Week Three

While exploring our options for calculating efficiencies, we have developed a prototype hydrogen generator.
Embedded here are three videos that demonstrate a basic model. Two copper coils are inserted into a jar of H2O. Each coil is brought into contact with either end of a 9-volt battery. This reduces the hydrogen and oxidizes the oxygen, causing the gasses to come off the respectively charged wire. The variable in these three experiments comes from the amount of Sodium Bicarbonate put into the water to increase electrolytes.

This trial features no added baking soda, and very little gas is produced.

The second trial incorporates 1 tbsp of baking soda, significantly increasing the reaction rate.

The third trial is with excess baking soda, and a very rapid reaction rate.


Factors to consider are the effect of the sodium bicarbonate on the reaction;
Is it being incorporated into the reactants and itself forming a resulting gas?
Is it bonding with the newly formed oxygen gas, possibly forming CO2?

Tests for precipitates and pH would have to be conducted to confirm the validity of this process.

Week Two

This week, we are finalizing design for generator using Creo Parametrics, Once we are finished, we’ll submit it for creation via rapid prototyping. In our meeting with our advisor we discussed our objective. We've narrowed it down to proving that ethanol with hydrogen is more efficient as compared to gasoline in terms of cost per energy output. Other details discussed were the gathering of materials and access to a bomb calorimeter. In order to test our fuel, there are testing centers in the Alumni Engineering Labs, though the calorimeter is broken. If it proves to be irreparable, we shall look for alternative methods of testing the fuel sources. One proposed idea is to institute a 50CC engine, and use formulas based off piston movement to calculate energy output. 

Week One

This week, we met up to refine the proposal and set up the blog. It was determined that emphasis will be placed on determining the efficiency of ethanol combustion with oxygen. We would compare this to the efficiency of an ethanol hydrogen mixture, and further compare both of these to the standard gasoline. That can be determined using the following equation: Efficiency = 1 – (T(Initial) – T(Final)). We discussed a few ways to test the efficiency of this combustion. We ultimately decided to first measure the output of it in a bomb calorimeter. We further discussed the possibility of applying the mixture to a real engine. This would be reserved for the last couple of weeks, depending on our progress in research and calculations.