In an age of increasing fossil fuel prices, uncertainty of energy supplies and concern over the effect of rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, the role of hydrogen fuel as an alternative energy source is being reexamined.
Plentiful Supply of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe. David L. Heiserman, in his Exploring Chemical Elements and their Compounds, published by TAB Books in 1992, lists hydrogen as the most common element in the universe. On Earth, according to Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy. published by Argonne National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, in May 2003, hydrogen is the third most abundant element. However this hydrogen does not exist as the pure element, but as part of other compounds, mainly water and fossil fuels.
Hydrogen is Not a Source of Energy
Commercially, hydrogen is mainly produced from fossil fuel and to a lesser extent by electrolysis using energy produced from fossil fuels. Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy states, “Hydrogen is currently produced on an industrial scale (9 Mtons/yr in the U.S.) through steam reforming of natural gas.”
Hydrogen produced from either fossil fuels or by electrolysis involves a loss of energy and results in high emissions of greenhouse gases. In the Future of the Hydrogen Economy: Bright or Bleak? published on April 15 2003, Ulf Bossel says on page 13, “The efficiency of hydrogen production by autothermal reforming is about 90%, but may be less”, and further on says, “Also, more CO2 is released by this indirect process than by direct use of the hydrocarbon precursors.”
Hydrogen as a Fuel
Hydrogen burns cleanly, producing little or no harmful emissions or CO2. According to the Fact SheetHydrogen Fuel: a Clean and Secure Energy Future produced by the White House Press Office in February 2006:
- It has the highest energy content per unit of weight of any known fuel.
- When burned in an engine, hydrogen produces effectively zero emissions; when powering a fuel cell, its only waste is water.
- Hydrogen can be produced from abundant domestic resources including natural gas, coal, biomass, and even water.
Due to the increasing price of gasoline and the heightened awareness of the dangers of greenhouse gases, there are more hydrogen fueled automobiles being produced now than ever before.
- In a report carried in the Greenwich Time, Dave Buchko, spokesman for BMW North America said, "We're close to a point where if the fuel (hydrogen) became (widely) available tomorrow, we would be able to make the cars available".
- The Los Angeles Times, in a report titled “Stars test the waters with Hydrogen cars” on June 15, 2008 reported that Honda has produced the FCX Clarity which can get 270 miles to the tank. It also says that GM has developed its hydrogen car, the Chevy Equinox .
To make hydrogen a renewable fuel it should use renewable energy, such as wind power or solar power, for production. A report carried on Solar Today by Susan Hock, Carolyn Elam and Debra Sandor, titled “Can We Get There” states, “Due to the relatively low cost of wind power, along with recent dramatic growth in wind energy, wind/electrolysis is well positioned to become the first economical renewable hydrogen production system.”
Another example of using wind to make hydrogen was reported in the UK Daily Telegraph of June 21 2008. The Isle of Unst, Britain’s most northerly settlement, uses two wind turbines to “create hydrogen gas to run a hydrogen-powered car and cooking facilities while the rest is captured as hydrogen fuel cells to provide back-up when the wind dies.”
As an alternative fuel hydrogen is ideal, producing little or no emissions, with a plentiful supply available. But hydrogen produced by conventional means is not renewable or carbon neutral. Wind power is a totally renewable energy source with no greenhouse gas emissions, but due to its unpredictability, has problems integrating with national grids. Combined together, wind and hydrogen can cancel out their inherent defects and be an effective tool in the battle against carbon dioxide and global warming.
Laurence O'Sullivan - Larry O'Sullivan, Irish short story and freelance Article writer now living in Thailand. I am Irish, 55 years old and am now living in ...
Join the Conversation