Home ›

Hydrogen Power Generation

Hydrogen Technology

 

Jetstream Wind, Inc. is currently working on projects which benefit whole energy industries in their power production techniques, storage processes and ability to deliver stable energy.  The process of creating electricity from sustainably generated hydrogen releases no greenhouse gases whatsoever and permits the use of salt water and gray water, resulting in a byproduct of distilled water on the back-end.  Proponents of global hydrogen argue that it’s the cleanest form of energy available to date.  For areas on the planet with no access to fresh water, this potential becomes very significant.

The energy products we design have the potential for large-scale implementation and the ability to provide crucial components in the quest to fortify global energy supply with renewables and greatly reduce carbon emissions in the earth’s atmosphere, helping establish The New Hydrogen Economy and providing a solution previously only resolved with fossil fuels.

The Energy Answer
 
Why Does Jetstream Wind, Inc. Choose Hydrogen?
  • Abundant - Most common element, unlimited supply
  • 100% Clean - no fossil fuels, emits only water vapor
  • Safe - uses water molecule, less flamable than gas

As a vital part of our global energy transition we, at Jetstream Wind, Inc., look to the newest and most effective forms of power production to locate the preeminent solutions to our energy, environmental and economic issues.

Hydrogen is widely abundant!  It’s in the water we drink, the rain that falls from the skies and fills the vast oceans across our planet. With at least 80% of the universe being composed of hydrogen, it’s a part of every living thing on the planet. This free, safe liquid electricity is, to us, considered to be one of the most beautiful and useful elements on Earth and has the absolute ability of becoming the energy carrier that will fuel our planet with clean, secure and unending energy far into the future. 

Many consider hydrogen to be a key element in addressing long-term energy security, environmental and economic concerns.  Safer than and economically competitive with gasoline, diesel and natural gas, hydrogen is non-polluting, can help prevent the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and can be produced in any country.

Hydrogen can fuel today’s internal combustion engine vehicles as well as developing fuel-cell vehicles.  It can replace natural gas in heating and cooling homes and powering hot water heaters, and is used extensively today to produce ammonia, methanol, gasoline and heating fuel.

Though the hydrogen production process is typically quite costly due to the great amount of electricity required in the electrolysis process, Jetstream Wind, Inc. can power its hydrogen production facilities with renewable energy, making the process extremely cost-effective.

Jetstream Wind, Inc. is able to produce hydrogen at a lower cost to supply both the industrial hydrogen market and hydrogen fueling stations, with the objective of contributing to the development of a long-term energy infrastructure.

Energy produced by wind and solar technologies is intermittent by nature and cannot by itself provide “firm” power for dispatch, thus presently requiring back up by various types of fossil fuel plants.  With industrial hydrogen production currently limited primarily to petroleum refineries, these means have never become efficient or economically feasible enough to run a utility-scale gas-fired power plant. The assurance of firm power with renewables has remained a major obstacle in the timely development and integration of green energy infrastructure worldwide.

The Hydrogen Economy

According to World Watch Institute who was published in a recent article in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, “The notion of a ‘hydrogen economy’ is moving beyond the realm of scientists and engineers and into the lexicon of political and business leaders. Choices made today will likely determine which countries and companies seize the enormous political power and economic prizes associated with the hydrogen age now dawning”.  Although this news was obvious to us, we had to ask what was it that has slowed down this one true answer to our future energy needs.   We hope to clarify any misconceptions:

·         Hydrogen being too costly and inefficient to produce

Up until recently, steam-reforming (separating hydrogen atoms from carbon atoms in methane) has been the least expensive and most efficient way to produce hydrogen, thus having it make little sense to build a hydrogen economy, producing hydrogen through such high-level CO2 contributing methods. 

According to International Association for Hydrogen Energy, however, “When solar energy - in its direct and/or indirect forms - is used to produce hydrogen from water, both the primary and secondary forms of energy become renewable and environmentally compatible, resulting with an ideal, clean and permanent energy system.”  The high cost of creating a hydrogen infrastructure and not enough involvement from auto manufacturers creating an infrastructure for wide-spread hydrogen use was, in the past, assumed to be too expensive a project to undertake. But with the growing use of hydrogen and the growing number of automobile manufacturers developing this technology, estimates from General Motors say that the initial hydrogen infrastructure would cost about $12 billion, which is less than the U.S. spends each month in Iraq.

