Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element on the planet. It is found in water and almost every other natural material and in every living thing. Algae, plants, and composting material are all rich sources of hydrogen. The abundance of hydrogen means that it is viewed as a potential source of fuel for many man-made machines. For instance, hydrogen gas fuel can theoretically replace fossil fuels in most of their uses without being concerned with depleting the resource considerably. Separating hydrogen from its chemical bond to these elements produces hydrogen gas fuel. Heat and water are the only emissions produced when mixing this purest form of hydrogen gas fuel with pure oxygen and igniting it, which is as environmentally friendly as you can get.
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 is very flexible and suitable as fuel since it can be stored and easily transported in the form of gas or liquid. Hydrogen fuel can be transported in vapor form from its refinery site to up to a distance of 200 miles. For longer distances up to 1000 miles, hydrogen is transported in super-insulated tanks in liquid form.
Hydrogen gas fuel has the greatest energy to weight ratio of all known and commercially available fuels. When compared to gasoline, hydrogen gas fuel produces roughly three times the amount of energy we obtain from gasoline (with no carbon dioxide or sulfur emissions) and over six times the amount of energy we obtain from coal.
Hydrogen gas keeps its efficiency through differing ranges of air fuel mixtures than gas, making it more efficient combustion-wise. The rating of hydrogen gas fuel is equal to that of an octane rating of 130, much greater than the highest octane gas that is available to the consumer at the gas station.
Hydrogen gas fuel can be used to power everything from cities to cell phones. Vehicles ranging from scooters to spacecraft can be operated using hydrogen gas. Consumer vehicles can be produced or even retrofitted to burn this earth friendly fuel. Time will tell if hydrogen gas becomes a viable alternative as gas prices continue to soar. Given it’s abundance and the right infrastructure it could solve many of the worlds energy and environmental problems.