ENGR0011 Schaub 4
LO3
HYDROGEN FUEL-CELL VEHICLES TO REDUCE ENERGY EMISSIONS
George Farmer (gnf5@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCTION: HYDROGEN FUEL VEHICLES:
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND AND ENERGY
EFFICIENT
Hydrogen fuel vehicles are an innovative technology that
has the potential to help reduce the current amount of
greenhouse gasses released into the environment.
If
hydrogen fuel vehicles were to replace all standard
combustion engine vehicles, the amount of greenhouse gas
emissions for cars would be reduced extraordinarily.
Hydrogen fuel also has, “nearly three times the energy
density of typical hydrocarbon fuels” [1]. These fuel-cell
vehicles are gaining in popularity, and they will soon be
available for consumer purchase. I feel very strongly
regarding the support of this technology because of the
potential impact it holds for our planet. As a future chemical
engineer, I am especially concerned with this topic because I
could possibly play a part in developing fuel-cell vehicles
during my career. The Engineering Code of Ethics provides
significant guidance in relation to the increased production
of fuel-cell vehicles. I believe that the production of
hydrogen fuel vehicles would be greatly beneficial to the
general public which is in direct accordance with one of the
fundamental canons of the National Society of Professional
Engineer’s Code of Ethics. These fuel-cell vehicles have the
potential to reduce the amount of damage done onto the
environment by replacing standard combustion engines. This
would enhance the “safety, health, and welfare of the public”
[2] which is the first of the fundamental canons’ of the
NSPE’s Code of Ethics. A negative aspect of these vehicles
is their high cost. The general public ought to know about
the prospects of such a promising technology. If a greater
public interest was given to technologies such as this, then
greater amounts of funding would be contributed to
developing hydrogen fuel vehicles. The engineers of today
would be able to develop cost-efficient methods in the
production of these vehicles, which are currently quite
expensive to produce. I trust that this assignment is
beneficial in regards to educating future engineers on current
engineering issues. I myself have learned a great deal about
hydrogen fuel vehicles and their implications on society, as
well as the engineering code of ethics’ connection to this
topic. I feel that researching a particular engineering issue,
i.e. hydrogen fuel vehicles, and its relation to engineering
codes of ethics is valuable in the education of future
engineers. Any freshman in an engineering program would
benefit from this type of project due to the amount of
thought and research that must be included to produce an
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
October 30, 2012
informative paper. I have learned through the course of this
project that the future of hydrogen fuel vehicles holds great
promise to help resolve environmental problems related to
the combustion of automobile fuel.
WHY THE AVERAGE PERSON SHOULD BE
CONCERNED WITH THE PRODUCTION OF
HYDROGEN FUEL-CELL VEHICLES
Every person should be concerned with our global
carbon footprint on the planet because it directly affects the
future of the human race. Hydrogen fuel vehicles have a
number of advantages over vehicles with typical combustion
based engines. Figure 1, taken from the U.S. Department of
Energy, illustrates how greenhouse gas emissions of fuel-
FIGURE 1:VARIOUS GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
[4]
cell vehicles compare to the standard combustion vehicle of
today. One of the greatest benefits of hydrogen fuel is that
“if pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, then only heat and water
are emitted as byproducts” [3]. This means that the amount
of greenhouse gasses emitted upon the planet would be
drastically reduced if all standard combustion engines were
replaced with hydrogen fuel-cells. Additionally, the release
of toxic carbon dioxide gas would be supplanted by water,
which is not only harmless but vital to the existence of life.
Man-made carbon emissions are directly impacting the
environment in which we live. We can choose to embrace
technologies such as hydrogen fuel vehicles, or we can
continue to use the technology that we know is directly
harming and malevolently altering our environment. The
George Farmer
average person needs to become aware of the potential that
hydrogen fuel holds. If a greater public interest was paid to
the support of this, then the world would be on the track to
reducing global carbon emissions. The average person
should feel obligated to ensure the protection of our
ecosystem by taking a stance on the future of our energy
supply.
reacted
with
oxygen in order
to
provide
electricity.
These cars fuel
up, in a similar
manner
to
conventional
automobiles, at
hydrogen
fueling stations.
One remarkable
aspect of this
hydrogen fuel is
the amount of
INNER WORKINGS OF A FUELenergy that it
CELL VEHICLE [4]
contains
as
opposed to gasoline. “Hydrogen’s energy density is 52,000
Btu/lb, which is three times greater than that of gasoline”
[1]. The energy produced from the fuel stacks is used to run
the vehicle’s electric motor. A typical fuel-cell vehicle’s
inner workings are represented by the figure above. The
mechanics of a fuel-cell vehicle may be drastically different
than what we are accustomed to, but the interface that the
driver of such vehicles experiences is hardly any different
than a standard combustion engine automobile.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A HYDROGEN FUEL-CELL?
A hydrogen fuel-cell is a device that utilizes the energy
found in hydrogen atoms to generate electrical energy. Fuelcells work like a battery. One specific example of a fuel-cell
is a nickel-hydrogen battery. “It combines the positive
nickel electrode of a nickel-cadmium battery, and the
negative electrode includes the catalyst and gas diffusion
elements of a fuel-cell” [5].
