0011/0711 Section,
L11
THE NEXT BIG THING: ELECTRIC VS. HYDROGEN FUEL CELL CARS
Richard Kovacsics ([email protected])
carbon dioxide, and the greed within the gasoline market.
Polluting our environment with carbon dioxide is an
unavoidable consequence of gasoline being used in millions
of vehicles in the United States and around the world. Not
only that, but with the price of gasoline rising, the prices of
goods being transported by means of gasoline powered
vehicles are rising to compensate. Both of these issues can
be solved by replacing gasoline with a renewable, and
environmentally friendly fuel source in our cars, but as of
right now, neither of our two best options are perfect.
INTRODUCTION: IDEAS BEHIND
REPLACING FOSSIL FUELS IN CARS
The question of, “What is a practical replacement for
fossil fuels in cars?” has recently become a large concern,
especially during the last thirty years. The main reason
gasoline is used to fuel our cars is because it is very efficient
and accessible wherever you go. This quality is what makes
it so difficult to replace, and why it is so valuable. However,
there are two major problems with gasoline: it has a very
negative effect on the environment and it is limited in
quantity. If gasoline is to be used until it depletes without
some kind of plan to replace it, we could be stuck with
hundreds of millions of vehicles with no fuel and an
environment that is damaged beyond repair. For me
personally, protecting the environment is a huge priority,
especially because it will affect my life more than it has
affected the previous generations’ lives. “As a result, global
mean temperature is expected to increase, though there is
still uncertainty surrounding the climate sensitivity. The
Outlook Baseline scenario suggests that these greenhouse
gas (GHG) concentration levels would lead to an increase in
global mean temperature at the middle of the century of 2.0
ºC-2.8 ºC, and 3.7 ºC-5.6 ºC at the end of the century
(compared to pre-industrial times)” [1]. This rise in
temperature has already begun, and the effects of it can be
seen and have been well documented; one major effect is the
melting of the northern polar ice cap, which has the potential
to alter major ecosystems and weather patterns [2]. Carbon
Monoxide emissions from vehicles are a huge contributor to
the buildup of greenhouse gasses in the environment. Not
only that, but if we continue polluting the environment like
we are, it will affect future generations’ lives more than it
will affect my own. So to practically replace gasoline
powered vehicles, we need a source of fuel that has the
qualities of efficiency, environmental friendliness, and
renewability. There have been many proposed solutions to
replace gasoline powered cars, but only two ideas have
begun to take hold in the consumer market: the electric
battery powered car, and the hydrogen fuel cell powered car.
Problems with Electric Battery Powered Cars
There are several reasons electric battery powered
vehicles had failed in the past to gasoline fueled vehicles.
“The electrics pose two primary challenges to convention:
When fully charged, electric cars generally cannot travel
even half the distance that a conventional car can go on a
full tank. Once the battery is depleted the charging process
can take hours” [3]. On September 24th, 2012, Tesla Motors,
the company behind the all-electric Tesla sports car,
unveiled their solution, the Tesla Supercharger. This is a
high powered battery charger, capable of giving the Tesla
car battery a full charge in about thirty minutes. There are
currently only five Superchargers operational in California,
but, as stated by Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla Motors,
“Within the four to five year time frame, we expect to cover
the entire United States [with Superchargers], without
exception, and the lower part of Canada” [4]. The
Supercharger is completely green – powered entirely by
solar energy. This will allow one to drive about three hours,
charge for half of an hour, and go another three hours.
Economically, this is a true step forward because Tesla is
offering this service to their customers absolutely free.
Theoretically, if Tesla charging stations were as abundant as
gasoline stations, and everyone used an electric car, there
would be no need to buy fuel. Unfortunately, the Tesla
Supercharger is only compatible with a Tesla brand car
battery, so if you had a Chevrolet Volt, for example, you
would not be able to charge your car at a Supercharger
location.
SOLVING THE MAJOR PROBLEMS
Problems with Hydrogen Fuel Cell Powered Cars
Electric battery and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles both have
their issues when compared to traditional gasoline powered
vehicles. After all, there must be a reason gasoline has been
a more ideal fuel for vehicles over the last hundred years
over electric batteries or hydrogen power. However, only
within the last thirty years have we been seeing the negative
effects of the byproduct of the internal combustion engine,
Hydrogen fuel cell cars have an equal, but opposite
problem. With electric cars, you can plug in anywhere, but it
can take several hours to fully charge a car; with that charge
it can go about half as far as a traditional combustion engine
vehicle. Hydrogen powered vehicles can also go about half
as far on a full tank of hydrogen as a traditional gasoline
powered vehicle, but they fill up in only a few minutes. The
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
October 30th 2012
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Richard Kovacsics
agreed upon which was a plan to “phase out” the use of the
chemicals that hurt the Ozone Layer by as late as 2040 [8].
