Hydrogen On Demand As Fossil Fuels Is Getting Depleted
The depletion of crude oil reserves worldwide
, has led scientific researchers onto other available sources of energy. Because of more research being done, it has brought hydrogen on demand, as one of the next sources of fuel.
Hydrogen is the lightest element known to man. It is an explosive gas that does not exist freely in air, but as a compound in several substances that are both organic and inorganic. The most common substances that have this element, as one of the elements forming them are water, fats, carbohydrates and several other substances like petroleum. Since it is not available as a free gas, hydrogen generators are used to extract it from the compounds.
Water Electrolysis
One of the common most ways to obtain the gas is by cracking petroleum fuels. This is not helpful, as petroleum is the same source of energy that is facing depletion. This has therefore forced inventions of other ways to obtain the gas. The most successful method is water electrolysis.
Water electrolysis is the method through which electricity is passed through water separating the two components of water, hydrogen and oxygen, into gases. Each formed at each of the anodes.
Another source of generation of this fuel gas is the fuel cell. In fuel cells, water is split into the two components which are then reacted together giving enormous amounts of energy. The amount of energy required to hydrolyze water is very small compared with energy given out by the exothermic reaction between the two constituent gases.
The Cost
Use of hydrogen fuel is very cheap compared to other sources of energy, especially the limited fossil oil and natural gas. The main costs involved in the production, is the cost of buying the generator. Buying a generator large enough to supply a home comfortably requires a lot of money. However, this is cheap in the long run as one spends lesser on energy bills. One should ensure that they buy the latest model of generators as these are more efficient and has advanced safety devices.
The next cost in generating your own hydrogen fuel is the cost of electricity to run the generator. This is however not much as compared to the amount of energy it avails you. Some fuel generators, especially the ones on vehicles are self sufficient, in that the hydrogen used, is used on demand. The electricity needed to run the generator is produced by the cars alternator.
Hydrogen use is very economical as its use does not require set up of complex factories, like refineries and oil wells that are usually set up whenever oil is found. It is also free from political influences that affect the pricing and availability of oil. Political influence on energy source can deeply hurt an economy and its independence. The use of this energy enables families to save greatly on gas bills. The money saved can be directed to other sectors of the economy.
Explosive & Dangerous
The main problem that affects this source of energy is its explosive nature. This makes its transportation and storage very dangerous. Large amounts of stored gas can explode and engulf a very large area there-by hazarding both human life and the environment. This gas is usually stored in leak proof cylinders with very thick walls to withstand the pressure inside. The cylinders are then stored either underground or in an area where it can be tempered with the least.
To avoid electrical charges from accumulated to high levels within the storage cylinder, they are always grounded. The second way of dealing with the charge build up is providing the tank with spark arrestors so the charges will escape into the air.
To avoid problem with fires, it is a common trend to use a hydrogen generator where the hydrogen is used on demand. This eliminated the need for large storage tanks, or the need to transport the gas over long distances either by road or by rail. This is what makes it very dangerous if an accident does occur.
Another problem with hydrogen gas as fuel is that it requires large space for storage. Liquid gas will need about four times the space needed by fossil fuels that can produce the same amount of energy. This means that fuel tanks have to be redesigned to at least four times larger when moving to this type of fuel. This problem is mainly solved by using a portable generator that will supply you with the gas as it is being produced.
With hydrogen on demand, there is no need for large storage tanks, so therefore no real danger is involved. Many more inventions like the hydro cell kits, are still to be made in this area of science. This will be necessary to satisfy the growing energy demand.
by: Gordon Rowat
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