Hydrogen reacts to form positively
charged
hydrogen
ions
and
negatively charged electrons. These
negatively charged electrons are
electrical energy which can be used
to power a variety of devices.
Hydrogen is not found in a pure
state on its own naturally. So,
hydrogen must be produced from
“any hydrogen-rich material” [5].
There are a wide variety of sources
NICKELfrom which to produce hydrogen,
HYDROGEN
including “hydrocarbon fuels and
BATTERY [5]
water electrolysis” [5]. The
process of water electrolysis is most ideal from an
environmental standpoint because only water and an
electrical current are needed to form hydrogen. Water
electrolysis is not the most cost-effective path to producing
hydrogen, though. Hydrocarbon fuels, such as methane, are
typically used in the process of isolating hydrogen. This
process, called “reforming” [1], does produce greenhouse
gases, but it is widely used because of the immense supply
of hydrocarbon fuels. So, there is an immense supply of
hydrogen available to us that can be used in fuel-cells to
power our vehicles.
THE ENGINEERING CODE OF ETHICS
IMPLICATION’S ON HYDROGEN FUEL VEHICLES
The National Society of Professional Engineers’ Code of
Ethics offers guidance and significant impact on the
production of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. The Code of
Ethics states six fundamental canons regarding principles of
ethical conduct in Engineering. While all of these canons are
relevant to the production of fuel-cell vehicles, I believe that
the first and sixth canons are the most important in regards
to the fabrication and improvement of this technology.
Engineers are obligated to “hold paramount the safety,
health, and welfare of the public and conduct themselves
honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to
enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the
profession” [2]. Therefore as a future chemical engineer, I
am obliged to improve the field of chemical engineering as a
whole while taking into account the wellbeing of the general
public. I believe that improving a technology such as
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles would be in accord with the code
of ethics directly. Not only would the field of engineering be
improved, society itself has the potential to be made better
by decreased emissions of harmful fuel byproducts. This
should be a concern of all people worldwide because we all
are obligated to maintain and protect the planet in which we
live. Improving the technology of fuel-cell vehicles follows
the professional obligation of engineers “to strive at all times
to serve the public interest” [2]. The National Society of
HOW HYDROGEN FUEL-CELL VEHICLES WORK
Fuel-cell vehicles may look similar to standard
combustion engine automobiles on the surface, but their
inner workings are drastically different. Instead of using the
energy produced from burning fossil fuels, fuel-cell vehicles
rely on the energy emitted by their fuel-cell stacks. These
stacks are made up of multiple fuel-cells assembled into one
structure. Hydrogen gas flows into these fuel stacks and is
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George Farmer
Professional Engineers’ Code of Ethics has major
implications and influences on the increased research,
innovation, and production of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
the workings of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and their
implications on society. I was also introduced to the basic
format of any engineering essay or article. This assignment
required a great deal of thought and energy in order to
produce a professional and organized paper regarding the
support of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. I believe that any
freshman engineering student would benefit from this
assignment. By actually researching information regarding
an innovative engineering topic and then relating the issue to
relevant codes of ethics in engineering, I was able to gain
insight on how an actual engineering article is put together. I
feel that an assignment such as this would be advantageous
to anyone aspiring to become an engineer. There is generally
not a great deal of writing in the overall curriculum of the
typical engineering student, but this assignment gives
students the opportunity to develop and exhibit their writing
skills from an engineering perspective. I have found this
assignment to be highly beneficial in regards to expanding
my knowledge of how to write an engineering essay. The
two engineering codes of ethics that I consulted were
informative and useful while writing this assignment. The
NSPE Code of Ethics also taught me about some of the
future obligations and rules of conduct that I will have to
abide by as a future engineer. A paper such as this holds
immense educational value to an engineering student
because it causes you to think from the perspective of a
genuine engineer. By writing an essay on a current
engineering issue, you are actively engaging in one of the
responsibilities of an actual engineer. I found this
assignment to valuable to myself as an aspiring engineer,
and I believe that the educational significance of this
assignment would benefit any engineering student.
ARE THERE FUEL-CELL VEHICLES BEING
PRODUCED TODAY?
It is likely that the majority of people have never seen a
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. I myself have never encountered
such an automobile in person, but they do already exist. A
wide variety of automobile manufacturers are currently
producing these vehicles. “At the 2012 World Hydrogen
Energy Conference, Daimler, AG, Honda, Hyundai, and
Toyota all confirmed plans to produce hydrogen fuel-cell
vehicles for sale by 2015” [6]. That means within the next
few years fuel-cell vehicles may be as commonplace as
hybrid vehicles in the world in which we live. The average
person will have the opportunity to drive fuel-cell vehicles in
the near future. “General Motors also has plans to release
fuel-cell vehicles for public purchase by 2015” [6]. While
these vehicles are not yet available for consumer purchase,
they are still being used around the world. Fuel-cell buses,
such as Daimler AG [6], are gaining popularity in a number
of countries by being used in trial runs in major cities. “The
largest fuel-cell bus fleet in the world is currently found in
British Columbia, Canada” [6]. It was put into place after the
2010 Winter Olympics, and it has so far been viewed as
successful. While there are no mass production fuel-cell
vehicles available for consumers just yet, a growing number
of technologies will soon allow the average person to obtain
a fuel-cell vehicle.
