An Art/Science Collaboration in Renewable Hydrogen Energy for Public Events

An Art/Science Collaboration in Renewable Hydrogen Energy for Public Events

When UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Laboratory’s public engagement group, UCell, demonstrates its fuel cell (electrical power from hydrogen) at public events, a common question has been: ‘But where does the hydrogen come from – is it renewable?’

Awardees Laessing (Slade School of Fine Art) and Heenan (Chemical Engineering) will deliver a cross-disciplinary art/science future of energy seminar between EIL and the Slade, based on a water electrolyser built by UCell to produce hydrogen for a 100-watt fuel cell as a demonstration system for public engagement work.

This will, for the first time, provide renewable hydrogen from water and solar, rather than gas cylinders, that are presently used, to be integrated into UCell’s programme of off-campus public events. This project also aims actively to seek out other initiatives at UCL with a shared focus on the UCL Grand Challenge question of "How do we get society safely to the end of the 21st Century?"