The engineers’ role in this was the most difficult, because
they had to create a way to replace aerosol, the compound
used in cooling refrigerators and pressurizing spray products
that produced the chemicals that deplete the Ozone Layer,
with something that did the same job as aerosol, but without
the negative effects. Eventually, the chlorofluorocarbons that
were
used
as refrigerants
were replaced by
hydrochlorofluorocarbons, which are much less reactive
with ozone [9]. The point is, “Engineers shall hold
paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public” [10].
The same principals should apply to the replacement of
fossil fuels in vehicles. We know that burning fossil fuels
produces CO2 which is a greenhouse gas that causes the
Earth to retain heat and can cause major issues. However, do
engineers still hold ethical responsibility to protect the
public if the public does not believe they are in danger? Of
course they do, but if the public does not generally believe
there is a problem, they will not change. Yet, “Engineers
shall perform services only in the areas of their competence”
[11]. This implies that it is not engineers’ job to correct the
public opinion. So, in order to sway our society into
believing they need to make the change from fossil fuels to a
renewable source of energy, we not only need engineers to
find a solution, there must be an educational aspect of it.
That is where things like public debates, educating young
people, and public advertising about the dangers of carbon
dioxide really begin playing a role in the start of a green
revolution.
downside: hydrogen refueling stations are scarce outside of
California. Not only that, but capturing hydrogen is not free,
nor is it completely environmentally friendly. “Using a
device called a fuel processor or a reformer; you can split the
hydrogen off the carbon in a hydrocarbon relatively easily
and then use the hydrogen. You discard the leftover carbon
to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide” [5]. This is a
description of how the majority of hydrogen is captured for
use as fuel. Burning hydrogen creates nothing but water as a
byproduct, but making hydrogen by burning fossil fuels
almost defeats the purpose of using hydrogen in the first
place. For hydrogen fuel cell cars to meet the requirement of
environmental friendliness, hydrogen itself needs to be made
without producing any harmful byproducts. Through a
process called electrolysis, hydrogen can be captured
without any carbon dioxide gas being created. “Electrolysis
is the process by which water molecules are split directly
into hydrogen and oxygen molecules using electricity and an
electrolyzer device” [6]. If hydrogen is the fuel of our future
cars, it must be created without any harmful byproducts, and
the electricity used for the process of electrolysis must be
green electricity gathered from solar, wind, or hydroelectric
sources. Once the production of hydrogen meets these green
requirements, it can be a feasible option for fuel in future
vehicles.
TAKING CHARGE: WHAT THE
ENGINEERS ARE HERE TO DO
One person can’t do it all. In order to convince the public
that a drastic change (such as changing the way we are
transported from place to place) is necessary, we need to
make groups of people, specialized in their individual fields,
work together in order to present the public with a
convincing argument of why the change to clean energy
needs to be now. Unfortunately, many people think that just
because they can’t see a need for change, there is no need for
change. However, if we can prove that there is a real
problem, and present an alternative, we can make a real
change. For example, when the hole in the ozone layer was
found to have been caused by chlorofluorocarbons produced
by aerosol, countries around the world could not simply ban
the production of products that produce chlorofluorocarbons
because that could take a huge toll on the economy [7]. The
hole was catastrophic because without the Ozone Layer,
there would be nothing to protect organic life on the planet
from the harmful Ultraviolet rays from the Sun [7]. In this
example, there have to be many people, a team of different
disciplines working together to make the change. First, there
have to be reporters, and people to raise awareness of the
problem. Next there have to be engineers to come up with an
alternative
to
the
appliances
that
produced
chlorofluorocarbons. Finally, there have to be entrepreneurs
to market the new products. Because enough options had
been created, in 1987the Montreal Protocol treaty had been
CONCLUSION: PRACTICALITY OF
ELECTRIC BATTERY OVER HYDROGEN
FUEL CELL POWERED VEHICLES
There are a several reasons behind the idea of switching
from using gasoline as fuel in our vehicles to using
electricity or hydrogen. A dependence on foreign oil for the
United States, and the rising price of gasoline, fossil fuel
depletion, and environmental destruction are a few of the
main reasons why gasoline will soon no longer be a
reasonable source of fuel. However, if we continue to use
fossil fuels to create hydrogen and electricity for fuel in our
cars, our dependence on them will not have gone away, but
will only have been disguised. If we are able to convince
enough people to see that we need a more drastic change, we
would be much better off in the long run.