POSSIBLE CHANGES TO FUEL-CELL VEHICLES
CONCLUSION: HYDROGEN FUEL-CELL VEHICLES
RELATIONSHIP TO THE CODE OF ETHICS AND
THIS ASSIGNMENT’S RELATIONSHIP TO
EDUCATION
From a solely environmental standpoint, fuel-cell
vehicles are clearly a wonderful invention. These vehicles
are currently very expensive to produce, though. “As of
October 2009, Fortune magazine estimated the cost of
producing the Honda Clarity at $300,000 per car” [6]. Cost
has decreased in recent years but producing hydrogen fuelcells are very cost prohibitive. The engineers of the future
will need to build cheaper ways to produce hydrogen and its
fuel-cells. Many believe that because of the immense cost,
“the use of hydrogen as fuel is a waste of energy; electric
vehicles are to be preferred for short distances” [7]. That is
why cheaper and more efficient ways of fuel-cell and
hydrogen production need to be developed. As a future
engineer, I may play a part in the creation of new costeffective fuel-cells, or another technology altogether.
I believe for a wide variety of reasons that hydrogen fuel
vehicles hold great promise. As a future chemical engineer I
am obligated to follow the fundamental canons of the
Engineering Code of Ethics. This includes taking into
account the welfare of the public, and striving to improve the
field of chemical engineering as a whole. The production
and research of fuel-cell vehicles exemplifies the standard
set forth by the Engineering Code of Ethics. This innovative
technology meets the professional obligations of the code of
ethics by improving the wellbeing of the public and
improving the usefulness of the field of chemical
engineering. These vehicles may become a part of daily life
for many people within the next few years. As the
production of hydrogen fuel-cells is a costly endeavor,
further research must be conducted to produce fuel cell
vehicles in a manner that is economically pragmatic. Fuelcell vehicles do have great potential in reducing the amount
EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THIS WRITING
ASSIGNMENT
Throughout the course of this writing assignment I have
learned a great deal about a variety of topics. I learned about
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George Farmer
of greenhouse gasses emitted into the environment, and
hydrogen itself holds vast amounts of energy available to be
converted into electricity. Something needs to be done in
order to reduce humanity’s carbon footprint on the planet,
and I trust that producing hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will
reduce that carbon footprint. I have learned through this
assignment of the potential value that increased research of
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles may hold. I also became
moderately familiar with the general format and thought
process that goes into an engineering style essay. The
engineering code of ethics also proved to be a great
reference in relation to fuel-cell vehicle production. In my
opinion, this assignment held great educational value
because of the immense amount of thought, research, and
writing that needed to be included to produce a sufficient
paper. This assignment has taught me of the possibilities that
hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles hold as well as their relationship
to engineering ethics and engineering as a whole.
[9](2012) "Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel-cells and
the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet." Business Source
Complete. (Online Article)
[10] "Code of Ethics." AIChE. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012.
http://www.aiche.org/about/code-ethics
[11](2 April 2005) Ceylan, Tamer. "Thinking and Writing in
Undergraduate Engineering Education." American Society
for Engineering Education. (Online Article)
http://ilin.asee.org/Conference2005papers/P111.pdf
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Beth Bateman Newborg and the other
various writing instructors for their assistance concerning
this paper. I would also like to thank the library aides for
their help regarding the online databases Pitt has to offer.
Furthermore, I would like to thank Dr. Schaub for his
support and instruction in my engineering analysis class.
REFERENCES
[1] (2012) "Fuel-cells 2000." Hydrogen Basics. (Online
article)
http://www.fuelcells.org/fuel-cells-and-hydrogen/hydrogenbasics/
[2] "Code of Ethics." National Society of Professional
Engineers. (Online Article)
http://www.nspe.org/resources/pdfs/Ethics/CodeofEthics/Co
de-2007-July.pdf
[3] (2012)"Fuel-cells." National Geographic. (Online
Article)
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/glo
bal-warming/fuel-cell-profile
[4] (2012) "Fuel-cell Vehicles." Fuel-cell Vehicles. (Online
Article)
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fuelcell.shtml
[5] (27 Sept. 2012) "Nickel–hydrogen Battery." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, (Online Article)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel%E2%80%93hydrogen_
battery
[6] (10 Apr. 2012) "Hydrogen Vehicle." Wikipedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, (Online Article)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_vehicle
[7] (2007) Janssen, Janssen J. "Hydrogen Fuel-cells for Cars
and Buses." Academic Search Premier. EBSCO, (Online
Article)
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
[8] (17 Oct. 2009) Washington Post. The Washington Post,
(Online Article)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2009/10/16/AR2009101601002.html
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