At this year’s district science fair, Stephen Petersen earned "Best of Show" for his outstanding project about improving hydrogen gas production through electrolysis. Electrolysis is the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
The goal of his project was to figure out how to make hydrogen production more efficient by changing the surface area of the electrodes (the metal pieces that carry electricity into the water). He tested whether increasing the electrode surface area would produce more hydrogen gas and whether it would improve overall efficiency.
After many hours of careful experimentation and data analysis, Stephen discovered something interesting. While increasing the electrode surface area did increase the total amount of hydrogen produced, it actually decreased the efficiency of hydrogen production. In other words, bigger electrodes made more gas, but they used energy less efficiently. His results suggest that using a smaller series of electrodes may be a better way to produce hydrogen more efficiently.
This research is important because hydrogen is a clean, renewable energy source. Finding ways to produce it more efficiently could help create more sustainable energy solutions in the future.
Congratulations to Stephen Petersen for this impressive achievement and well-deserved recognition! He will next present his project at BYU during the Central Utah STEM Fair, where he will have the opportunity to qualify for the national level.