Wind and Solar Driven Electrolysis System

As more and more countries become developed, global energy demands increase, putting a greater strain on the environment. Over three-fourths of the global energy demand is supplied by fossil fuel sources. This dependency on fossil fuels is why it is important for technologically advanced countries to aggressively pursue clean energy sources. If renewable energy was used to produce clean fuel sources, such as hydrogen, the consumption of fossil fuels could be reduced. The purpose of the proposed project is to demonstrate an application of renewable energy used to create a clean fuel source. Wind and solar power will provide the energy required to decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis. Energy will be stored in two lead-acid 12-V batteries. Critical system characteristics will be monitored and displayed using a microcontroller and LCD. The microcontroller will also control the power flow to the electrolysis apparatus to allow system shutdown at critical battery level. The design could be developed for residential and commercial use. A reliable source of hydrogen would be available at the consumers' convenience for use with hydrogen fuel cell devices. The design would provide a cost effective fuel source that would encourage growth of hydrogen technologies by offsetting operation costs.