The first thing you should know about hydrogen is that hydrogen cannot combust, which means it doesn’t burn fuel. It’s therefore not suitable for a fire. However, hydrogen can be made to combust when heated (a process called “splitting”). Hydrogen has two hydrogen atoms bonded to a single oxygen atom, so one can split into two hydrogen atoms by pressing a button, and, when the gas and oxygen are separated, the oxygen can react with the hydrogen, thus making a new hydrogen molecule. This is what makes it possible to store hydrogen in the form of compressed gas. The energy that is contained in a compressed hydrogen gas is a major reason it is used in modern power plants. However, hydrogen is only one of thousands of fuels found in nature, each of which has its own specific characteristics.
What fuels should you use?
A gas containing a mixture of two or more different types of carbon molecules (hydrogen and oxygen) is called a gasoline or diesel fuel. You can use gas and diesel for transport and heating, respectively. You can also use oxygen to generate electricity.
If you are considering using hydrogen for electricity production, it’s important to determine the kind of fuel you will need and the power output required. There are many ways to generate electricity from hydrogen, depending on how you choose to store the energy. You can use a process called electrolysis, which makes hydrogen (or oxygen) into a gas as a first step. Electrolysis typically produces electricity more efficiently—and more safely—than the process of splitting water and turning it into a byproduct of hydroelectricity. The key is keeping the water separated from the oxygen, so it won’t get too hot or go into the hydrogen. You can do all this by either capturing a large volume of the hydrogen with a high-pressure system, or by converting steam from a gas turbine into electricity.
Hydrogen fuel cells are typically powered by burning hydrogen gas to produce electricity. (Image: Flickr/Tyson)
There is no need to store the hydrogen yourself in a container, but some power companies still recommend using gas containers for transportation and other purposes.
What is a fuel cell?
A fuel cell is a device that combines air with hydrogen, converting it into electricity. Fuel cells operate at temperatures between -50 and 500 degrees Celsius, which are ideal for electricity production. Because they use an electric current for generating electricity, they make use of the energy stored within their battery-like structure, the fuel
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