Hydrogen (H2) is a potentially emissions-free alternative fuel that can be produced from domestic resources. Hydrogen is the simplest element. An atom of hydrogen consists of only one proton and one electron. It's also the most plentiful element in the universe. In nature, hydrogen is never found on its own; it is always combined into molecules with other elements, typically oxygen and carbon (For example, is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O)). Hydrogen can be extracted from virtually any hydrogen-containing compound, including both renewable and non-renewable resources. Regardless of the fuel source, fuel cells utilize hydrogen with little to no polluting emissions, making hydrogen the ultimate clean energy carrier.
Hydrogen is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-toxic. Hydrogen is locked up in enormous quantities in water (H2O), hydrocarbons (such as methane, CH4), and other organic matter. Efficiently producing hydrogen from these compounds is one of the challenges of using hydrogen as a fuel.
Hydrogen gas as the best fuel to replace oil during the last half of this century, but there are several hurdles to overcome. Hydrogen gas can be produced from water and organic molecules and produces non polluting water vapor when burned. Hydrogen is high in energy, yet an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution. Widespread use of hydrogen as a fuel would eliminate most of the air pollution problems we face today, but it takes energy and money to produce hydrogen from water and organic compounds. It is not a source of energy, it is a fuel produced by using energy.
The energy in 1 kilogram of hydrogen gas is about the same as the energy in 3.78 liter of gasoline. Because hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density, it is important for a fuel cell vehicle to store enough fuel onboard to have a driving range comparable to conventional vehicles.
A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water. Fuel cells are often compared to batteries. Both convert the energy produced by a chemical reaction into usable electric power. Current versions of fuel cells are expensive, but are the best way to use hydrogen to produce electricity. Whether a hydrogen-based energy system produces less carbon dioxide than a fossil fuel depends on how the hydrogen is produced. H fuel could be produced by electricity from coal-burning power plants, from coal itself, or strip it from organic compounds, but this could add more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It may be possible to produce hydrogen by growing bacteria and algae that will produce hydrogen gas rather than oxygen as a byproduct.
Hydrogen (H2) is being explored as a fuel for passenger vehicles. It can be used in fuel cells to power electric motors or burned in internal combustion engines.
Benefits
Environmentally Friendly.
Hydrogen produces no air pollutants or greenhouse gases when used in fuel cells; it produces only nitrogen oxides (NOx) when burned in IC Engines.
Produced Domestically.
Hydrogen can be produced domestically from several sources, reducing our dependence on petroleum imports.
Advantages of Hydrogen energy
Environment Friendly:
Hydrogen is also non-toxic, which makes it a rarity among fuel sources. Nuclear energy, coal, and gasoline are all either toxic or found in hazardous environments.
Renewable:
Hydrogen is available in plenty and it is renewable energy source. All we need is fossil fuels to break the water molecules to separate it from oxygen.
No Harmful Emissions:
Another advantage to using hydrogen energy is that when burned, its leaves almost no harmful byproducts.
Used as Fuel in Rockets:
It’s powerful enough too used as fuel in rockets and safer than using any other similar product to accomplish such an energy-intensive duty.
Fuel Efficient:
Hydrogen energy is very efficient fuel source than traditional sources of energy and produces more energy per pound of fuel. Fuel cells have a higher efficiency than diesel or gas engines.
Maintenance:
The maintenance of fuel cells is simple since there are few moving parts in the system.
Hydrogen energy is not quite the perfect, super clean and cheap energy source that so many companies and governments would love to get their hands on. It’s volatile in gas form, and while that makes it able to accomplish huge tasks, it also makes it sometimes hazardous to work around and use.
Hydrogen Energy Disadvantages
Storage:
Hydrogen is also hard to move around. Hydrogen is hard to transport in a reasonable fashion like through pipe line. It is very expensive to move anything more than small amounts of it.
Energy:
Hydrogen does not contain a lot of energy compared to petrol. A larger amount of hydrogen is needed to run a similar car.
Highly Flammable:
Hydrogen in itself is a very powerful source of fuel. We all know the effects of hydrogen bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. It’s highly inflammable and always in news for the potential risks associated with it.
Technology:
The technology is not yet fully developed and few products are available.
Expensive:
Hydrogen gas also requires a lot of work to free if from other elements. it’s expensive and time-consuming to produce. That means until technology advances enough to simplify and ease the process; hydrogen energy will continue to be too expensive for most people.
Not Easy to Replace Existing Infrastructure:
As expensive as hydrogen is to produce and transport, it becomes even more expensive when you consider trying to use it to replace gasoline.
Hydrogen stands apart as a promising alternative energy source. Although the idea of hydrogen as a widely used fuel source to power cars and generate electricity is a relatively new concept in response to seeking an alternative to oil, hydrogen fuel cells actually predate the internal combustion engine, which was invented in the middle of the 19th century, by about 20 years.
It is an environmentally friendly fuel that has the potential to dramatically reduce our dependence on imported oil, but several significant challenges must be overcome before it can be widely used.
Safety
Like many other fuels, hydrogen is highly flammable and must be handled properly to ensure its safety. In this way it is comparable to fuel sources such as gasoline or compressed natural gas, all of which are subject to safety codes and standard industrial safety practices.
Hydrogen gas is similar to natural gas in that it is lighter than air, so it rises and disperses quickly. Hydrogen is non-toxic and safe to breathe. Hydrogen is also odorless, colorless, and tasteless; since it cannot be odorized like natural gas, hydrogen detection and ventilation systems are employed. Like all fuels, hydrogen is flammable and must be handled properly.
In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers. Renewable energy sources, like the sun and wind, can't produce energy all the time.