CHEMISTRY!!!!!!!
Energy and Place project
We had two essential questions:
1. How does energy production and consumption impact place?
2. How does your sense of place, environmental ethic and understanding of our energy needs
influence your perception and decisions relating to energy production and consumption?
I chose to answer the first one but do it backwards.(How does place impact energy production and consumption?)
1. How does energy production and consumption impact place?
2. How does your sense of place, environmental ethic and understanding of our energy needs
influence your perception and decisions relating to energy production and consumption?
I chose to answer the first one but do it backwards.(How does place impact energy production and consumption?)
Scientific paper: Hydrogen Gas Source!
ABSTRACT:
The goal of this project was to build a fully functional hydrogen convertor. The purpose of this was to have a hydrogen convertor that could be attachable to the engine of my car. Research was done to understand how a hydrogen convertor works. Then, the pieces to assemble it were purchased and lastly, it was constructed. Some of the pieces bought and used were a 2ft pvc pipe, about 12-16 stainless steel panels of different length and widths, a few different pieces of an abs pipe close-off (basically two different pieces used on an end of a pipe to stop substances from escaping), some washers, nuts, and bolts and a few non-conductive screws. The success of this project came in the form of a failure. I did not use the same type of metal when constructing the anode and cathode, which led the washers (which were iron instead of stainless steel)to rust from the electrolysis process. Besides that, there was a leak in the containment system which seemed to be the only other problem. Although a functional hydrogen gas source was not created, my work can be used towards a better understanding of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source. Developing a hydrogen convertor with maximized efficiency could create a fuel source for generations that has almost no effect on the environment, as the only byproduct of burning hydrogen from a gas source is water.
INTRODUCTION:
Some key terms that should be known are below.
Electrolysis
The process of chemical decomposition of a liquid or substance containing ions by passing an electric charge through the material.
Cathode
A piece of metal placed in conversion water connected to the positive charge of a battery.
Anode
A piece of metal placed in conversion water connected to the negative charge of a battery.
Main Shaft
The pole running through the center of something attached to an energy source such as( and in this situation) a hydrogen gas engine.
The current knowledge of this Technology is not as slim as one might think… more just overlooked and underexplored. Hydrogen convertors are beautiful as well as the ideas that come with them but the reality is, it takes more energy for the process to take place than is produced, which is why the technology is not more vastly explored. It should be noted however, that a few teams are exploring using abundant alternative energies such as wind or solar to be the electricity source for electrolysis to occur, which is freaking awesome. This is really important to everyone and every natural thing on earth because, if we don’t start to explore alternative energies in the future, and if it is recognized by the human race that we are a cause of the way the environment around us behaves, we’ll have a head start in finding a cure for this ailed earth. Reducing environmentally negative chemicals and toxic gases is important but not so much as caring for the place we all are on. Plus, it would be so easy! No one really thinks so but if a large enough team of scientist worked on a highly efficient hydrogen gas source that could be easily and safely mass produced, we could solve the problems of financial stress of relying on fossil fuels and the negative environmental impacts from us. Also, hydrogen is the third most abundant element on earth, so we wouldn't have to worry about running out of it. A hydrogen fuel cell works by having an anode and a cathode submersed in water. The water interacts between the anode and the cathode separately, though all are combined as one “circuit” to complete the fuel cell. When the water reacts with the anode, it produces four hydrogen atoms with a slightly positive charge, four electrons with a slightly negative charge (only four because hydrogen only has one electron per atom) and two oxygen atoms. This process is called electrolysis, which is basically taking apart something's atomic structure by sending an electric charge through it. The electrons can be used for electricity while the hydrogen and oxygen escape upward to a valve and tube that is then transported to a suitable place for combustion to provide energy in the form of heat. At the end of this process I plan to have a fully functional hydrogen convertor that will be a fun and knowledge-enhancing scientific creation. I also hope to use it to experiment in developing a more efficient hydrogen convertor for future fuel uses.
METHOD:
The method used to build the hydrogen gas source contained of two steps, collecting materials and building the convertor.The scientific process of what should be happening when the hydrogen gas source is powered on is at the bottom of this section as well.
Materials: The required materials to build this include a pieces of 4 inch in diameter pvc pipe, seven inches in length, two abs close-out rings and caps, abs glue, two stainless steel bolts, two non-conductive(hard rubber or plastic) bolts, around 14, 20 gauge, 6”x3” stainless steel plates with holes wide enough for the non conductive bolts to fit through, each about half an inch from the smaller sides, and lastly,two pieces of 20 gauge stainless steel around 4” in length and 2” wide with holes on the 2” sides, half an inch from the edges for the anode and cathode to connect and complete the circuit.
