Hydrogen Power in Favor of a More Eco-Friendly Environment

In today’s world, when people think of hydrogen power, they instantly perceive an image of the Hindenburg, the Hydrogen bomb, or simply the first element on the periodic table. Hydrogen is the simplest, most light-weight and plentiful element in the universe that we are part of today. Each hydrogen atom consists of merely one positively charged proton and a single negatively charged electron, thus making it the building block for various other elements. Hydrogen is virtually everywhere. It is in the rain that falls on the earth, the water we drink, the oceans that support life on our planet, the snow we enjoy in winter, and the water we bathe in during hot summers. Hydrogen is so abundant that in the United States today, about 9 million metric tons of hydrogen are produced, which is enough to power 20 – 30 million cars, or nearly 7 million homes. Looking at the amount of hydrogen produced and the possibility of utilizing it as an energy source to power millions of vehicles and homes worldwide should be a big enough motive to get people started in developing new and innovative ways of harnessing this energy and being able to use it at its full potential.

A lot of people might be wondering: “why should we bother with trying to obtain a new energy source?” The answer is simple. Hydrogen offers us stronger national energy security, reduced green house gas emissions, improved air quality, and increased energy efficiency. In addition to that, hydrogen, as an alternative fuel, has many advantages both environmentally and economically in the long run. As far as the environmental advantages are concerned, both the process in which hydrogen fuel is made and its implementation as a fuel will soon be a complete zero emission cycle. There are two processes in which hydrogen can be made; electrolysis or steam reformation. Unfortunately, those processes require energy to successfully produce hydrogen. Electrolysis is the process in which hydrogen is separated from water. This process results in no emissions other than water vapor but requires a significant amount of energy. Steam reforming is currently a less costly method of producing hydrogen and it works by separating hydrogen atoms from carbon atoms in methane. The downfall of using steam reformation is that methane is a fossil fuel and during the process, green house gases are emitted. Various car manufacturers began producing hydrogen-ready vehicles such as the BMW Hydrogen 7 and the GM HyWire Hydrogen Car. People that have tested those cars stated that it handled like a normal gasoline car and the plus side is that it has no carbon emission thus making it eco-friendly without compromising luxury. On the economic side, hydrogen, at the time being, is quite costly to obtain due to the processes in which it is extracted as a pure gas. One of the few reasons researchers are constantly trying various and cheaper methods to obtain hydrogen is because of its great efficiency when it is implemented as a hydrogen fuel cell which in turn produces electricity at great effectiveness. Currently, there are many factors influencing the price of hydrogen, such as the process in which the hydrogen is manufactured, but generally speaking, hydrogen costs approximately $4.00-$5.00 per equivalent gallon of gasoline. However, as we advance in technology and find new and more sophisticated methods of extracting hydrogen, the price of hydrogen will reduce over time.

Some might be wondering about the dangers of implementing hydrogen as a fuel source for cars and the possibilities of a leak in the hydrogen fuel tank in the unfortunate event of an accident. Due to the particularly light-weight characteristics of hydrogen, it is a great deal safer than gasoline in the event of an accident because when the fuel tank is ruptured, hydrogen will rapidly disperse up into the atmosphere, and if it is ignited it will burn rapidly with a non luminous flame which cannot the victim of the car crash, nor are the chocked by the smoke.

In conclusion, hydrogen can have a great positive environmental impact on our planet if we could obtain it efficiently and construct hydrogen plants to produce this fuel, vehicles to safely transport it, and storage facilities that are well equipped to handle this particular breed of fuel. In addition to that, hydrogen can be a very dangerous element if not dealt with cautiously, which means that consumers must be educated about the possible dangers of an accident involving hydrogen fuel and the proper way of dealing with such an incident. This radiant energy is what maintains life on earth and with the emerging possibilities of utilizing hydrogen as an alternative fuel aids us in sustaining a more eco-friendly environment as well as replacing the conventional fossil fuels that have harmed both us and our planet, in terms of the economy and the environment.

Bibliography
Eia.doe.gov:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/IntermediateHydrogen.html
jLab.org:
http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele001.html
afdc.energy.gov:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/hydrogen.html