The Hydrogen economy means economic uses of hydrogen as a fuel instead of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, natural gas, which are used today.
Since the industrial revolution started in the 18th century, most of the world is locked into fossil fuel economy. The world’s demand for energy is projected to double by 2050 in response to population growth and industrialization of developing countries. The supply of fossil fuels is limited, with restrictive shortages of oil and gas projected to occur within our lifetime. On the other hand, the use of fossil fuels puts our own health at risk through the chemical pollution it creates. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with global warming threaten the stability of Earth's climate.
Hydrogen Car
A replacement for fossil fuels will not appear in a day's time. Extensive research and field work is required to find an alternative source that can supply economic, quantitative energy with fossil fuels developing a proper commercial, economic infrastructure. One promising alternative to fossil fuels is hydrogen. The hydrogen economy promises to eliminate all of the problems that fossil fuel economy creates.
Hydrogen releases energy through its reaction with oxygen, explosively in heat engines or quietly in fuel cells to produce water as its only byproduct. Hydrogen is abundant and generously distributed throughout the world without regard for division of countries. Using the hydrogen to create a hydrogen economy, a future energy system based on hydrogen and electricity, only requires technology, not any political access.
Although in many ways hydrogen economy is an attractive replacement for fossil fuel economy, but hydrogen does not occur in nature as the fuel H2. Rather, it occurs in chemical compounds like water or hydrocarbons that must be chemically transformed to yield H2. Hydrogen, like electricity, is a carrier of energy, and like electricity, it must be produced from a natural resource.
Some advantages of hydrogen economy are discussed below:
- The hydrogen economy is a completely clean technology, where the byproduct is only water. No environmental pollution occurs like fuel fossils create.
- The hydrogen adds no greenhouse gases to environment. It is produced from the electrolysis of water and recombines with oxygen to create water and power in a fuel cell.
- No economic dependence on the Middle East and its oil reserves.
- The production of hydrogen is very much simple.
People can even produce it in their home with simple technology.
Due to the problems of fossil fuel economy and the environmental advantages of the hydrogen economy, a strong push towards the hydrogen economy is being observed. Thus, to achieve the benefits of the hydrogen economy, we must ultimately produce hydrogen from non-fossil resources, such as water, using a renewable energy source.
The hydrogen economy has enormous societal and technical appeal as a potential solution to the fundamental energy problems. The ultimate success of a hydrogen economy depends on how the market reacts: Does emerging hydrogen technology provide more value than today's fossil fuels? Although the market will ultimately drive the hydrogen economy, government plays a key role in the move from fossil fuel to hydrogen technology.
Hydrogen System
The international character of the hydrogen economy is sure to influence how it develops and evolves globally. Each country or region of the world has technological and political interests at stake. Cooperation among nations to leverage resources and create innovative technical and organizational approaches to the hydrogen economy is likely to significantly enhance the effectiveness of any nation that would otherwise act alone.
The big question with the hydrogen economy is, "Where does the hydrogen come from?" After that comes the question of transporting, distributing and storing hydrogen. Hydrogen tends to be bulky and tricky in its natural gaseous form.
If fossil fuel is used as the source of hydrogen for the hydrogen economy, it will reduces air pollution, but that doesn't solve either the greenhouse gas problem or the dependence problem .To have a pure hydrogen economy, the hydrogen must be derived from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels so that we stop releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Having enough electricity to separate hydrogen from water and being able to generate that electricity without using fossil fuels, will be the biggest change that we see in creating the hydrogen economy. The electrical-generation problem is probably the biggest barrier to the hydrogen economy.
Moving to a pure hydrogen economy will be harder. The power-generating plants will have to switch over to renewable sources of energy, and the marketplace will have to agree on ways to store and transport hydrogen. These hurdles will likely cause the transition to the hydrogen economy to be a rather long process.
The electrical-generation problem is probably the biggest barrier to the hydrogen economy.