Alcohol Fuel Cells as an

Alternative Solution to
Foreign Oil Dependence

Agnes B. Rooke

Alcohol Fuel Cells as a

Viable Alternative to the
Internal Combustion Engine

Alcohol Based Fuel Cells

Policy Should Address:

Reduce dependence on foreign oil
Increasing demand on transportation infrastructure
Address the availability of refueling sites; promote cooperation
both on a technical and fiscal level between government and
industry (tax incentives)
Reduce air pollution
Need for direct government involvement in the fuel cell
industry
Reduce noise pollution
Benefit farm communities who produce Biomass feedstock
Stimulate the technological development of fuel cells
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Summary of Conclusions
Foreign oil dependency can be reduced with fuel cells
Environmental air pollution can be reduced with fuel cells
Fuel cell vehicles produce less noise than traditional
vehicles
The need for Biomass borne fuels such as Ethanol would
stimulate the economic development of rural farm
communities
Fuel cell research and development for transportation
would also stimulate technological development of fuel cells
in other areas, such as portable electrically powered
devices
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Summary of Conclusions
Vehicles using fuel cells are less expensive to maintain
and operate then conventional internal combustion vehicles
Vehicles utilizing alcohol fuels can benefit from the
existing gasoline infrastructure

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American Reliance on Oil

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Molecules used in a reformation fuel cell system

Carbon
Monoxide

Hydrocarbon
Carbon
Dioxide

Water

Oxygen

Hydrogen

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How a Fuel Cell Works

Reformation

Hydrocarbons (such as Ethanol), Water

(H2O) and Oxygen (O2) are processed
through a reformer to produce Hydrogen
(H2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Carbon
Monoxide (CO)
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Hydrocarbon + Water + Oxygen

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 Carbon Monoxide + Carbon Dioxide + Hydrogen

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How a Fuel Cell Works

Further Oxidation of Carbon to the Dioxide

Additional water is now added to the

system. This additional water serves to
further oxidize the Carbon Monoxide into
less harmful Carbon Dioxide. This CO
Conversion step also produces an
additional molecule of hydrogen in the
process, thus increasing the efficiency of
the system.
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Residual Water is Utilized for CO Conversion

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How a Fuel Cell Works

Release of Carbon Dioxide
Following the further oxidation of Carbon
Monoxide, all the Carbon Dioxide is
released into the atmosphere as exhaust.
At this point the resulting hydrogen is
ready for use in the fuel cell.
Since the Carbon Dioxide produced during our
reformation and oxidation process is part of the living
carbon cycle, numerically speaking any additional
carbon dioxide produced will be incorporated into our
renewable Fuel Alcohol once new Biomass is grown.
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Carbon Dioxide is Released into the Atmosphere

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How a Fuel Cell Works

Hydrogen is Oxidized and Electrons Flow
A catalytic reaction converts diatomic
hydrogen into electrons and protons. The
Protons (oxidized monoatomic hydrogen)
then pass through the semi-permeable
membrane and into the cathode region of
the cell. The resulting Electrons then pass
through a circuit that flows through a motor,
where electrical potential energy is
converted into work.
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Electrons Pass Through an Electric Motor to Produce

Mechanical Energy

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How a Fuel Cell Works

Electrons and Protons Combine with Oxygen

The Electrons and Protons now

recombine with oxygen from the
atmosphere to form water and heat

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Electrons, Protons and Oxygen Combine

+ Oxygen
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Water is Formed

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Thermal Energy and Water are Released into the Environment

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How a renewable Biomass Based Fuel

Actually Reduces Atmospheric Carbon
Dioxide Content
One additional benefit for the use of fuel cells is a net
negative contribution to the atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Content. Since Alcohol based fuels are not petroleum
based and originate from BioMass, they are both
renewable and good for the environment.
Any Carbon Dioxide produced in the Fuel Cell process
will simply be incorporated into new BioMass fuels that
will be grown. The net negative contribution results
because of grown BioMass that wont be converted into
useable fuel such as Cellulose and other plant fibers.
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The Carbon Cycle in our Environment

6CO2 + 12H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6H2O + 6O2

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Definition of Flash Point

The flash point of a fuel is the temperature
at which vapor given off will ignite when an
external flame is applied under specified
test conditions. A flash point is defined to
minimize fire risk during normal storage
and handling.

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Flash Point of Various

Hydrocarbons
Flash Point = FP

Hydrogen

FP = -423 F

Propane

FP = -125 F

Gasoline

FP = -45 F

Methanol

FP = 52 F

Ethanol

FP = 55 F
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Properties of Hydrogen
Will be stored as pressured gas in fuel
cell vehicles; Liquid H2 is expensive and
cant easily be stored for long periods of
time
Storage vessel is bulky and expensive
Hydrogen gas container must be strong
enough to contain volatile hydrogen gas
during a traffic accident
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Properties of Hydrogen
Hydrogen must be produced and cant
directly be harvested
Electrolysis of water and biomass /
ethanol reformation are the most likely
candidates for production of hydrogen
Possesses an extremely low flash point
(-423 F); therefore at any temperature on
earth hydrogen could easily combust
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Propane in a Fuel Cell

Propane is a non-renewable resource
Propane has a low flash point and is
more dangerous then fuels such as
Methanol or Ethanol

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Methanol in a Fuel Cell

Methanol can easily be stored in liquid form
Methanol has a moderately high flash point
Onboard reformation of methanol is
required for the direct use of methanol in fuel
cell vehicle
Methanol is a renewable resource
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Ethanol in a Fuel Cell

