WELLOG

WELLOG HYDROGEN

Revised 5-22-2008

Hydrogen is potentially the most important resource for energy on our planet. Hydrogen in combination with oxygen forms a compound called water. Water covers almost 75 percent of the surface of the earth. Extracting hydrogen from water is expensive. It requires energy to separate hydrogen from oxygen. In fact, the problem is that the energy required equals or exceeds the energy produced by the hydrogen. A process called electrolysis is used for separation of hydrogen and oxygen from water. Hydrogen and oxygen are both beneficial elements.

ELECTROLYSIS:

Electrolysis is done by immersing two electrodes in a container of water and applying a voltage to the electrodes. During the process of electrical current flow in the form of ions conducting through the water, oxygen and hydrogen are created separately at each electrode. Heat energy is also generated and is dissipated into the atmosphere or absorbed into the solution and dissipated in other ways.

HYDROGEN COMBUSTION:

Hydrogen mixed with oxygen is very combustible. All that is needed is an electrical spark. When combustion occurs, the remaining byproduct is water. The other important byproduct is the energy of combustion. Hydrogen engines are for this reason, the cleanest possible form of combustion engine.

HYDROGEN PRODUCTION:

Hydrogen must be produced, contained in a pressurized cylinder, and transported to distribution centers. Distribution could be done much like petroleum gasoline is distributed today.

The problem is that the production of hydrogen cannot be done economically. The question that remains is; where does the energy come from that we must use in the process of producing hydrogen? The answer to that question is that the energy comes from other energy producers some of which may not be friendly to the environment. An important alternative is byproduct hydrogen.

BYPRODUCT HYDROGEN:

Many companies are finding new ways of improving our environment by converting byproducts into useful energy resources.

DAIRIES:

Milk production in the Northwest part of the US is making a byproduct called methane gas. The methane gas can be used for heating homes. This is a very creative way to convert an otherwise unused byproduct into a beneficial resource.

WASTE MANAGEMENT:

Waste management is capturing methane gas that is produced in land fills. The captured methane gas is used for heating homes and for use as an alternative fuel for automobiles.

BIO-DIESEL:

Used vegetable oil has found a new use. After being converted, used vegetable oil is recycled for use as automotive fuel. Other methods using corn, sugar cane, have been developed to produce ethyl- alcohol which reduces our demand for oil.

ELECTRO-WINNING:

After minerals are mined and undergo concentration – the next step is called electro-winning. The process of solvent extraction electro-winning is very similar to the process of electrolysis. When metals are dissolved into a solution containing water and placed in a container, electrodes are immersed in the solution and a voltage is applied. The applied voltage causes ions to flow in the container. Metals are plated onto one of the electrodes in the solution. An important byproduct of this process is hydrogen production at one electrode and oxygen production at the other electrode. Companies involved in electro-winning will soon become important resources for hydrogen.