Project Overview

For this project, our objective is to design a system that effectively optimizes the process of converting solar energy into electrical energy. We will use a solar panel to convert solar energy into electrical energy, and we then utilize this electrical energy to extract hydrogen and oxygen gas from liquid water through the process known as electrolysis. This process will take place in an electrolysis chamber we will design and construct. This hydrogen gas is then run through a fuel cell, where it is split into positive hydrogen ions and negatively charged electrons. These electrons will travel to the cathode along an external circuit, thus creating an electrical current. At the cathode, these electrons, along with the positive hydrogen ions, will recombine with oxygen from the electrolysis to once again from water as a byproduct. More in depth information on each step of the process is available in the corresponding pages. Working on this project will be electrical engineering students Jeff Proko and Ryan Vader, chemical engineering student James Haeckel, mechanical engineering student Jordan Lopez, and materials science/engineering student Cooper Voigt.