Construction: The building step consisted of a few more steps. The first was to make sure all materials had the appropriate dimensions. The second was to start by attaching the close-out rings to either side of the container by placing a medium amount of abs glue to the rings and sliding them down the 4” tube. On one side of the tube when the close-out rings fully dry, add some more abs glue to one of the close-out caps, and screw it into one of the close-out rings. While it dries take the other close-out cape and screw two holes in the top that are big enough for the stainless steel bolts to go through and then tap the holes if needed. Take the two non-conductive bolts and add one of the 4”x2” stainless steel pieces to one of the bolts and put a washer on the same bolt as well as two on the other to minimize difference between the two bolts. Then, organize the plates, washers and, nuts on the non-conductive bolts in the order of washer plate nut plate and continue until half way through the plates. Then add two nuts in between the last and next plate. Continue the pattern until out of plates. Add the other 4”x2” piece of stainless steel to the same bolt as the first. Then, tightly add one more nut to each of the non-conductive bolts. Take the close-out cap and the chunk of metal plates and things in your hands and arrange(bend) the 4”x2” plates so the un-bolted holes fit the holes in the cap. Screw the bolts in from the inside of the cap to the outside. Add a some glue(for air tightness) and a few nuts to the top of the bolts until self-satisfied and you have one pretty looking hydrogen gas source.
Scientific Process: is called electrolysis. What the process of electrolysis consists of is basically using electromagnetic poles to tear water into its two elements, oxygen and hydrogen, as well as the hydrogen's electrons. The reason that this ’tear’ can occur is because the electrons of hydrogen are slightly negatively charged and the hydrogen is slightly positively charged. The water is then placed in a containment unit which has an anode and cathode connecting with the water. The positively charged cathode then pulls the positively charged hydrogen atoms towards it while the anode pulls the hydrogens negatively charged electrons in its direction. This separates hydrogen from its electrons and from oxygen, giving us a highly combustible, multi-use, gas. It also gives us spare electrons that can be used for electricity and to convert hydrogen and oxygen back into H2O.
DISCUSSION:
When the gas convertor was first powered on, no changes were observed. We placed a balloon over the end of the tube where hydrogen was supposed to be released from but the balloon did not seem to expand much. Steve said he observed a slight expansion in the balloon though so it did seem to work a small amount but the amount of hydrogen gas produced was not satisfactory. So we powered it down and looked inside. We witnessed a large amount of brown water even though it used to be clear. This, we later realised, was due to rusting of iron washers between the stainless steel anode and cathode plates. This is important to not have occur because instead of going to the process of electrolysis, the electricity goes to the rusting process instead. Another part that failed is the bottom of the tube has a slight leak, which didn’t seem to affect much but may have allowed some hydrogen to escape and may have contributed to the slow rate of hydrogen conversion.
Future refinements for this project include many different details and schematics. One such detail could be a twin compartment system that has a bridge between the two to share water. Nine large stainless steel panels would be located 40 degrees apart from each other. The stainless steel panels would also include holes that have tails of stretched metal, comparable to a windsock at an airfield. These ‘tails’ would maximize contact between metal and water, providing better efficiency during the process of electrolysis. The panels would attached to the main shaft of individual hydrogen gas engines, which would spin the engine at a speed of around 10 miles an hour.
CONCLUSION:
Overall there are many different things I would do to refine this project and build a different design than one seen online, but such a process would take more time and money than I could afford to give. I look forward to conceiving such a helpful machine, and do not doubt that you will see a device similar to this project from me in the future.
http://sepuplhs.org/high/hydrogen/hydrogen.html
The goal of this project was to build a fully functional hydrogen convertor. The purpose of this was to have a hydrogen convertor that could be attachable to the engine of my car. Research was done to understand how a hydrogen convertor works. Then, the pieces to assemble it were purchased and lastly, it was constructed. Some of the pieces bought and used were a 2ft pvc pipe, about 12-16 stainless steel panels of different length and widths, a few different pieces of an abs pipe close-off (basically two different pieces used on an end of a pipe to stop substances from escaping), some washers, nuts, and bolts and a few non-conductive screws. The success of this project came in the form of a failure. I did not use the same type of metal when constructing the anode and cathode, which led the washers (which were iron instead of stainless steel)to rust from the electrolysis process. Besides that, there was a leak in the containment system which seemed to be the only other problem. Although a functional hydrogen gas source was not created, my work can be used towards a better understanding of hydrogen as a sustainable energy source. Developing a hydrogen convertor with maximized efficiency could create a fuel source for generations that has almost no effect on the environment, as the only byproduct of burning hydrogen from a gas source is water.
