- Water is a natural byproduct of hydrogen that has been used as a fuel.water splash - bottle and water in a moment image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
Hydrogen is the most widely available element on earth. It can be easily produced and the byproduct of using hydrogen as a fuel is water. When hydrogen is burned, it burns clean and doesn't create additional pollution. However, the ability to use hydrogen as an energy source depends on the ability of storing it safely. Hydrogen, while plentiful, is not an easy element to control. The most stable state of hydrogen is at normal atmospheric conditions; however, it must be stored in manageable containers in order for hydrogen to be used as a fuel source. - At normal atmospheric pressure, a gram of hydrogen takes up the same amount of space as about 3 gallons of gas. In order to store enough hydrogen to make it a viable option for fuel, hydrogen must be pressurized and stored in a container that can handle the extreme pressure of the hydrogen inside. Hydrogen can also be stored in a pressurized liquid form. However, in liquid form, hydrogen must be kept at cryogenic temperatures to maintain the hydrogen's stability. Neither pressurized hydrogen gas or pressurized hydrogen liquid is easy to implement in regular daily use.
- Containers to reliably hold hydrogen in daily use in pressurized form are still under development. According to the ProQuest website, a new type of alloy is being developed that can bond with the hydrogen and form hydrides. This will enable the hydrogen to be more stable and for larger amounts to be stored at a time. However, since the alloy is still being developed, mass production of pressurized hydrogen tanks is not yet possible. This technology will also need to be modified in size, as the tanks currently being tested are larger than current automotive gas tanks. Developing this technology is costly and time-consuming.
- Hydrogen is extremely reactive. Many people have seen images of the Hindenburg explosion and have a natural fear of hydrogen. Hydrogen has the potential to spontaneously combust and can be very flammable. This is a concern when considering hydrogen as a fuel for passenger vehicles. Road conditions are often unpredictable and road debris is frequently thrown up at the undercarriage of a vehicle. The location of a fuel tank in a car powered by hydrogen would need to be both protected and stable. Currently the fuel tank is mounted to the bottom of the car, between the back tires. However, a hydrogen fuel tank would need to be more protected, which may require the fuel tank to be located within the passenger part of the vehicle.
