carbon emissions, improved air quality, and decreased dependence on fossil fuels. It also has the potential to be more efficient and cost-effective in the long run.

4. What are the challenges of developing an Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine?

One of the main challenges of developing an Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine is creating a reliable and cost-effective hydrogen storage and distribution system. There are also technical challenges in designing an engine that can efficiently use hydrogen as a fuel source.

5. What is the current status of the Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine Project?

The Eco-Friendly Hydrogen Engine Project is still in its early stages and is being actively researched and developed by scientists and engineers. While there have been some successful prototypes and demonstrations, there is still a lot of work to be done before it can be implemented on a larger scale.

Similar threads

  • General Engineering
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • Materials and Chemical Engineering
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • Materials and Chemical Engineering
Replies
14
Views
4K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • Materials and Chemical Engineering
Replies
10
Views
4K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
30
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
870
  • Mechanical Engineering
Replies
6
Views
1K
Back
Top