INTRODUCTION:
Some key terms that should be known are below.
Electrolysis
The process of chemical decomposition of a liquid or substance containing ions by passing an electric charge through the material.
Cathode
A piece of metal placed in conversion water connected to the positive charge of a battery.
Anode
A piece of metal placed in conversion water connected to the negative charge of a battery.
Main Shaft
The pole running through the center of something attached to an energy source such as( and in this situation) a hydrogen gas engine.
The current knowledge of this Technology is not as slim as one might think… more just overlooked and underexplored. Hydrogen convertors are beautiful as well as the ideas that come with them but the reality is, it takes more energy for the process to take place than is produced, which is why the technology is not more vastly explored. It should be noted however, that a few teams are exploring using abundant alternative energies such as wind or solar to be the electricity source for electrolysis to occur, which is freaking awesome. This is really important to everyone and every natural thing on earth because, if we don’t start to explore alternative energies in the future, and if it is recognized by the human race that we are a cause of the way the environment around us behaves, we’ll have a head start in finding a cure for this ailed earth. Reducing environmentally negative chemicals and toxic gases is important but not so much as caring for the place we all are on. Plus, it would be so easy! No one really thinks so but if a large enough team of scientist worked on a highly efficient hydrogen gas source that could be easily and safely mass produced, we could solve the problems of financial stress of relying on fossil fuels and the negative environmental impacts from us. Also, hydrogen is the third most abundant element on earth, so we wouldn't have to worry about running out of it. A hydrogen fuel cell works by having an anode and a cathode submersed in water. The water interacts between the anode and the cathode separately, though all are combined as one “circuit” to complete the fuel cell. When the water reacts with the anode, it produces four hydrogen atoms with a slightly positive charge, four electrons with a slightly negative charge (only four because hydrogen only has one electron per atom) and two oxygen atoms. This process is called electrolysis, which is basically taking apart something's atomic structure by sending an electric charge through it. The electrons can be used for electricity while the hydrogen and oxygen escape upward to a valve and tube that is then transported to a suitable place for combustion to provide energy in the form of heat. At the end of this process I plan to have a fully functional hydrogen convertor that will be a fun and knowledge-enhancing scientific creation. I also hope to use it to experiment in developing a more efficient hydrogen convertor for future fuel uses.
METHOD:
The method used to build the hydrogen gas source contained of two steps, collecting materials and building the convertor.The scientific process of what should be happening when the hydrogen gas source is powered on is at the bottom of this section as well.
Materials: The required materials to build this include a pieces of 4 inch in diameter pvc pipe, seven inches in length, two abs close-out rings and caps, abs glue, two stainless steel bolts, two non-conductive(hard rubber or plastic) bolts, around 14, 20 gauge, 6”x3” stainless steel plates with holes wide enough for the non conductive bolts to fit through, each about half an inch from the smaller sides, and lastly,two pieces of 20 gauge stainless steel around 4” in length and 2” wide with holes on the 2” sides, half an inch from the edges for the anode and cathode to connect and complete the circuit.
Construction: The building step consisted of a few more steps. The first was to make sure all materials had the appropriate dimensions. The second was to start by attaching the close-out rings to either side of the container by placing a medium amount of abs glue to the rings and sliding them down the 4” tube. On one side of the tube when the close-out rings fully dry, add some more abs glue to one of the close-out caps, and screw it into one of the close-out rings. While it dries take the other close-out cape and screw two holes in the top that are big enough for the stainless steel bolts to go through and then tap the holes if needed. Take the two non-conductive bolts and add one of the 4”x2” stainless steel pieces to one of the bolts and put a washer on the same bolt as well as two on the other to minimize difference between the two bolts. Then, organize the plates, washers and, nuts on the non-conductive bolts in the order of washer plate nut plate and continue until half way through the plates. Then add two nuts in between the last and next plate. Continue the pattern until out of plates. Add the other 4”x2” piece of stainless steel to the same bolt as the first. Then, tightly add one more nut to each of the non-conductive bolts. Take the close-out cap and the chunk of metal plates and things in your hands and arrange(bend) the 4”x2” plates so the un-bolted holes fit the holes in the cap. Screw the bolts in from the inside of the cap to the outside. Add a some glue(for air tightness) and a few nuts to the top of the bolts until self-satisfied and you have one pretty looking hydrogen gas source.