On November 15, 2007 at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda unveiled the FCX Clarity, the first production model, and announced that the hydrogen fueled car would be available for lease beginning in the summer 2008.  Additional auto manufacturers currently producing hydrogen fuel-cell cars include:  Audi, Chrysler, Daimler, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

Information and FAQ's

About Hydrogen:

The last thing we here at JWI want is for people to be afraid of hydrogen.  We also see that the best way to work through a fear around something is to gain knowledge and understanding of it.

It was odd for humanity, we're sure, when the first airplane took flight, the first x-ray was taken, or the first form of smart nanotechnology showed itself.  Whether it be new technology or hurdles we can fly over with the help of new technology, we will continue, as intelligent humans, to move forward into unchartered territory to solve each new problem as it arises.

As we begin looking at the most efficient and effective forms of energy production in order to find the needed solutions to our energy, environment and economical issues, we at JWI focused our attention on hydrogen because and most importantly, it's found everywhere on our planet in abundant supply.  It's in the water we drink and bathe in and in the rain that falls from the skies.  It is found in the vast oceans that sustain the life on our planet and is the first element on the periodic table.  80% of the universe is composed of hydrogen and it is a part of every living thing on the planet.  Without it, life would not exist.  It is, to us, considered to be one of the most beautiful elements on Earth and has the absolute ability of becoming the energy carrier that will fuel our planet with clean energy far into the future.

Pound for pound, hydrogen contains almost three times more energy as does natural gas, and when utilized for energy production, its only emission is pure, plain water.  But unlike oil and gas, hydrogen is not a fuel but a carrier for storing or transporting energy.  It is combustible and has been used as a fuel for centuries.  To utilize it, however, it must be created from splitting the water molecule, which historically has been done either by extracting hydrogen from fossil fuels, or by using electricity to split it from water in less cost and energy-effective methods.

By its very nature, hydrogen is actually less flammable than gasoline and won't even ignite until 550 degrees Celsius is reached, as opposed to gasoline, which ignites at 228 to 501 degrees Celsius, making it no more or less as safe as gasoline and other fuels.  Hydrogen, which exists as a gas under normal atmospheric conditions is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-toxic gas that burns when mixed with air, which also can be safely transported.  It is extremely light and buoyant, so should it escape from its containers, it will dissipate into the open air very quickly, making any flammable concentration of hydrogen unlikely.

References to the Hindenburg and the H-Bomb:

 

Although there still may be people who believe that the cause of the Hindenburg explosion was the result of hydrogen leaking, igniting and exploding into flames, like other events in our history books, the facts get tainted by opinion, limited flow of communication and limited understanding of the time.  The hydrogen "fear" came about many years ago and caused an unfortunate blanket decision regarding one of the most abundant and internationally available elements on our planet and the cleanest possible source of energy to power our lives.

The fire seen in the historic pictures of the Hindenburg was caused by aluminum and iron oxide, two ingredients found in rocket fuel that coated the airship.  An electrical discharge took place and set fire to the ship, which was quickly engulfed in flames.  There were approximately 35 people on board the Hindenburg who perished during this flight, and most died as a result of jumping off the edge of the airship while it was still far above the ground.  One of those 35 people died from burns related to the flammable coating and one from burns associated with the on-board diesel fuel. No one was burnt or died because of hydrogen.  And even though the hydrogen did burn, it burnt very quickly and in an upward direction away from the people below.

We would also like to make reference to the H-Bomb or Hydrogen Bomb.  Over the years, hydrogen use has also gathered a good amount of fear because of a process that is worlds away from hydrogen used as fuel.  The nuclear fusion reactions involved in creating the H-Bomb have nothing to do with hydrogen used as a fuel in internal combustion and the splitting of the water molecule.  To create hydrogen from water, the two hydrogen molecules and the one oxygen molecule (from the H2O) are separated through electrolysis.  Burning hydrogen, like any other fuel source is a chemical reaction, meaning electrons get switched around and new compounds are formed..water.

