NATIONAL
Hydrogen can be used as auto fuel sans grime
According to the Planning Commission’s 2006 Integrated Energy Policy, the cost of energy will be one of the biggest constraints for India to maintain a GDP growth rate of 8 per cent. India’s transport sector is the single biggest user of oil and oil products–roughly 30 per cent of the total consumption. Increased population and their quality living aspiration need more energy. Depletion of conventional energy sources and environmental pollution because of increased consumption of these sources necessitates us to go for alternative and green fuel.
Pure hydrogen and hydrogen mixed with natural gas (HYTHANE) have been used effectively to power automobiles. Hydrogen can be obtained from water, natural gas, coal, sewage, coal gas etc. Hydrogen is also available as a by-product from several chemical processes, plants or industries. Hydrogen can also be produced by thermal decomposition of water through solar energy or nuclear power. Currently, global hydrogen production is 48 per cent from natural gas, 30 per cent from oil, 18 per cent from coal and only 4 per cent from water electrolysis. Hydrogen has high energy content and can be used either directly in IC engines or through fuel cells for production of motive power and electricity.
Hydrogen powered vehicles will last longer without any pollutant gas emissions. The introduction of hydrogen vehicles is expected to start with centrally operated fleets of buses and city goods delivery vehicles in densely settled mega cities, followed by private cars.
There is no emission of carbon dioxide as such. There is one drawback that hydrogen has negative net energy, which means it takes more energy to produce than it contains.
Hydrogen is not a primary energy source like coal and gas. It is an energy carrier like electricity. It will be produced using existing energy systems based on different conventional primary energy carriers and sources.
With the use of hydrogen in fuel-cell systems there are very low to zero carbon emissions and no emissions of harmful polluting gases. Because of their low noise and high power quality, fuel cell systems are ideal for use in hospitals or IT centers or for mobile applications.
In brief, hydrogen and electricity together represent one of the most promising ways to realize sustainable energy. Electric vehicles are typically 3 to 4 times as efficient as hydrogen powered vehicles.
The distribution of hydrogen for the purpose of transportation is currently being tested around the world particularly in Portugal, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, California and Canada.
https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/state-editions/hydrogen-can-be-used-as-auto-fuel-sans-grime.html
