Solar Hydrogen MicroPowerplant (Research Project)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project investigates the fusion of hydro-kinetic energy generated by a series of in-pipe water turbines and electric energy gained from a series of solar panels. This combined energy source is applied to break down rainwater into hydrogen and oxygen form. This micro energy unit could be a potential resolution to the energy crisis in developing countries by producing energy from natural elements such as rainfall and/or sunlight. In my research, I have studied and tested my hypotheses correlating the production of hydrogen and oxygen with different varying constructional components. In my model, I used a water turbine setup at the bottom of rain gutters that had a direct access to the rainwater collected on the rooftop of a building. The kinetic energy generated by the vertical flow of rainwater through the pipe causes the water turbine to rotate which in turn generates electrical energy. This hydrokinetic energy source is combined with a series of solar panels to produce enough electrical power to accomplish the hydrolysis reaction. In my laboratory experiments, my micro-model consisted of a 3 V solar panel, a 3 V motor with the water turbine, and a 3 V hydrogen fuel cell.