Green Energy
- Convert Your Car Into A Water Powered Car!
It's time to beat insane fuel prices by converting your car into a water powered car!Stop wasting your hard earned money at the pump - and reduce your environmental impact at the same time. Save up to 70% on fuel costs while cleaning up your...
- Produce Hydrogen Using Solar Energy
The most abundant renewable energy source is undoubtedly solar energy. The sun sends to earth a power of 90,000 terawatt (TW) compared to 14 TW consumed by the world's population, and will continue to do so for several billion years. However,...
- Hydrogen, Safety Information
Understanding HydrogenHydrogen is no more or less dangerous than other flammable materials, including gasoline and natural gas, according to a fact sheet about hydrogen safety jointly published by the Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Department of...
- Why Hydrogen Gas Is The Best Cooling Medium For Rotating Machines?
Why Hydrogen Gas is the best cooling medium for rotating machines? Utilization of Hydrogen gas as the cooling medium either for inner-cooled or for conventional type hydrogen cooled units has the following advantages: 1) Hydrogen gas is small in density;...
- Could We Finally Power Cars With Solar Panels?
Article originally published on dailymail in July 20th 2015. Nanowire technology may allow new types of hydrogen fuel cell for vehiclesScientists created a grid of tiny wires of gallium phosphide to split waterThis harnessed the sun's energy...
Green Energy
Hydrogen Energy
Hydrogen is the simplest element. An atom of hydrogen consists of only one proton and one electron. It's also the most plentiful element in the universe. Despite its simplicity and abundance, hydrogen doesn't occur naturally as a gas on the Earth - it's always combined with other elements. Water, for example, is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O).
Hydrogen is also found in many organic compounds, notably the hydrocarbons that make up many of our fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, methanol, and propane. Hydrogen can be separated from hydrocarbons through the application of heat - a process known as reforming. Currently, most hydrogen is made this way from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen. This process is known as electrolysis. Some algae and bacteria, using sunlight as their energy source, even give off hydrogen under certain conditions.
Hydrogen is high in energy, yet an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel the space shuttle and other rockets into orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems, producing a clean byproduct - pure water, which the crew drinks.
A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water. Fuel cells are often compared to batteries. Both convert the energy produced by a chemical reaction into usable electric power. However, the fuel cell will produce electricity as long as fuel (hydrogen) is supplied, never losing its charge.
Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as a source of heat and electricity for buildings, and as an electrical power source for electric motors propelling vehicles. Fuel cells operate best on pure hydrogen. But fuels like natural gas, methanol, or even gasoline can be reformed to produce the hydrogen required for fuel cells. Some fuel cells even can be fueled directly with methanol, without using a reformer.
In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers. Renewable energy sources, like the sun and wind, can't produce energy all the time. But they could, for example, produce electric energy and hydrogen, which can be stored until it's needed. Hydrogen can also be transported (like electricity) to locations where it is needed.
Hydrogen is also found in many organic compounds, notably the hydrocarbons that make up many of our fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, methanol, and propane. Hydrogen can be separated from hydrocarbons through the application of heat - a process known as reforming. Currently, most hydrogen is made this way from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen. This process is known as electrolysis. Some algae and bacteria, using sunlight as their energy source, even give off hydrogen under certain conditions.
NASA uses hydrogen fuel to launch the space shuttles. Credit: NASA
A fuel cell combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water. Fuel cells are often compared to batteries. Both convert the energy produced by a chemical reaction into usable electric power. However, the fuel cell will produce electricity as long as fuel (hydrogen) is supplied, never losing its charge.
Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as a source of heat and electricity for buildings, and as an electrical power source for electric motors propelling vehicles. Fuel cells operate best on pure hydrogen. But fuels like natural gas, methanol, or even gasoline can be reformed to produce the hydrogen required for fuel cells. Some fuel cells even can be fueled directly with methanol, without using a reformer.
In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier moves and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers. Renewable energy sources, like the sun and wind, can't produce energy all the time. But they could, for example, produce electric energy and hydrogen, which can be stored until it's needed. Hydrogen can also be transported (like electricity) to locations where it is needed.
Additional Resources on Hydrogen Energy
- Find out about NREL's research in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
- Also see the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program
- Convert Your Car Into A Water Powered Car!
It's time to beat insane fuel prices by converting your car into a water powered car!Stop wasting your hard earned money at the pump - and reduce your environmental impact at the same time. Save up to 70% on fuel costs while cleaning up your...
- Produce Hydrogen Using Solar Energy
The most abundant renewable energy source is undoubtedly solar energy. The sun sends to earth a power of 90,000 terawatt (TW) compared to 14 TW consumed by the world's population, and will continue to do so for several billion years. However,...
- Hydrogen, Safety Information
Understanding HydrogenHydrogen is no more or less dangerous than other flammable materials, including gasoline and natural gas, according to a fact sheet about hydrogen safety jointly published by the Hydrogen Association and the U.S. Department of...
- Why Hydrogen Gas Is The Best Cooling Medium For Rotating Machines?
Why Hydrogen Gas is the best cooling medium for rotating machines? Utilization of Hydrogen gas as the cooling medium either for inner-cooled or for conventional type hydrogen cooled units has the following advantages: 1) Hydrogen gas is small in density;...
- Could We Finally Power Cars With Solar Panels?
Article originally published on dailymail in July 20th 2015. Nanowire technology may allow new types of hydrogen fuel cell for vehiclesScientists created a grid of tiny wires of gallium phosphide to split waterThis harnessed the sun's energy...