An Experimental Study of Hydrogen Production by Dissociation of Water Vapor in a Helicon Plasma Source

Summary form only given. This study explores the option of using a helicon plasma source to dissociate water vapor for hydrogen production. Fossil fuels currently provide 86% of energy in the United States and much of the world. The dependency of the world on fossil fuels as the main energy source leads to an unsustainable environmental and energy future. Hydrogen has been proposed as an alternative source of energy carrier, but it is a sustainable energy source only if it is produced from renewable resources. Currently, 96% of hydrogen is produced by non-renewable methods. Electrolysis is the predominant renewable method of hydrogen production, contributing to 3.8% of total hydrogen production. However, its efficiency, the ratio of the energy value of hydrogen and the energy input to produce hydrogen, is only 25%. In this experiment, a helicon plasma source is used to dissociate water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen partial pressure is measured using a residual gas analyzer. An evaluation of this hydrogen production method is presented based on hydrogen partial pressure measurement and estimated efficiencies. A characterization of the quantity of hydrogen produced in various operating conditions is also presented. A comparison between this approach and electrolysis is discussed.