Hydrogen Gas Fuel – Flexible Energy Source
Hydrogen is an element that exists in abundance all over the earth. It can be found in water and natural and renewable matter such as plants, compost materials, even algae. Thanks to its abundance, it has potential to be used for a number of applications, including as a fuel. Hydrogen can be converted into hydrogen gas fuel for many of the same uses as fossil fuels are used. Hydrogen gas fuel in its purest form must be separated from the other elements that bond it through some chemical process. When hydrogen gas fuel is blended with pure oxygen and ignited the only resulting emissions are heat and water, you can't get much greener than that!
Each method of distilling the hydrogen to it purest form has its own unique set of pros and cons, from emissions generated by the refining process to finding the most cost effective method of producing hydrogen gas fuel. Currently, steam methane reforming is the most popular method in the United States. This method separates hydrogen from natural gas by heating the natural gas at various temperatures.
It will take quite a lot of capital to establish the infrastructure required to make hydrogen gas fuel on a scale to satisfy a large part of the world's energy needs. Hydrogen can be separated from water through electrolysis, a process which passes an electric current through the water. Using electricity produced from windmills, solar panels, or other sources will allow hydrogen generation on a much larger and environmentally-friendly scale. Choosing a location for a hydrogen production facility raises geographic concerns. Because there are no greenhouse gas emissions in producing hydrogen gas fuel, the electrolysis method is worth the investment.
Hydrogen's versatility allows it to be stored and transported as either a liquid or gas. In vapor form, it is possible to transport hydrogen gas fuel up to a distance of two hundred miles from the facility. In liquid form, hydrogen gas fuel can withstand transporting up to one thousand miles if placed in super-insulated tanks.
Hydrogen will produce more energy per unit weight than any other fuel known. Hydrogen gas fuel gives more than triple the energy of the equivalent amount of gasoline, and does not produce any of gasoline's undesirable emissions like sulfur and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen gas fuel yields energy at a rate of six times more than an equal amount of coal.
Hydrogen gas has much better and more efficient combustion through a larger range of air fuel mixtures than gasoline. Hydrogen gas fuel has an octane rating of 130 and this is higher than the highest octane gasoline available at present at the gas station.
Just about anything from cell phones, scooters, spacecraft and even entire cities can be powered by hydrogen gas fuel. Vehicles for every day use can be produced or retrofitted to utilize this fuel. As gas prices rise, hydrogen gas fuel as an alternative fuel may soon become a reality. With the right infrastructure in place and it's abundance on the planet, it may solve one of the most vexing problems that the planet faces, producing an environmentally friendly fuel.