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"HYDROGEN 101"
AN OVERVIEW OF HYDROGEN POWER WHAT IS HYDROGEN? Propane and Gasoline vapor are heavier than air and they drift downward, gather in pockets and create fire and explosive hazards, Hydrogen gas quickly rises and becomes diluted in air to non-volatile levels. Hydrogen is very unlikely to explode unless mixed with oxygen, trapped from above or compressed and ignited. Hydrogen can be burned as fuel itself, or mixed with other fuel gasses. An odd feature of Hydrogen is that because it's molecule is so small, under high pressure (400psi) it tends to escape THROUGH metal containers. You can get: You can get: WHERE DO WE GET HYDROGEN? When water is electrolyzed, both Hydrogen and Oxygen are produced and can be collected and used separately. Hydrogen can be made by other processes as well, such as from Natural Gas through a process called Steam Reformation, although this is not a "clean" process and it depletes unrenewable resources. |
Approximately 3/4 of all the matter on Earth is Hydrogen. Hydrogen energy can be extracted, or produced in different ways from nearly any available organic material or water. The science community is now working on how to make those extractions efficient and cost-effective for mass-production of fuel and energy. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HYDROGEN POWER? As a power source, Hydrogen/Oxygen "Fuel Cell" technology is even more efficient than the burning of Hydrogen and produces no pollution whatsoever during operation, but electricity is needed to generate the Hydrogen fuel for the fuel cell. Most of our electricity comes from the burning of polluting fossil fuels. For a sustainable fuel supply scientists often recommend using electricity from solar or wind power to generate Hydrogen gas. While all forms of energy production present challenges, Hydrogen is considered by many scientists, engineers and entrepeneurs to have potential to be overall the safest, least polluting and most abundant and sustainable energy source on the planet. Many forms of energy have huge hidden costs: Nuclear power plants are expensive and slow and costly to build, require handling and permanent storage of radioactive waste, must be protected against terrorists, and plants must be "decommissioned" and taken out of service after a relatively short production lifespan. Biomass and Ethanol, when burned, are not as clean as Hydrogen fuel, and they require the consumption of farmland that is badly needed for food production. In some regions food prices have already risen from agricultural shifts to biomass production. |
As a candidate for our primary energy source there are advantages of Hydrogen fuel over Nuclear, Coal, Gasoline, Solar, Wind, Liquified Natural Gas, Methane, Propane, Biomass, Ethanol, and all other forms of combustibles. Wind and solar generators are perfect partners with Hydrogen, as they don't pollute when they generate the electricity for Hydrogen fuel generation (electrolysis). Because a small current of electricity (in water) can produce Hydrogen, some experts view Hydrogen as a "battery". In other words, energy stored from the generation of electricity. This gives wind and solar generation major significance in that the electricity they generate can be stored in the form of Hydrogen gas. This energy system can reduce or eliminate the need for traditional batteries which are more expensive and polluting because of the lead, acid, nickel cadmuim and other toxic materials they contain. While Hydrogen gas can be manufactured in bulk, transported, stored and dispensed, the safest and most efficient way to utilize Hydrogen may be for the consumer to generate the gas "on demand" using small electrolysis devices to feed immediate fuel demand. If "demand-side fuel generation" systems were implemented widely it would greatly reduce the infrastructure needed to manufacture, transport, store and dispense the volatile bulk product and it would improve general safety and security. HOW MUCH LONGER CAN WE SAFELY USE FOSSIL FUELS? If we are to avoid massive and unimaginable disasters over the next few decades mankind must stop creating greenhouse gasses now, and we must prepare for the problems that have already been caused. |
Generally, those who argue against Hydrogen energy point to it's cost as higher than, say, improving gas mileage of cars. Unfortunately, if the global vehicle population and power generation grid fail to cut hydrocarbon emissions to a small fraction of current levels within a few years the negative consequences will be unthinkable. Fuel cost, at this point, is not the primary concern. Nature is starting to force us to make wiser choices in our fuels and lifestyles. HOW LONG HAS HYDROGEN POWER BEEN AROUND? Benjamin Franklin is believed to have experimented with Hydrogen electrolysis to create fuel for home use. The first patent for Hydrogen production was filed in the year 1800. All the original patents for the general science of Hydrogen power have now expired. That has released the process of Hydrogen fuel generation and sale to the public domain. Some companies are still filing for, and holding patents for advanced Hydrogen generation systems or particular designs of Hydrogen-related equipment and processes, although the basic principals of Hydrogen power are no longer privately controlled. The widespread implementation of Hydrogen power was neglected and delayed for many decades by various commercial and political interests. HELP CREATE OUR ENERGY FUTURE. |