Ethanol is easily stored as a liquid
Ethanol has a higher flash point then
Methanol; thus it exhibits greater safety
75% Ethanol may be reformed onboard a fuel
cell vehicle ($0.83 per gallon); wet Ethanol is
cheep to produce
Nearly pure Ethanol must now be added to
Gasoline in some urban areas (Chicago etc.);
This is expensive and is subsidized by the
government through farm provisions
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Chicago CTA Busses

Operating onboard reformed Ethanol

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Ethanol Production
Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel produced by
fermenting and distilling starch crops that have been converted into
simple sugars; could also be made from low cost materials such as
sawdust and waist paper
Feedstocks for this fuel include corn, barley and wheat, which contain
appreciable amounts of sugar, such as starch
Ethanol can also be produced from cellulosic biomass such as
trees and grasses, which contain cellulose, and it is called Bioethanol
Today ethanol production facilities are located in 20 states, and have
capacity to produce 2.5 Billion gallons per year

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Methanol Production
Methanol is made from natural gas, landfill gas, sugar
cane bagasse, coal, or wood chips

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What are the benefits of Ethanol?

Reduces our dependence on foreign oil
Reduces air pollution
Is a renewable fuel
More then 3 billion has been invested in 60 ethanol production
facilities
The Ethanol industry is responsible for more then 40,000 direct
and indirect jobs, while it directly and indirectly adds more than
$6 billion to the American economy each year
The demand for grain created by ethanol production increases
net farm income more than $12 billion annually
Many farmers now own and operate ethanol plants, allowing
them to add value to their own corn
Domestic ethanol production reduces demand for imported oil

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Carbon Dioxide Benefits

All petroleum hydrocarbon fuels cause increased
atmospheric carbon dioxide levels because they represent the
combustion of fossilized carbon, thus adding additional
Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere
By contrast, using renewable fuels, such as ethanol, does
not increase atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The carbon
dioxide formed during combustion is balanced by that
absorbed during the annual growth of plants used to produce
ethanol.

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Fuel Cell Automobile

Fuel Cell has no moving parts
Requires no oil for lubrication or general maintance
Not limited by the Carnot cycle or mechanical
connections Involving friction
Reduced noise in operation limited only to the air
compressor or fans
More comfortable then conventional vehicles: 1) no
transmission for a smooth ride; 2) less noise; 3) no dirty
exhaust; and 4) more interior room

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Ethanol fuel cells technology

Device can obtain 40-50% efficiency in conversion of a fuel into
useable power (as opposed to approximately 18% efficiency for
the average combustion engine)
Wet Ethanol is cheap
By 2008, a fleet of 3,000 fuel cell buses and 5,000 cars could
consume about 18 million gallons of ethanol yearly
Compressed gas cylinders used for hydrogen fuel cells weigh 20
times more then the fuel in them; in contrast light featherweight
plastic
containers will hold gallons of liquid ethanol and will not subtract
from the passenger or cargo carrying capacity of the vehicle

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Technical and Policy Barriers

deployability gap of another 10-15 years before a business
case can be made for mass market fuel cell cars
Fuel cells need to receive a high priority for government
research funding
Well targeted tax incentives such as the Senate CLEAR Act
(Cleaner Efficient Automobiles Resulting From Advanced Car
Technologies) will help advance clean vehicle technologies
Absence of market-wide requirements for higher fuel
economy blocks progress on many vehicle technologies,
including fuel cells
Intellectual property rights, such as patents rights can hinder
cheap development of ethanol fuel cells
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RFA
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) announced that
According to the latest figures from Argonne National
Laboratory, the use of ethanol-blended fuels reduced
carbon dioxide- equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by
approximately 4.3 million tons in the U.S.A. during 2002;
this reduction is equivalent to removing the annual
greenhouse gas emissions of more than
636,000 cars from the roads
By pursuing policies to increase the use of ethanol, we
can not only enhance energy security and boost rural
economic development; we can reduce air pollution and
cut greenhouse gas emissions.
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Importance of the big oil companies and other

large companies in Implementing
fuel cell technology
Oil companies need to help build up a national network of
filling stations; alcohol fuels are dispensed just like gasoline
Modest capital expenditures are required to convert existing
gasoline stations to alcohol operation
Oil companies have money and energy market know-how
States must develop uniform standards for the sector with the
advice of oil companies
Some of the Companies working on fuel cells: General Motors,
Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies, Ford, DaimlerChrysler,
Chevron Texaco, PPL Corp., General Electric, DuPont, 3M,
BASF, Siemens
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General Motors Model Vehicles

Cars with fuel cell technology will not have gas or break pedal
Stop, trust toward and backwards, speed control will be
performed by using steering wheel only
engine will be quiet and smooth, driving compared to floating
on air
Target: year of 2010 when 1 mln cars put on the market
Price: cheap; ordinary car price, everybody should be able to
afford the vehicle
Predict huge market; make trillions of $$$
Bushs research funding to develop fuel cells around $ 3.6
billion
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Ethanol Fuel Cells in other applications

In early 2004 Toshiba plans to use an alcohol fuel cell to
power a laptop
Running time: 5 hours
Methanol will be used as a portable power source; to
power the fuel cell the alcohol fuel is provided in small 50cc
cartridges the size of a computer mouse
Cartridge is refillable
Average power output is 12-20W, and unused energy is
stored in the fuel cell

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Ethanol Fuel Cells in other applications

NEC and SONY are developing fuel cells that turn
methanol directly into electricity and could have many
times the capacity of current lithium-ion batteries
They use recently discovered forms of carbon-Fullerenes;
Use of fullerene sheets rolled into a microscopic cones,
incorporating platinum atoms to catalyze the
electrochemical reaction that rips methanol apart
Such cells are 20% more efficient than existing fuel cells
Could give mobile phones and laptops many weeks of
operation before recharging
production: 2003-2005
This system could also be one day be used in vehicles
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