Hydrogen Energy

Hydrogen Energy

• Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen across an electrochemical cell similar to that of a battery to produce electricity, water and small amounts of heat.

• Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be used to store, move and deliver energy produced from other sources.

• Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces only water.

• Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such as natural gas, nuclear power, biomass and renewable power like solar and wind.

• These qualities make it an attractive fuel option for transportation and electricity generation applications. It can be used in cars, in houses, for portable power and in many more applications.

1. Advantages of Hydrogen Energy

1. Hydrogen is renewable

• Hydrogen is a renewable energy source which means we cannot run out of it, at least not on a human timescale. It’s a rich source of energy which is all around us.

2. Hydrogen is a clean energy source

• When we burn hydrogen no harmful by-products are released into the atmosphere. In fact, once hydrogen has been used as an energy source, it can be converted to drinking water for astronauts.

3. Hydrogen energy is not toxic

• Hydrogen does not cause damage to human health unlike nuclear energy or natural gas.

4. Hydrogen energy is highly efficient

• Hydrogen is incredibly dense in energy and is able to provide a lot of power. It is 3 times more powerful than most fossil based fuel sources so less hydrogen is required to perform the same tasks. This is why hydrogen is used in space exploration to fuel spaceships, aeroplanes, boats, cars and fuel cells.

2. Disadvantages of Hydrogen Energy

1. Hydrogen is volatile

• Because of its high energy content, hydrogen gas is a highly flammable and volatile substance which makes it a risky fuel to work with.

2. Hydrogen energy is expensive to produce

• Both steam-methane reforming and electrolysis are expensive processes which prevents a lot of countries from committing to mass production. Research and trials are in process to try and discover a cheap and sustainable way to produce enough hydrogen without contributing more carbon into the atmosphere.

3. Hydrogen energy is difficult to store

• Hydrogen is a much lighter gas than gasoline which makes it difficult to store and transport. To be able to store it we need to compress it into a liquid and store it at a low temperature. The high amounts of pressure needed to store hydrogen makes it a difficult fuel to transport in large quantities.

4. Hydrogen can be dangerous

• Hydrogen is incredibly flammable which makes it a dangerous fuel if not handled correctly. There is also no smell to hydrogen so sensors are required to detect leaks.