We live in the 21st century, humanity is developing, building factories, leading an active lifestyle. However, for full development and existence, we need energy! Now that energy is oil. It is used to make fuel for all industries. We use it literally everywhere: from small cars to huge factories.
However, oil is not an endless resource every year we are moving towards its complete destruction. Scientists say we are at the stage where we need to look for effective replacement gasoline, because even now the price for it is very high, and every year there will be less and less oil, and prices will be higher, and soon, when the oil runs out (and with the existing way of life of mankind this will happen in 60 years), our development and full existence will simply end.
Everyone understands that it is necessary to look for alternative fuels. But what is the most effective replacement? The answer is simple: hydrogen! Here's what will replace the usual gasoline.
Who invented the hydrogen engine?
Like many high tech, this idea came to us from the West. First hydrogen engine developed and created by the American engineer and scientist Brown. The first company to use this engine, was the Japanese "Honda". But this car company I had to go to great lengths to bring the "car of the future" to life. During the creation of the car, all the best engineers and minds of the company were involved for several years! They all had to suspend the production of some cars. And most importantly, they refused to participate in Formula 1, since all the workers who were involved in the creation of cars began to develop a hydrogen car.
Advantages of hydrogen as a fuel
- Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, absolutely everything in our life consists of it, all the objects around us have at least a small, but a particle of hydrogen. It is this fact that is very pleasant for humanity, because, unlike oil, hydrogen will never run out, and we will not have to save on fuel.
- It is absolutely environmentally friendly! Unlike a gasoline engine, a hydrogen engine does not emit harmful gases that would negatively affect the environment. The exhaust that emits such power unit, is an ordinary pair.
- Hydrogen, which is used in engines, is highly flammable and the car will start and run well no matter the weather. That is, we no longer need to warm up the car in winter before the trip.
- On hydrogen, even small engines will be very powerful and to create the fastest car, you no longer need to build a unit the size of a tank.
Of course, there are also disadvantages in this fuel:
- The fact is that despite the fact that this is a limitless material, and it is everywhere, it is very difficult to extract it. Although for humanity this is not a problem. We learned how to extract oil from the ocean by drilling its bottom, and we will learn how to take hydrogen from the earth.
- The second disadvantage is the dissatisfaction of the oil tycoons. Immediately after the start of the progressive development of this technology, most projects were closed. According to rumors, all this is due to the fact that if you replace gasoline with hydrogen, then the richest people on the planet will be left without income, and they cannot afford it.
Methods for extracting hydrogen as energy use
Hydrogen is not a pure fossil like oil and coal, you can't just dig it up and use it. In order for it to become energy, it must be obtained and some energy used to process it, after which this most common chemical element will become fuel.
The currently practiced method of producing hydrogen fuel is the so-called "steam reforming". To convert ordinary hydrogen into fuel, carbohydrates are used, which consist of hydrogen and carbon. In chemical reactions, at a certain temperature, a huge amount of hydrogen is released, which can be used as fuel. This fuel will not highlight harmful substances into the atmosphere during operation, however, during its production, a huge amount of carbon dioxide is released, which has a bad effect on the environment. Therefore, although this method is effective, it should not be taken as the basis for the extraction of alternative fuels.
There are engines for which pure hydrogen is also suitable, they themselves process given element into fuel, however, as in the previous method, there is also a huge amount of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
Electrolysis is a very efficient way to extract alternative fuel in the form of hydrogen. Electricity released into the water, as a result of which it decomposes into hydrogen and oxygen. This method is expensive and troublesome, but environmentally friendly. The only waste from the production and operation of fuel is oxygen, which will only positively affect the atmosphere of our planet.
And the most promising and cheapest way to obtain hydrogen fuel is the processing of ammonia. With the necessary chemical reaction, ammonia decomposes into nitrogen and hydrogen, and hydrogen is obtained three times more than nitrogen. This method better themes that it is slightly cheaper and less expensive. In addition, ammonia is easier and safer to transport, and upon arrival at the delivery point, a chemical reaction should be started, nitrogen should be released and the fuel is ready.
artificial noise
Hydrogen-fueled engines are practically silent, so the so-called “artificial vehicle noise” is installed on cars that are in operation or will be put into operation to prevent accidents on the roads.
Well, friends, we are on the verge of a grandiose transition from gasoline, which destroys our entire ecosystem, to hydrogen, which, on the contrary, restores it!
Where you can get hydrogen has been known for a long time, a couple of centuries ago. The method for producing hydrogen was described in sufficient detail in the publication:
O. D. Khvolson, Physics course, Berlin, 1923, vols. 3 i.
It turns out that without violating any laws of physics, it is possible to build a machine that will produce heat due to the positive difference between the energy of burning hydrogen and the energy spent on obtaining it in the process of electrolysis of water.
Specifically, 2 grams of hydrogen during combustion releases 67.54 large calories of heat, and when electrolyzing a solution of sulfuric acid, at a voltage of 0.1 volts, less than 5 large calories of heat will be spent to produce the same amount of hydrogen. The bottom line is that electrolysis does not consume the energy of separating a water molecule into oxygen and hydrogen. This work is done without our participation by intermolecular forces during the dissociation of water by sulfuric acid ions. We spend energy only to neutralize the charges of already existing hydrogen ions and the remainder of SO. The amount of hydrogen released does not depend on energy, but only on the amount of electricity equal to the product of the current strength and the time it passes.
