Project 1.3.1 Solar Hydrogen System
Lindsay and Me
Hydrogen Cells
Hydrogen cells create energy by separating hydrogen and oxygen in the form of diluted water. This process of removing the hydrogen from the oxygen requires energy but in turn produces more energy. it takes very little energy to separate since hydrogen's bond length is small and requires less energy to carry out the process. The platinum middle acts as a storage component that collects the energy created from the the separation of the hydrogen and oxygen. From there the energy causes electrons to move in a path and creates a current. One advantage of Hydrogen Fuel Cells is that they don't produce pollution so it is technically a green energy source.
Solar Panels
Solar cells, or photo-voltaic cells, convert sunlight directly into electricity by using semiconductors. When light hits the semiconductor material, some of its energy is absorbed and causes electrons to start moving. The electric fields in the solar cells direct the electrons along a certain path, creating a current which can be used to power certain devices. A common semiconductor used is silicon with phosphorous atoms mixed in. Normal silicon in a crystalline structure has no free electrons and therefore can’t conduct electricity. However, when phosphorous atoms are mixed in it has a few free electrons for electricity to flow. This is called n-type silicon and conducts a negative charge. There is also p-type silicon with boron atoms mixed in, resulting in a shortage of electrons and is able to conduct a positive charge.
When combined the two create an electric field of electrons separating the two sides. This acts as a diode and only allows electrons to flow from the P side to the N side. When light strikes the cell, photons cause the barrier to break and sends electrons flowing in a path, creating a circuit.
When combined the two create an electric field of electrons separating the two sides. This acts as a diode and only allows electrons to flow from the P side to the N side. When light strikes the cell, photons cause the barrier to break and sends electrons flowing in a path, creating a circuit.
Series & Parallel Circuits
A Series Circuit consists of only one path for electrons to flow. This means that if you were to take out one component the entire circuit would cease to function. A good example of this would be Christmas lights, if one of the lights go out then all the lights go out. The total resistance of a series circuit is equivalent to the sum of the resistance of each component. Also the voltage across each should add to the voltage of the power source.
A Parallel Circuit contains many paths for electrons to flow. If you were to take out one component, the rest of them should still work. Most houses are wired with parallel circuits; you don’t need every component attached to an outlet (lights, stove, etc.) to be on in order for the other component to work. The voltage across each individual component in a parallel circuit is equivalent to the voltage from the power source. However, current and resistance vary across the components. The total resistance is equal to 1 divided by the sum of the reciprocals of each individual resistance.
A Parallel Circuit contains many paths for electrons to flow. If you were to take out one component, the rest of them should still work. Most houses are wired with parallel circuits; you don’t need every component attached to an outlet (lights, stove, etc.) to be on in order for the other component to work. The voltage across each individual component in a parallel circuit is equivalent to the voltage from the power source. However, current and resistance vary across the components. The total resistance is equal to 1 divided by the sum of the reciprocals of each individual resistance.
Reflection
Overall I do not think hydrogen fuel cells are a very efficient source of energy seeing as how one powered by a solar panel only produced .15 volts. A simple AAA battery produces 1.5 volts which is ten times more than the hydrogen fuel cell and much smaller. When we built our car we found that using the solar cell as the primary power source worked much more efficiently since it produced more voltage than the hydrogen fuel cell. While I believe that a hydrogen fuel cell may work on a larger scale, its small power output is near obsolete on small scale projects. We were never able to get the hydrogen fuel cell to power our motor and make our car actually move. We don’t believe it was due to wiring because when we tested it with AAA batteries the wheels would turn. While I do think that green energy is a wonderful idea, I believe it needs to need to be refined and improved to provide more power before it can be widely used.