Scientific Process: is called electrolysis. What the process of electrolysis consists of is basically using electromagnetic poles to tear water into its two elements, oxygen and hydrogen, as well as the hydrogen's electrons. The reason that this ’tear’ can occur is because the electrons of hydrogen are slightly negatively charged and the hydrogen is slightly positively charged. The water is then placed in a containment unit which has an anode and cathode connecting with the water. The positively charged cathode then pulls the positively charged hydrogen atoms towards it while the anode pulls the hydrogens negatively charged electrons in its direction. This separates hydrogen from its electrons and from oxygen, giving us a highly combustible, multi-use, gas. It also gives us spare electrons that can be used for electricity and to convert hydrogen and oxygen back into H2O.
DISCUSSION:
When the gas convertor was first powered on, no changes were observed. We placed a balloon over the end of the tube where hydrogen was supposed to be released from but the balloon did not seem to expand much. Steve said he observed a slight expansion in the balloon though so it did seem to work a small amount but the amount of hydrogen gas produced was not satisfactory. So we powered it down and looked inside. We witnessed a large amount of brown water even though it used to be clear. This, we later realised, was due to rusting of iron washers between the stainless steel anode and cathode plates. This is important to not have occur because instead of going to the process of electrolysis, the electricity goes to the rusting process instead. Another part that failed is the bottom of the tube has a slight leak, which didn’t seem to affect much but may have allowed some hydrogen to escape and may have contributed to the slow rate of hydrogen conversion.
Future refinements for this project include many different details and schematics. One such detail could be a twin compartment system that has a bridge between the two to share water. Nine large stainless steel panels would be located 40 degrees apart from each other. The stainless steel panels would also include holes that have tails of stretched metal, comparable to a windsock at an airfield. These ‘tails’ would maximize contact between metal and water, providing better efficiency during the process of electrolysis. The panels would attached to the main shaft of individual hydrogen gas engines, which would spin the engine at a speed of around 10 miles an hour.
CONCLUSION:
Overall there are many different things I would do to refine this project and build a different design than one seen online, but such a process would take more time and money than I could afford to give. I look forward to conceiving such a helpful machine, and do not doubt that you will see a device similar to this project from me in the future.
http://sepuplhs.org/high/hydrogen/hydrogen.html
REFLECTION:
By conducting a lab with no given direction beside the rubric for this project, I was able to learn that science is very intriguing and an improtant part to understanding life from the most basic to evolved forms. It is also confusing as hell. This project has had a large impact on my life and will most likely help sculpt it to make something useful for this world. Something similar to the failed hydrogen gas source will come from me... just hopefully not as bad.
Through my infographic, I was trying to communicate that we have plenty of alternative energies that we can rely on instead of a temporary solution such as fossil fuels and other energy orriented resources. If a highschool student that wasn't very science orriented can almost build a hydrogen gas source, why arent we focusing on providing what could potentially allow human life to live on instead of perishing with everything from possible climate change. You dont have to beleive that's whats going on, but if present day adults really wanted to help the future generations, they could get to the grindstone and go ffor any sort of project, though no one is expected to. The point is is that we are all capable of simple steps required to make a larger leap, and that there isn't really an excuse beside " I dont want to." which is fine but wont get anyone anywhere. I really just want people to realise that there are other options out there for them to explore and evolve.
LINK TO HUMANITIES PROJECT
By conducting a lab with no given direction beside the rubric for this project, I was able to learn that science is very intriguing and an improtant part to understanding life from the most basic to evolved forms. It is also confusing as hell. This project has had a large impact on my life and will most likely help sculpt it to make something useful for this world. Something similar to the failed hydrogen gas source will come from me... just hopefully not as bad.
Through my infographic, I was trying to communicate that we have plenty of alternative energies that we can rely on instead of a temporary solution such as fossil fuels and other energy orriented resources. If a highschool student that wasn't very science orriented can almost build a hydrogen gas source, why arent we focusing on providing what could potentially allow human life to live on instead of perishing with everything from possible climate change. You dont have to beleive that's whats going on, but if present day adults really wanted to help the future generations, they could get to the grindstone and go ffor any sort of project, though no one is expected to. The point is is that we are all capable of simple steps required to make a larger leap, and that there isn't really an excuse beside " I dont want to." which is fine but wont get anyone anywhere. I really just want people to realise that there are other options out there for them to explore and evolve.
LINK TO HUMANITIES PROJECT