The Future of Hydrogen

What’s Happening with Hydrogen?

Our present carbon-based energy system uses the internal combustion engine (ICE) as its main energy conversion device. An alternative, the hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) chemically combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce water vapor and electricity at a higher level of efficiency than the ICE. The electric current produced by the HFC can be used to power an electric engine Unlike its rival the battery, the HFC decouples energy stored as fuel from power provided by the HFC. Thus, as long as there is fuel available to feed it, a fuel cell remains operational and doesn’t run down like a battery, providing the flexibility of the present ICE system. The car in a future hydrogen economy will likely be an electric car, but very different from the battery-powered cars proposed from the early days of the automotive industry.

The Participants

Some countries are making major commitments to hydrogen. Canada, the United States and Germany have led he way with new hydrogen technologies and are gradually increasing their commitments to hydrogen. Japan, an island nation with few fossil fuel resources, is vulnerable to worldwide energy interdependency. Japan has a major ongoing program to develop a global hydrogen system with new technologies for power plants, cars, buses, planes, ships and rockets, all fueled with renewable hydrogen.

The Progress

Investments of major European and North American car makers in fuel cell technology recognizes there may be an alternative to hydrocarbon-fueled internal-combustion engines. This is a major step forward for hydrogen by one of the world's largest industrial sectors.. This will stimulate public and political acceptance from a market point of view in addition to simply the technical merits of hydrogen.

The Trends

These trends and commitments mean we will begin to feel the presence of hydrogen increasingly in our daily lives. How rapidly this occurs is hard to say. From proposals for projects in our neighborhoods and devices in our homes to the vehicles we drive or ride in, we will be presented with hydrogen options for which we will need to understand hydrogen better to make the best decisions.

Who can help?

Between the scientific and engineering professionals developing the technologies for hydrogen applications, individual entrepreneurs and large corporations who are commercializing hydrogen systems, and the public to whom the products and systems are intended, there is another group who is key to the successful introduction of hydrogen into our social infrastructure. We have termed this group the facilitators and they include:

	Insurers
	Investors
	Local regulators
	Educators
	Politicians
	Public service officials

The novelty of hydrogen also attracts the attention of special interest groups and the general public when applications are introduced into their communities.

In many new application situations we have little or no previous experience. Just as we did with gasoline, natural gas, propane and other fuels that are common today, we need to create a common consensus on the use of hydrogen. The facilitators will be active participants in this exercise.

This Sourcebook for Hydrogen Facilitators has been prepared to introduce facilitators to hydrogen, the issues involved in its application and how they are handled. These facilitator groups will have a key role to play as the advantages of hydrogen energy are introduced to society.