“Sustainable Energy Production- How can Engineers bring this into reality?

Sustainable energy production as defined by SEN (2010) is “energy that is

renewable within a human lifetime, and can be produced safely and
equitably for all time with minimal impact on the environment and future
inhabitants” a significantly important concept for our time with the ever-
increasing realization that finite resources are just that; finite. Current
energy production relies predominantly on crude oil, of which our supply is
depleting, to the point of serious concern without other options available. It
is also an expensive and environmentally damaging source of energy due to
oil spills during the extraction of the fuel as well as the widely acknowledged
emission of greenhouse gases contributing to the accelerated greenhouse
effect. (Renewable Energy Trust, 2003)
Thus it is important to consider sources of renewable energy, particularly
those that provide the opportunity for as little environmental impact as
possible, whilst still being efficient enough to produce that which is needed.
One example of this is the hydrogen economy.

The hydrogen economy is a potentially viable source of sustainable energy

production that would exponentially improve upon the environmental
concerns of fossil fuels and the potential hazards of other sustainable
energies such as nuclear power in that its main chemical product is water. A
hydrogen fuel cell functions by converting energy such as solar energy into
potential chemical energy in the form of hydrogen that is then used to
produce electricity. This electricity can then be used as other energy; to
power appliances, electrical vehicles and other mechanical devices that
require electrical power. The fuel cell functions as hydrogen fuel at the
anode goes through the reaction

2H₂₍g₎ → 4H⁺ +4e⁻

where the electron production flows through a motor and from there to the
cathode enabling the reaction
O₂₍g₎ + 4H⁺ + 4e⁻ → 2H₂O

to proceed and form water. The electrolyte that allows for the hydrogen ion
to flow from anode to cathode within a hydrogen fuel cell is that of a proton
exchange membrane, a polymer containing H⁺ ions.

There are many challenges yet to be overcome in regards to the use of

hydrogen fuel however; it is an expensive method, with issues arising in
terms of storage of hydrogen and the safety associated with its highly
combustible qualities as well as the process being lacking in efficiency.
These are concerns that need to be overcome before hydrogen fuel can be of
extensive and efficient use, an area where chemical engineers can provide
assistance and contribute to resolving issues.

In order to explore how Engineers can implement sustainable energy and

bring it to fruition; what chemical engineering involves must first be
expressed, in addition to how energy production is manipulated and
controlled through the concepts of mass and energy balance and project
management relevant to this particular example of sustainable energy in the
form of hydrogen economy.

In the words of Nowakowski (et al., 2010) Chemical Engineering involves “the
set of activities responsible for the conversion of raw materials into the
products and services required by society” requiring the comprehension of
chemistry, mathematics and engineering principles as well as many other
aspects specific to the role in question in order to manage such a broad field
of work. To achieve this chemical engineers are responsible for
comprehension of and research into the raw materials that are required, the
design of equipment, and evaluating operational processes, so that they can
produce the required services. In addition to this they may also be involved
in finance, management and entertainment to gain a more holistic view of
the project and what needs to be achieved. (Engineers Australia, 2010)
A main focus within engineering is to maintain sustainability and competitive
costs, involving ensuring cost production is minimised, efficiency of
performance is maximised and that the safety of the process is maintained
with minimal environmental impact. This is achieved through a close
knowledge of all reactions and processes involved in the production of
energy in this case, and the control achieved over them. By controlling the
consumption of raw materials so they are minimised whilst reusing un-
reacted aspects of the process efficiency can be maximised and products can
be more easily made as pure as possible.
The higher demand for energy production in addition to the problems of the
currently utilized fossil fuels and the expectations for the development of
solutions with less pollution are all factors for engineering sustainable energy
such as the hydrogen economy. (Nowakowski et al., 2010)

Chemical engineers control and ‘engineer’ this energy production through

concepts of mass and energy balance. An understanding of the chemical
reactions involved is integral to this process, bringing to the fore aspects that
can be manipulated to achieve the required result such as the moles, and
physical properties of the reagents involved allowing how much is needed for
the desired product to be calculated. It is also important to consider the
amount of electrical energy produced by the fuel cell that is needed to run
the mechanical device in question. This includes the mass of and forces
working on the device as well as a comprehension of the relationships
between the mechanical work, electrical energy and the reactions
themselves.
W(J)= QxE

Where W refers to the electrical energy in joules, Q is the charge generated

in the cell and E is the open circuit voltage of the fuel cell. The charge is
determined by the number of electrons in the quantity of fuel and the open
circuit voltage relates to the chemical energy released in the anodic and
cathodic reactions.
The mechanical work is a combination of the forces acting upon the device
including kinetic friction, gravity, mass, and for example in the case of a
hydrogen fuelled vehicle, displacement.
Mechanical energy (work)

Efficiency= x 100
Electrical
energy
The relationship between this electrical work and the mechanical work
provides the efficiency of the process overall and a greater comprehension of
how aspects of production affect the outcome.
Thus by isolating and controlling aspects of these processes which can be
optimised to provide greater efficiency overall and in designing ways of
achieving this, engineers can ‘engineer’ energy production, reducing cost of
production. As well, any harmful products or pollutants that arise in the
reactions can be identified and strategies devised and put in place to reduce
their impact environmentally. (Nowakowski et al., 2010)
The project management aspect of chemical engineering also plays a
significant role in the way engineers can produce sustainable energy,
designing and providing the most efficient methods of production with the
least impact environmentally to gain the desired outcome for all involved.
Project management requires orchestrating and ensuring that there is
communication between all parties involved to maintain the same standards
across the entirety of production and to ensure that changes made are
acknowledged and compensated for as needed. Without this communication
it is easy for human error to become a factor and for costly mistakes to be
made. This project management also involves understanding the demand
and economic requirements of the project and ensuring that all parties are
gaining the necessary outcome in as sustainable a manner as possible whilst
incorporating time management to ensure processes are completed in the
time necessary and are viable methods when considering time and cost
constraints.

In conclusion sustainable energy production encompasses a wide range of

potential energy sources that will improve our impact on the environment
and be around for generations to come and through the features involved in
engineering these sources of sustainable energy can become viable and
widespread options for energy production.

References

• Sustainable Energy Now. (2010). Project SEN. Retrieved May 31 from,

http://www.sen.asn.au/

• Renewable Energy Trust. (2003). Other Environmental Impacts of Fossil

Fuels. Retrieved May 31 from,
http://www.masstech.org/cleanenergy/important/envother.htm

• Engineers Australia. (2010). What is Chemical Engineering?. Retrieved

May 31 from, http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/colleges/chemical/what-
is-chemical-engineering/what-is-chemical-engineering_home.cfm

• Nowakowski, J., G. Yap, M. Valix (2010). Engineering Energy: The

Hydrogen-Fuelled Car. ENGG1800 Introduction to Engineering
Disciplines Notes, February 2010, The University of Sydney.