Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2021
26th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
HYDROGEN GENERATION BY ALUMINUM OXIDATION IN ALKALINE SOLUTION
Submission Author:
Ana Paula Reinert , PR , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Ana Paula Reinert, Beatriz Jacob Furlan, Rafael Silva Ribeiro Gonçalves, Fabrizio Carneiro da Silva, Fernando Gallego Dias, Lauber Martins, Juan Ordonez, JOSÉ VIRIATO COELHO VARGAS
Presenter: Ana Paula Reinert
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2021.COB2021-0621
Abstract
The world economy dependence on fossil fuels is continuously growing, primarily because of the increase of the economic development provided by those fuels. Given the frequent price oscillation and the environmental impact observed by the years, a discussion about ways to produce renewable and clean electrical and thermal energy has commenced. With the discovery of the fuel potential of hydrogen, a new challenge arises as scientists want to guarantee that its production takes place with the least possible impact on the environment. The most common ways to produce hydrogen gas are water electrolysis and hydrocarbons reforming. In the electrolysis, where the water molecule is broken into oxygen gas and hydrogen gas by the passage of an electrical current, the production cost is very high and demands a big amount of electrical energy that is usually obtained from fossil fuels. The hydrocarbon reforming is still the most used one and it’s defined by the fuel exposure to a high heat water vapor, but despite its reduced production cost, it still releases carbon monoxide and dioxide, leading to the same environmental issue presented by fossil fuels. In this scenario, hydrogen production from metal ways, as for example, the oxidation reaction of aluminum in an alkaline solution, is an efficient and clean way for hydrogen generation, as it is free of greenhouse gases emissions, does not need any primary energy source, uses an easily recyclable metal (Al) as the raw material (reactant) and promotes the waste reduction. With all the above mentioned in mind, the objective of the herein study is to present a mathematical model to be used to develop a sustainable hydrogen reactor. The conceived hydrogen reactor will generate a series of experiments, where parameters will be varied to investigate how such variations (concentration of the alkaline solution and mass of aluminum) will interfere in the outcome of the reaction. A literature review will be the foundation to provide comparative data. The mathematical model will compute the energetic efficiency of the process and explore the potential of hydrogen as a fuel, used in electrical vehicles.
Keywords
Hydrogen Generation, renewable energy, mathematical modeling, fuel cells
