Is the Hydrogen Age Just Around the Corner?

[cousinlucky]

An article by Jerry Brown, Rinaldo Brutoco, and James Cusumano.

AlterNet: Is the Hydrogen Age Just Around the Corner?

[MikeTbob]

That's a very interesting read cousinlucky, I would like to see it become a reality, but I don't think the automotive/petroleum industries would allow it to happen anytime soon.

[hazel]

One point to remember is that hydrogen is not a primary fuel like petroleum; it's an energy carrier like electricity. Making it actually requires more energy than you get by burning it. But that might not matter if:
1) your primary energy source was something green like solar electricity;
2) the burning process at the other end was more efficient than what it replaced (and an electric engine powered by fuel cells is certainly more efficient than an internal combustion engine.)

It sounds like a good idea, but it's been "just around the corner" for rather a long time. I remember reading a book called "The Solar Hydrogen Economy" back in the seventies.

[techieMoe]

I didn't read the article, but my main issue with Hydrogen is that although it's extremely plentiful in our universe, it's also extremely difficult to separate from the things it tends to bond with, and it bonds a lot. Could someone with more chemistry background explain to me how we've overcome that yet? All the possible "solutions" I've seen deal with some sort of electrolysis or other highly-inefficient method for separating out the hydrogen from, say, oxygen or any other element attached to it.

[hazel]

Could someone with more chemistry background explain to me how we've overcome that yet? All the possible "solutions" I've seen deal with some sort of electrolysis or other highly-inefficient method for separating out the hydrogen from, say, oxygen or any other element attached to it.

That's right, Moe, and it's the reason why we can't consider hydrogen to be a primary fuel. Basically you have to use electrolysis to make it. So why use solar or wind-powered electricity to make hydrogen instead of putting it directly into the electricity grid? Well, one reason I've seen suggested is that hydrogen can be piped around with far less loss than electricity (overhead power cables radiate away a lot of energy). This makes up for the greater cost of producing it - in theory anyway. It's all a question of balance.

[cousinlucky]

Well, I'm too old to be concerned too much; but younger innovators, like Johnathan Goodwin and others, need to be encouraged to change humanities reliance and dependance on gasoline.and coal.

It would be great if someone created an enclosed system that separated plain water into hydrogen and oxygen and then in a different part of the system harnessed the energy caused by the re-uniting of the hydrogen and oxygen and returned the resulting plain water back to the beginning of the system.

In such a system five or ten gallons of water could last, as a fuel source, for years on end. I expect that sooner or later someone is going to come up with something very practicle and very safe.

[minthaka]

The technology is already ready, but the petrol-maffia wants to continue its very profitable pollution course. The CO2 emission could be reduced to less than 50%. I think that the terrorism would lose its support too.

[oz]

Helium-3 might become the new almighty energy source, if they can figure out a way to retrieve it from the moon.

[harner]

Personally, I dread the day we have to start switching to another energy source. I want to burn 93 Octane in my Iroc and Trans Am, but I know there will be a day when it's unavilable. By then, hopefully I will be dead and have both autos buried with me.

I read something on Helium-3 at Race to the Moon for Nuclear Fuel
- Apparently both China and Russia are interested. That's fantastic!

[Jonathan183]

An article by Jerry Brown, Rinaldo Brutoco, and James Cusumano.

AlterNet: Is the Hydrogen Age Just Around the Corner?

One point to remember is that hydrogen is not a primary fuel like petroleum; it's an energy carrier like electricity. ...
I remember reading a book called "The Solar Hydrogen Economy" back in the seventies.

Helium-3 might become the new almighty energy source, if they can figure out a way to retrieve it from the moon.

The problem with hydrogen is safe storage - its a gas which is difficult to turn into a liquid and when released tends to explode. Its an energy transporter - as indicated in previous posts.

There is a good safety record at the moment because people who use it know how dangerous it is & equipment is well controlled. I am not sure on what basis existing pipelines are supposed to be used but hydrogen is such a small molecule it can pass through some metals. Terrorists use it to make a much bigger bang than would be the case without it ... sort out the safe storage (including in a vehicle) and I'm sold on the idea ... we can work round the other problems !