Hydrogen is an element that exists in abundance all over the earth. It can be found in water and natural and renewable matter such as plants, compost materials, even algae. Thanks to its abundance, it has potential to be used for a number of applications, including as a fuel. Hydrogen can be converted into hydrogen gas fuel for many of the same uses as fossil fuels are used. Hydrogen gas fuel in its purest form must be separated from the other elements that bond it through some chemical process. When hydrogen gas fuel is blended with pure oxygen and ignited the only resulting emissions are heat and water, you can’t get much greener than that!

There are benefits and drawbacks to each method of extracting hydrogen. Some methods create harmful emissions during refining, and some means of production are less costly than others. The steam methane reforming method is the one most widely used in the United States at present, and it works by heating natural gas to specific temperatures so that hydrogen can be separated from the rest of the natural gas.

Producing enough hydrogen gas fuel to support mainstream use would likely require new infrastructure, making start-up costs an expensive proposition. Current technology such as electrolysis (passing of electrical current through water in an ionic transfer device) can be adapted on a larger scale by using electricity generated through methods such as windmills or solar panels. In addition, geographic concerns will play a major role in location choices for any hydrogen production facility as ideally any such facility requires a large expanse of open space and should be located away from densely populated areas. However, zero greenhouse gas emissions in the electrolysis method make this a worthwhile, long-term venture.

Hydrogen is an extremely flexible fuel as it can be stored and transported in both liquid and gas forms. Hydrogen gas fuel can be transported in its vapor form roughly one to two hundred miles from the refining facility. For long distance transport up to one thousand miles the hydrogen is transported in liquid form requiring specially designed super-insulated tanks.

Hydrogen will produce more energy per unit weight than any other fuel known. Hydrogen gas fuel gives more than triple the energy of the equivalent amount of gasoline, and does not produce any of gasoline’s undesirable emissions like sulfur and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen gas fuel yields energy at a rate of six times more than an equal amount of coal.

Hydrogen gas keeps its efficiency through differing ranges of air fuel mixtures than gas, making it more efficient combustion-wise. The rating of hydrogen gas fuel is equal to that of an octane rating of 130, much greater than the highest octane gas that is available to the consumer at the gas station.

Hydrogen gas fuel can be used to power everything from cities to cell phones. Vehicles ranging from scooters to spacecraft can be operated using hydrogen gas. Consumer vehicles can be produced or even retrofitted to burn this earth friendly fuel. Time will tell if hydrogen gas becomes a viable alternative as gas prices continue to soar. Given it’s abundance and the right infrastructure it could solve many of the worlds energy and environmental problems.

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