Fuel Cell and Alternative Energy Education Program and Projects in the High School

Ponaganset High School began fuel cell and alternative energy education in 2001 and has gained momentum through innovative projects that strengthen the students' learning experiences.Students at Ponaganset initially demonstrated fuel cell technology with the formation of Protium, a fuel cell-powered rock and roll band.The successes of the Protium band led to the development of a Fuel Cell Systems pilot course that is now in its seventh year.The course covers fuel cell and other renewable energy technologies and strives to demonstrate the viability of these technologies through real-world projects.The alternative fuel vehicle projects began with a two person fuel cell-powered Quadracycle and have developed into more ambitious endeavors.The Fuel Cell Model T project began with the conversion of a 350 cubic inch V8 gasoline fueled hot rod to run on battery electric power and in September 2009 the Fuel Cell Model T successfully ran its first road tests using a Hydrogenics HyPM 12 kW fuel cell.To demonstrate biodiesel the Coast to Coast Biodiesel Pickup Project was initiated.Three students and a science teacher prepared and drove a GMC K3500 turbo diesel pickup donated by Con Edison Solutions from Rhode Island to Malibu, California on B99 biodiesel and made the trip without refueling along the way.One of the challenges with these projects was a lack of dedicated space in the school, requiring the majority of the work do be done after school and weekends.To maximize student learning opportunities during the school day a dedicated Energy Lab is now under construction at Ponaganset and is scheduled for completion during the 2009-2010 school year.