2008 Woodie Awards
Is hydrogen fuel really going to be used during the next generation?
Sanjay Navaratnam
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
When it becomes a political platform for candidates we know there is a serious issue raised by the object or concept in question. It usually tends to polarize the general public and refuses to create a middle ground.
One such issue includes gas, gas companies, foreign oil and its outcome, which affects the earth and its various ecosystems.
We at least have a basic grasp of the economic and environmental, not to mention the political outcomes; hence we see various industries looking for alternative sources of fuel.
We have heard about hydrogen as a source of fuel for a long time and frankly I had very little trust, given the first image of hydrogen as a fuel source was hydrogen bombs, which I must say is not the most comforting thought.
I had forgotten about it until recently while watching late night television. I was shocked to see a hydrogen fuel car released by BMW. I was not even aware of any breakthroughs in the recent past that made it to the news.
Although BMW has not shared the process they are using for economic viability, there is a group at Purdue University that has successfully created an aluminum alloy that is capable of extracting hydrogen from water, for running fuel cells or even internal combustion engines if necessary. This takes away the problem of efficiently transporting hydrogen.
The most attractive aspect of this technology for environmentalists is that the output of hydrogen fuel would be purely water vapor, which does not have any negative effect on the environment.
There has been some question raised by various parties regarding the efficiency and applicability of hydrogen fuel.
When oxygen is fused to hydrogen it releases a large amount of heat, which can be quite detrimental on the fuel cell, since a constant temperature is necessary for efficient and safe operation.
One such issue includes gas, gas companies, foreign oil and its outcome, which affects the earth and its various ecosystems.
We at least have a basic grasp of the economic and environmental, not to mention the political outcomes; hence we see various industries looking for alternative sources of fuel.
We have heard about hydrogen as a source of fuel for a long time and frankly I had very little trust, given the first image of hydrogen as a fuel source was hydrogen bombs, which I must say is not the most comforting thought.
I had forgotten about it until recently while watching late night television. I was shocked to see a hydrogen fuel car released by BMW. I was not even aware of any breakthroughs in the recent past that made it to the news.
Although BMW has not shared the process they are using for economic viability, there is a group at Purdue University that has successfully created an aluminum alloy that is capable of extracting hydrogen from water, for running fuel cells or even internal combustion engines if necessary. This takes away the problem of efficiently transporting hydrogen.
The most attractive aspect of this technology for environmentalists is that the output of hydrogen fuel would be purely water vapor, which does not have any negative effect on the environment.
There has been some question raised by various parties regarding the efficiency and applicability of hydrogen fuel.
When oxygen is fused to hydrogen it releases a large amount of heat, which can be quite detrimental on the fuel cell, since a constant temperature is necessary for efficient and safe operation.
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