The Pros And Cons Of Using Hydrogen As Car Fuel

0
4907

Hydrogen makes 70% of our universe. It is the most abundant element on earth. Using hydrogen as fuel for car gives you some great advantages but comes at a price. Are you ready to consider hydrogen as the fuel of your choice?

The Pros And Cons Of Using Hydrogen As Car Fuel

Hydrogen can be obtained relatively easy through some chemical reactions and methods. The most known are steam-reformed methane reaction, the anaerobic oxidation of metal and electrolysis. Each method has some good points and each claims a price to pay for that hydrogen you get.

The Pros Of Using Hydrogen As A Fuel

  1. Using hydrogen as a energy source gives you three times the power of the conventional carbon fuel. This is why scientists chose hydrogen to power the space mission rockets.
  2. There is no other fuel more efficient than hydrogen.
  3. When burning hydrogen there is no other byproduct or nox coming out of your car as in burning carbon based fuels.
  4. Hydrogen is a clean energy source. The result of burning hydrogen is pure water. There is no other impurity but clean water.
  5. Hydrogen is the most abundant fuel around us. The water molecule can be split to make hydrogen. Burning hydrogen we get back water. This is the biggest and best renewable energy known till now.

The Cons Of Using Hydrogen As A Fuel

  1. Till today the production of hydrogen is relatively expensive and can’t sustain all population needs. Using it as a conventional fuel would require years of preparation and important investments to be made.
  2. Hydrogen atom is very small and can evade any container it is stored in. The evaded gas can ignite at any time.
  3. Handling hydrogen is risky especially because it doesn’t have odor. Any leak could cause a disaster.
  4. Hydrogen storage is dangerous in general. To be able to transport hydrogen it needs to be liquefied at very high pressure. This makes it dangerous for transport in large quantities.
  5. The cost of making hydrogen is quite expensive, no matter which method is used.
  6. The known massive hydrogen production techniques are not environmental friendly.

Although hydrogen is capable of three times the energy we get from carbon fuel (as gasoline), hydrogen production is expensive and storage is dangerous. This is why hydrogen is mostly produced through steam-reforming methane and used on site.

Although hydrogen is a clean energy source, it can be obtained with a big impact on the environment. Even if it is the most abundant element around us, it is bound to other elements and those bonds require a big price to be broken.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here