30 April 2015

To: Patrick Ferro

From: Shane Guy
Hydrogen Power Output
Background:
A total of 0.1 grams was drained from the hydrogen container. The temperature of the canister
remained around the same as the initial temperature which was 24.6C however did oscillate around
this temperature for the duration of the experiment. The minimum voltage recorded was 3 volts and the
maximum voltage recorded was 4.13 volts.
Procedure:
The starting mass of the canister was 2.3523 kg. Hydrogen was pulsed out of the canister while the
temperature and voltage was recorded during the allotted time. Over eleven minutes data was recorded
every two minutes and for an additional minute. The new mass of the canister was taken 2.3522 kg to
see how much hydrogen was used, 0.1 grams.
Results:
Table A.1
initial temp
24.6C
initial mass
2.3523 kg
final mass
2.3522 kg
time(min)
Temp(C)
Voltage(V)
2
24.5
3
4
24.6
3.45
6
24.4
3.43
8
24.4
3.3
10
24.5
4.13
11
24.5
4.03
Table A.1 shows that the temperature in Celsius remained relatively constant during the experiment.
The table shows that the voltage increased with the amount of hydrogen being released to the bulb
quite dependently while being completely independent of the temperature change. Therefore the
voltage reading is dependent on the mass flow rate from the canister.
Table A.1 shows that more the valve was opened that voltage increased. There was a constraint with
allowing the voltage not to go above 4.5 volts because that would damage the bulb. The data presented
has some errors because the intervals of time are too larger to track any small changes in the
temperature or voltage. However, the temperature shows to stay relatively constant. Also, the amount
of hydrogen used over this period of time is negligible in that it was 0.1 gram.

Graph A.1

30
11, 24.5
25
2, 24.5

20

4, 24.6

6, 24.4

8, 24.4

10, 24.5

15
10
4, 3.45

6, 3.43

8, 3.3

10, 4.13

10

11, 4.03

2, 3
0
0

12

Graph A.1 shows the relative constant relationship with respect to time which was measured in minutes.
The diamond data points correlate to the temperature of the canister measured in Celsius. The square
data points correlate to the voltage of the bulb measured in Volts
Graph A.1 shows how the voltage increases as the temperature of the canister decreases. Therefore is a
relationship of how the flow of hydrogen from the canister and the voltage in the bulb. The mass of the
hydrogen leaves the canister and with it entropy. This in turn causes a heat transfer and work
production since mass must be conserved as well as energy. The entropy of the hydrogen gas which is
positively charged cause the current to flow through the bulb. Hence, the voltage is directly proportional
to the change in temperature of the hydrogen gas
The voltage and the temperature remained steadily constant throughout the experiment. This means
that the amount of energy flowing into the light bulb was pretty constant and glowed with the energy
flowed through it. The temperature also remained relatively constant which means that the concern of
cooling metal can for now be ignored. This data shows that hydrogen can be used as an actual energy
source for electricity on a very small scale. Even more impressive was the amount of hydrogen used in
order to power the small light bulb. The difference in the final and initial mass was about a tenth of a
gram according to table A.1.
Conclusions:
The results of this experiment are that the duration of the procedure that the temperature of the
canister of hydrogen stayed relatively constant with the initial temperature being 24.6C and the final
temperature being 24.5C. The main observation is that both temperature and voltage depend heavily
on the amount of hydrogen leaving the canister. Concluding that if the canister were to just be drained
the voltage would rise as the temperature would fall. By maintain conservation of energy the heat loss
from the canister would equal the work put into the bulb.