When ultra purity hydrogen is combusted and used as a fuel, only pure water is produced.  No CO2 emissions, no dark clouds of air pollution, no radioactive remnants, no waste gases, no spills, and no contaminating our air, soil and water.

Future Hydrogen Power Plants

What would a hydrogen power plant look like?

 
Even with the proper renewable combinatory system in place, the aesthetics of the plant would be paramount to creating an entire picture of environmental sustainability, and with that, we won’t just stop at the technology.  Our plants will not only complement the local environment in their look and style, but will also mesh with the local landscapes.

Will this power plant technology cause electricity rates to rise?

 
If you look at the cost per kilowatt-hour of coal it's about 8.2 cents in most places, and if you look at the cost of natural gas it's about 10.4 cents per kilowatt-hour.  We're already at a point where we can match these, and will probably come in cheaper per kilowatt-hour with our process.

How efficient is this technology?

 
This is technology that was not available a year ago.  It is obviously very efficient, and efficiency levels are continually rising every day as the industry is advancing.  It is currently just as efficient as a natural gas-fired power plant, and we expect the efficiency levels to rise even beyond that.

Would a plant of this type be funded by tax dollars?

 
There is already enough of a burden on taxpayers in our country.  Our entire renewable energy portfolio is designed to give back instead of taking.  It is for the benefit of the consumers, the taxpayers, the landowners, the investors, the economy and the environment.

How would a plant of this type derive income?

 
Income would be derived from the sale of electricity and the sale of hydrogen.  As to the sale of electricity, there are two ways this is accomplished:  The first is a power purchase agreement.  This is a contract over a period of years for the purchase of generated electricity from renewable sources in this state.  The second is called “the day-ahead bid process” and this is set up so that in emergency situations, power can be supplied to those areas.
 

Zero emissions…really?

 
Yes!  Zero harmful emissions is a necessary piece of this technology. Placing our focus on energy alone was never enough to solve all of the issues.  The environmental impacts that have been placed upon the planet through energy production must cease. Therefore, in designing this technology, the environment was at the top of the list, along with efficiency and economic return. 
 
Absolutely no harmful or toxic emissions will be coming from these power plants.  As water is split into hydrogen and oxygen, there will be a slight bit of water vapor emitted but the majority of this will be captured.

Is this proven technology?

 
It is absolutely proven.  On August 14, 2009, the Italian power company, ENEL, announced that their 12 mega-watt hydrogen-powered electricity plant in Fusina, Italy has come on-line.
 
This plant is considered to be a very solid step in the right direction as zero emissions are created by burning the hydrogen to produce electricity.  The hydrogen that is supplied to the new power plant, however, is transported by pipeline from a nearby petrochemical plant, which in itself creates large amount of CO2.
 
In the United States, The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has successfully implemented their wind-to-hydrogen project at the National Wind Technology Center.  This project has the proven capacity to utilize renewable energy (wind) to create the power to easily produce zero-emission hydrogen and electricity.

What are the benefits of this type of power plant?

 
These plants have many benefits.  Not only do they have the capability to attach to existing solar and wind farms already in existence in order to firm up variable renewable power, but with this technological configuration, we can also adapt existing natural gas fire plants to burn renewably generated hydrogen at cost competitive rates with no harmful emissions.
 
But we don’t stop there.  Some of the additional highlights of this system also include:
 
  • The ability to use nearly any renewable energy power source.
  • Hydrogen storage, allowing consistent dispatch back into the grid using sustainable resources and providing “firm” renewable power back to our aging grid system.
  • Reduced water consumption – the plant design uses approximately the same amount of water per year as a New Mexico residential home, as it recycles water back through the plant’s system for continuous reuse.
  • The ability to provide approximately 13,000 homes and businesses with electricity.
  • The plant design produces additional ultra-pure liquid hydrogen and oxygen.  These are very usable byproducts, cleanly produced and used as a commodity to multiple industries.

As you can see, hydrogen has been highly under-developed and underestimated in its abilities to provide clean, safe and effective solutions in a wide variety of situations.  

From 17-20 megawatt self-contained power plants, to remote and stand-alone power producers, to desalination and clean water units, there are few other options with such diversity and effectiveness.