Archive:000/Hydrogen gas: Difference between revisions

Line 125: Line 125:
}}
}}
{{dp
{{dp
|<nowiki>pgm.mine_production</nowiki>
|<nowiki>pgm.status_quo_mining_production</nowiki>
|<nowiki>platinum.mine_production + palladium.mine_production</nowiki>
|<nowiki>platinum.mine_production + palladium.mine_production</nowiki>
|<nowiki>Global production of platinum-group metals (PGMs) from mining (status quo)</nowiki>
|<nowiki>Global production of platinum-group metals (PGMs) from mining (status quo)</nowiki>
Line 222: Line 222:
}}
}}
<!-- --- END OF DATA POINTS ---
<!-- --- END OF DATA POINTS ---
-->
-->
<tab name="General requirements" collapsed>
'''Scenario 1:''' If hydrogen gas (from wind power) were to directly replace all fossil fuels (this implies that people would drive [[hydrogen combustion vehicles]]):
{{minor|The mass of PGMs needed is proportional to ''peak power'':}}
* For electrolysis systems, the maximum '''rate of hydrogen production''' {{light|is limited by the amount of PGMs}}.
* For fuel cell vehicles, the '''horsepower''' {{light|is limited by the amount of PGMs}}.
** {{minor|But the vehicle can still achieve ''short bursts'' of higher horsepower if there's a battery or supercapacitor in parallel with the fuel cell.}}
</tab>


'''Scenario 1:''' If hydrogen gas (from wind power) were to directly replace all fossil fuels (this implies that people would drive [[hydrogen combustion vehicles]]):
<tab name="SEE MATHS" collapsed>
<tab name="(see maths)">
{{calc
{{calc
|electrolysis.pgm_by_power / electrolysis.efficiency / wind.capacity_factor * fossil_fuels.consumption
|electrolysis.pgm_by_power / electrolysis.efficiency / wind.capacity_factor * fossil_fuels.consumption
Line 239: Line 234:
{{calc
{{calc
|...
|...
|years pgm.mine_production
|years pgm.status_quo_mining_production
|||'''PGMs needed for hydrogen gas production.'''
}}
}}
</tab>
</tab>


The amount of PGMs needed is pretty reasonable (16% of mineral reserves) - but we'd have to start mining a lot faster than the status quo (and find some way to do it ''without'' exploitative [[labor]]). {{npn}}
* The amount of PGMs needed is pretty reasonable '''(16% of mineral reserves)'''. We'd still have to mine for PGMs a lot faster than the status-quo (and do it ''without'' exploitative [[labor]]). {{npn}}


To prevent NOx emissions ([[#NOx emissions|see section below]]), hydrogen combustion vehicles need ''catalytic converters'', just like gasoline or diesel vehicles do. Catalytic converters ''also'' contain some PGMs, which could be obtained by recycling old catalytic converters from fossil-fuel vehicles.
{{minor|To prevent NOx emissions ([[#NOx emissions|see section below]]), hydrogen combustion vehicles need ''catalytic converters'', just like gasoline or diesel vehicles do. Catalytic converters ''also'' contain some PGMs, which could be obtained by recycling old catalytic converters from fossil-fuel vehicles.}}




'''Scenario 2:''' If all vehicles were hydrogen [[fuel cell vehicles]] instead:
'''Scenario 2:''' If all vehicles were hydrogen [[fuel cell vehicles]] instead:
<tab name="(see maths)">
 
<tab name="SEE MATHS" collapsed>
{{calc
{{calc
|(toyota_mirai.pgm - catalytic_converter.pgm) * world.cars * commercial_factor
|(toyota_mirai.pgm - catalytic_converter.pgm) * world.cars * commercial_factor
Line 257: Line 254:
{{calc
{{calc
|...
|...
|years pgm.mine_production
|years pgm.status_quo_mining_production
|||Fuel-cell vehicles don't need catalytic converters, but a fuel cell contains far more PGMs than a catalytic converter.
|||'''PGMs needed to make the fuel-cell vehicles.'''{{minor|Fuel-cell vehicles don't have catalytic converters, but a fuel cell contains far more PGMs than a catalytic converter.}}
}}
}}
</tab>
</tab>
Line 264: Line 261:
  Maybe I should refactor [[template:calc]] to allow for presenting one calculation in multiple units? This would involve some design decisions.
  Maybe I should refactor [[template:calc]] to allow for presenting one calculation in multiple units? This would involve some design decisions.
-->
-->
One benefit of fuel cell vehicles is that they're more energy-efficient than combustion vehicles (i.e. less hydrogen used per kilometer driven).


The problem is, fuel cells would need 7 times the PGMs of Scenario 1 {{light|(estimated)}}. Perhaps too much to be scalable. And this is true even though we factored in the recycling of old catalytic converters (which have less than 1/10th the PGMs of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, on average).
* One benefit of fuel cell vehicles is that they're more energy-efficient than combustion vehicles (i.e. less hydrogen used per kilometer driven).
 
* The problem is, the fuel cells alone would need '''7 times more''' PGMs mined than Scenario 1 (estimated). Perhaps too much to be scalable. And this is true ''even though'' we factored in the recycling of old catalytic converters.
 


<tab name="General principles" collapsed>
{{minor|The mass of PGMs needed is proportional to ''peak power'':}}
* For electrolysis systems, the maximum '''rate of hydrogen production''' {{light|is limited by the amount of PGMs}}.
* For fuel cell vehicles, the '''horsepower''' {{light|is limited by the amount of PGMs}}.
** {{minor|But the vehicle can still achieve ''short bursts'' of higher horsepower if there's a battery or supercapacitor in parallel with the fuel cell.}}
</tab>
<tab name="More notes on these estimates" collapsed>
<tab name="More notes on these estimates" collapsed>
More musings about the calculations above:
More musings about the calculations above: