103: Green Hydrogen to Improve the Atmosphere

Greenhouse gases have contributed majorly to climate change throughout the world and pose a growing issue every year. In addition to climate issues, experts project the depletion of finite resources, including coal, oil and natural gas by 2100. Worldwide energy distribution remains unequal, with 625 million people globally lacking access to electricity. With advancing technology, new solutions like green hydrogen emerged to solve multiple problems simultaneously. Green hydrogen utilizes renewable energy resources like wind and solar to create pure hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, which serves various industries.

We worked alongside Dr. Peter Cheetham at the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) to efficiently analyze the opportunities around a proposed green hydrogen facility at Florida State University. The proposed facility aimed to produce 50 kg/day of pure hydrogen using renewable energy resources. For pure hydrogen production, we developed a model where an electrolyzer performed electrolysis on distilled water. Along with hydrogen production, we investigated liquefaction systems to convert gaseous hydrogen into liquid for easier storage and cryogenic research.

After liquefaction, we examined storage facilities to ensure they contained both liquid and gaseous hydrogen properly. We performed financial analysis to determine the project’s profitability. We ensured that the benefits from the hydrogen loop outweighed the project’s financial loss while optimizing the process for efficient resource use. Along with the economic analysis, we conducted a safety study on the system to ensure all facilities followed regulations and performed as intended. We developed a business pitch showing how significantly traditional fossil fuel usage harmed the world and how Florida State University could benefit from this facility’s development.