By working in teams with advertisers, entrepreneurs, and
other engineers, creating a society that travels by means of
clean energy is very possible, and almost a reality as of right
now. Soon after, these teams can focus on making the rest of
the energy we use in homes and toys, to the energy used to
run major corporations and to launch us into outer space,
completely clean and renewable. Engineers are on their way
to becoming better qualified to communicate with these
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Richard Kovacsics
types of people “…graduates in 2004 were measurably
better prepared than their counterparts of a decade ago...The
greatest increases were in understanding of societal and
global issues, the ability to apply engineering skills,
teamwork, and the appreciation of ethics and professional
issues—all attributes U.S. engineers need to compete
successfully in a competitive, global economy” [12]. Once it
is a standard that engineers must be skilled in the
communicational aspect of their advancements and effective
team building, competing with influential figures who try to
negatively impact popular opinion will be non-existent.
On October 1st, 2008, I had attended a free presentation
by Martin Eberhard, another co-founder of Tesla Motors, in
Wilkes University. Throughout his presentation on the Tesla
Roadster, the very first model car designed by Tesla Motors,
he explained why the electric car was the best option for the
future of motor vehicles. His argument, and one that I
personally agree with, is that if electricity is needed to split
water in order to obtain hydrogen, and if electricity is needed
to refine petroleum into useable gasoline, why not just use
that electricity to power the vehicle in the first place? He
continued to say that he had kept the environment in mind,
also, as he explained how he has not paid for his electricity
since he installed enough solar panels on his house to
completely power it and his Tesla Roadster. As his
presentation went on, I began to realize how ignorant I had
been to the technology that was available at that point. If
there is a practical way to not only power our houses, but our
vehicles also, with energy gathered from solar cells, as
proven possible by Martin Eberhard, why not? Right now,
solar panels are still expensive, but within the next twenty to
thirty years, that technology will be significantly cheaper. If
we begin preparing for that now, and build Supercharger
fueling stations for all brands of electric cars, all of our
vehicles can realistically be powered by the efficient,
environmentally friendly, and renewable energy, electricity.
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Richard Kovacsics
[12] J. Lattuca, P. Terezini, J. F. Volkwein, G. D. Peterson.
(2005). “The Changing Face of Engineering Education”.
National Academy of Engineering of the National
Academies.
(Online
Article).
http://www.nae.edu/Publications/Bridge/ReformingEngineer
ingEducation/TheChangingFaceofEngineeringEducation.asp
x
REFERENCES
[1] V. Marchal, R. Dellink, D. Vuuren, C. Clapp, J. Château,
E. Lanzi, B. Magné, J. Vilet. (2011). “OECD Environmental
Outlook to 2050”. Organization for Economic Co-operation
and
Development.
(Online
PDF).
http://www.oecd.org/env/climatechange/49082173.pdf
[2] J. Strickland, E. Grabianowski. (2005). “How Global
Warming Works”. howstuffworks.com. (Online Article).
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/greenscience/global-warming9.htm
ACKNOWLAGEMENTS
I would like to personally thank my life time friend and
mentor, Stephen Goodale, for sparking my interest in the
field of engineering. Without him, I would probably not
have found my way into engineering. He was also the person
who brought me to the 2008 presentation by Martin
Eberhard on the Tesla Roadster. I would also like to thank
my parents for all of their support of my goal of becoming
an engineer. I would also like to thank Carly Landers for
helping make this report as professional as possible.
[3] P. Whoriskey. (2009). “Recharging and other concerns
keep electric cars far from mainstream.” The New York
Times.(Online
article).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/business/worldbusiness
/17fuelcell.html?_r=0
[4] E. Musk. (2012). “Tesla Motors Supercharger Event”.
(Video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgk5eB9oTY&feature=related
[5] M.Brain. “How the Hydrogen Economy Works”. How
Stuff
Works.
(Online
Article).
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fueleconomy/hydrogen-economy.htm
[6] T. Lipman. (2011) “An Overview of Hydrogen
Production and Storage Systems with Renewable Hydrogen
Case Studies; A Clean Energy States Alliance Report”.
Clean
Energy
States
Alliance.
(Online
PDF).
http://www.cleanenergystates.org/assets/2011Files/Hydrogen-and-Fuel-Cells/CESA-Lipman-H2-prodstorage-050311.pdf
[7] C. Andre, M. Velasquez. (2010). “Ozone Debate:
Environmentalists and Business Collide—Again”. Markkula
Center
for
Applied
Ethics.
(Online
Article).
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/iie/v3n1/ozone.html
[8] C. Welch. (2012). “The Ozone Hole”. Earthly Issues.
(Web Page). http://www.theozonehole.com/montreal.htm
[9] Z. Hudson. “Replacement of CFCs as Refrigerants”.
University
of
Georgia.
(Web
Page).
http://zwhudson.myweb.uga.edu/chem8290/substitutes%20f
or%20CFCs.htm
[10] (2007). “ASME Code of Ethics of Engineers’. ASME.
(Web PDF). http://files.asme.org/STLLC/13093.pdf
[11] (2012). “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers”. NSPE.
(Web
Page).
http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html
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