The Role of Hydrogen

The Perfect Fuel?

Except for cost, hydrogen seems like a perfect fuel. The byproducts of hydrogen combustion are electricity, water and heat. Although its low density makes efficient storage difficult, hydrogen has the largest energy of combustion per unit of mass. Energy conversion devices using hydrogen are highly efficient and produce very little or no harmful emissions. As an energy carrier, hydrogen can be produced safely and abundantly from diverse renewable resources such as hydroelectricity and solar and wind power. Since many of these are domestic sources, it can help decrease the dependence of nations on others for fuels eliminating the political polarizations that arise from cartel pricing, conflicting ideological and economic policies and hostilities among nations. For the same reasons, hydrogen is anticipated to join electricity as the foundation for a globally sustainable energy system using renewable energy.

Combustion of hydrogen in internal combustion engines causes the formation of nitrogen oxides, which are produced at temperatures above 1300 C. However the PEM fuel cell, which operates at much lower temperatures, does not produce nitrogen oxides and constitutes a perfectly clean energy conversion device.

As far as the fossil fuels we use today are concerned, their reserves are finite and will run out one day. New ones may be found, but they will be more difficult to extract, driving their cost upwards. Furthermore, this finite supply of hydrocarbons is crucial to our economy as lubricants and synthetic materials, among others. Why burn such useful chemicals?

How Can Hydrogen Help?

The only way to eliminate the human contribution to both the greenhouse effect and urban pollution is to opt for a new clean energy based on renewable sources. Overt 150 years, the trend in energy use has been toward reducing carbon consumption and increased use of hydrogen. Each dominant fuel, from wood to coal to oil, and perhaps to natural gas– has contained more and more hydrogen and less and less carbon. Each successive fuel has been cleaner and more powerful.

This clean energy can be found by following the trend to its natural limit and use pure hydrogen, a fuel with zero carbon content.

Where And How Can We Use Hydrogen?

Hydrogen has many potential energy uses, including powering nonpolluting vehicles, heating homes and offices, and fueling aircraft. City buses, automobiles, mining equipment are some proposed mobile applications that have progressed to demonstration. Home generators and large electrical generating systems represent emerging stationary applications. Thus, hydrogen has many applications and advantages. However, widespread use will require new means to distribute hydrogen from the producer to the end user, fueling stations and many other new technologies, concepts and support facilities.