Michael_Kastrinelis-Energy_and_Water

By Michael Kastrinelis
 * Fuel and Water**


 * Where does it all begin?**

By now it is no secret that the world is facing tremendous crises on multiple fronts, many of which threaten to alter our planet permanently. One of the most prominent of these crises is global warming and the effects it is having on the planet. However, what makes this issue particularly complicated is the fact that there is no single aspect to blame for it. There are contributing factors scattered across every industry and geographical region in the world. Some of them are so massive, that there is very little that can be done in the near future to remedy them without tossing the human race back into the stone age. However, one that is very feasible to tackle is the automobile industry. For well over half-a-century, automobiles have been consuming thousands of gallons of fossil fuels, while simultaneously releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. The threat here is two-fold then: first, when the fossil fuels run out in the near future, what then will we use for fuel. The consequences of the lack of any alternative fuel could bring the entire modern world to its knees. Second, the chemicals released by the consumption of the these fuels have been directly linked to global warming. It goes without saying that this is a bad thing. Needless to say, a alternative energy source is direly needed in this industry.




 * An Answer from Water?**

While this crisis has been developing, the brightest minds in science have not been on vacation. Already, there are a number of possible alternatives to automobiles run by fossil fuels. However, there are some that are more promising than others. One such alternative is fuel cell technology. This technology is relatively new to the consumer world, however has already seen widespread use in industries such as NASCAR. The way it works is you start out with pure hydrogen and air (the key part of "air" being the oxygen it naturally contains). The hydrogen fuel enters the cell where it is broken up into hydrogen ions. The charged hydrogen ions pass through a central membrane that prevents all uncharged particles from passing through. Simultaneously, the electrons broken off from the fuel are forced through a circuit that connects to the opposite side of the cell, creating an electrical current. On the opposite side of the cell, air is pumped into the cell allowing the oxygen it contains to mix with the hydrogen ions and the electrons. The result is pure water. This means that the only emission that this fuel system produces is water. This image is of an Alkali cell, the standard type of fuel cell.

Right away, this solves the two primary problems in the automobile industry. It completely removes the need for fossil fuels, while at the same time produces emissions that not only are not harmful to the environment, but also might serve a practical use (i.e. it is completely possible that the world's fresh water supply could benefit from all the water fuel cells would produce on a global scale). Also, this technology could easily be transferred to other industries. It could virtually wipe-out the need for these systems that are continuously pumping pollutants into our environment. Yes, it seems that this option is the ideal solution to all of our problems. So why aren't we using it?


 * "Every rose has its thorn..."**

The primary problem lies with the fuel once again. In order for this system to work, one would require an extraordinary supply of pure hydrogen, something that does not naturally occur on this planet, or at least on a large enough scale where it is readily accessible. The hydrogen would have to be manufactured. There are ways of accomplishing this, however all of them require immense amounts of energy in order to work. Some of them even involve creating a small atomic bomb (Needless to say, we do not possess the technology to contain so much power, otherwise we would simply move on to fusion power.). Often the process of creating the hydrogen fuel is so energy-consuming that it not only neutralizes the energy that would be produced by the fuel, but actually creates an energy deficit. So long as we do not have a practical way of producing pure hydrogen, to implement fuel cells as the primary fuel source in automobiles simply is not plausible. There are alternative types of fuel cells that have been designed to allow for a broader range of fuel types to alleviate this problem, however each design comes with its drawbacks. Here's a basic overview of some of the other types of fuel cells:

Molten Carbonate Cell: Uses high temperature salts as the electrolytes, as well as nickel electrodes which are cheaper than the standard platinum electrodes. However, due to the high temperatures the cell generates, it is not practical for consumer use.

Phosphoric Acid Acid Cell: Uses phosphoric acid as the electrolyte. Also has a higher tolerance for impurities allowing for a wider spectrum of fuel choices. However, the electrodes must be platinum and all internal parts must be able to withstand the corrosive acids within, making this model very expensive.

Proton Exchange Membrane Cell: This cell features a thin, flexible sheet that acts as the electrolyte and operates at a temperature low enough for use in cars and homes. However, the cell can only use purified fuel and requires platinum electrodes on both sides of the cell. This adds more expense.

Solid Oxide Cell: This type of cell contains a solid metal that acts as the electrolyte. The cell produces a decent amount of power with good efficiency, and the bleed off heat can be recycled to make additional electricity. However, the cell requires incredibly high temperature (1,000 C) in order to operate and is also very large, limiting its practical uses.

Each of these models offers its own set of pros and cons, but they are still not developed enough to effectively replace the systems we use today. However, this is not to say that we should give up on fuel cells.


 * Technology of the Future**

Thankfully, the scientists once again are not sleeping on the job. In the scientific community, an enormous amount of effort is being put into discovering new, efficient ways of producing hydrogen in large quantities. For example, one technology that is attracting a fair amount of attention is the __[|Kværner-process] __ in which hydrocarbons are broken down into their components producing... you guessed it... hydrogen and carbon. The only real question here is what will we do with all the extra carbon (space catapults??? O_o). In addition, once again a large amount of energy is required in order to actually break down the hydrocarbons. However, this is not an unsurmountable complication.




 * Prospects for the Future**

Fuel cells are certainly a promising solution to this crisis, however we are still far from a final product. There is still a long path of technological research and advancement before we will be able to move on from fossil fuels. However, with all that has happened in the past 20 years, it certainly seems that a solution is only a few more steps away. The only question that remains is are we as a race ready to move on?

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