When hydrogen is burned, exactly the energy that would have to be done in order to tear off a hydrogen molecule from oxygen in the air is released. And that's 67.54 big calories. The resulting excess energy can be used in different ways.
You can get hydrogen directly at gas stations and fill cars with it.
At home, taking one kilowatt hour of energy from the network, we can get 10 kilowatt hours of thermal energy for domestic needs. This is a kind of energy booster. Eliminates the need for wiring gas pipes, heating mains and boiler houses. Energy will be prepared directly in the apartment from water, and again only water will be waste.
In large industrial plants, even at 33% efficiency, as in today's nuclear power plants, by burning hydrogen we will get several times more electrical energy than was spent to produce this hydrogen.
The use of hydrogen as a fuel for cars is attractive due to its several special advantages:
- when hydrogen is burned in the engine, almost only water is formed, which makes the hydrogen fuel engine the most environmentally friendly;
- high energy properties of hydrogen (1 kg of hydrogen is equivalent to almost 4.5 kg of gasoline);
- unlimited raw material base for the production of hydrogen from water.
Hydrogen can be used as a fuel for cars in several different ways:
- only hydrogen itself can be used;
- hydrogen can be used together with traditional fuels;
- hydrogen can be used fuel cells.
Of course, there are certain technical difficulties that need to be solved. About 30 years ago, Academician A.P. Alexandrov, led a seminar on hydrogen energy. It has already been discussed technical projects. It was assumed that atomic energy would be used to produce hydrogen, and it would already be used as fuel. But apparently they soon realized that nuclear energy is not needed here at all. Then they screwed up all hydrogen projects, because it was necessary not to hydrogen fuel, and plutonium.
The writer L. Ulitskaya, a geneticist by education, wrote in the Obshchaya Gazeta on May 16-22, 2002. “The romantic period in the history of science is over. I am absolutely sure that cheap sources of electricity have long been developed and these developments lie in the safes of the oil kings. I am convinced that today science works in such a way that they cannot fail to do this. But until the last drop of oil is burned, such developments will not be released from the safe, they do not need a redistribution of money, peace, power, influence.
Until now, supporters of the development of nuclear energy have been raising the crown question: Where is the alternative to atom? One should expect fierce opposition not only from supporters of nuclear energy, but from the entire fuel industry. energy complex. They will spare no effort and money to bury the problem of hydrogen fuel together with its enthusiasts.
More than 90% of hydrogen is produced in oil refining and petrochemical processes. Hydrogen is also produced by converting natural gas into synthesis gas. The process of obtaining hydrogen by electrolysis of water is extremely expensive; in terms of energy costs, it is almost equal to the amount of energy obtained from the combustion of hydrogen in an engine.
Today, almost all of the hydrogen produced is used in various oil refining and petrochemical processes.
With air, hydrogen stably ignites in a wide range of concentrations, which ensures stable operation of the engine at all speeds.
The exhaust gases are practically free of carbon oxides (CO and CO2) and unburned hydrocarbons (CH), but the emission of nitrogen oxides is twice the emission of nitrogen oxides of a gasoline engine.
Due to the high reactivity of hydrogen, there is the possibility of flashback into the intake manifold and pre-ignition of the mixture. Of all the options for eliminating this phenomenon, the most optimal is the injection of hydrogen directly into the combustion chamber.
The problem of using hydrogen as motor fuel is its storage on the car.
The compressed hydrogen storage system makes it possible to reduce the volume of the tank, but not its mass due to the increase in wall thickness. Storing liquid hydrogen is a difficult task given its low temperature boiling. Liquid hydrogen is stored in double-walled tanks.
When hydrogen is stored in the form of metal hydrides, the hydrogen is chemically bound state. If magnesium hydride is used as the metal hydride, the ratio between hydrogen and carrier metal is about 168 kg of magnesium and 13 kg of hydrogen.
The high self-ignition temperature of hydrogen-air mixtures makes it difficult to use hydrogen in diesel engines. Sustained ignition can be achieved by forced ignition from a candle.
Difficulties in the use of hydrogen and its high price have led to the development of combined gasoline-hydrogen fuel. The use of gasoline-hydrogen mixtures makes it possible to reduce gasoline consumption by 50% at a speed of 90-120 km/h and by 28% when driving in the city.
- website -Comments:
I am for gasoline-hydrogen combined fuel
And I'm in favor of using a mobile hydrogen reactor, as described above. And you don't need sides and it's safe. As a safety measure, as already known, a water seal can be used.
No one will ever be able to run hydrogen as fuel as long as there is oil .... how can I get or see drawings about the installation for furnace heating ... ... ....
At the beginning of the article, sulfuric acid is mentioned, then water is casually mentioned. So what kind of fluid are we dealing with and the associated environmental ambiguities?
I am not a chemist, please do not kick with your feet if I missed something.
If sulfuric acid of a certain average concentration is used, then after hydrogen is obtained from it by electrolysis, the acid concentration must somehow be maintained. You can simply add water and follow the hydrometer, but the water from the water supply is far from distillation and the evaporation of sulfur oxide-6 in a leaky system will also most likely occur, still gas. To burn hydrogen in oxygen obtained in parallel, in order to ensure tightness, it is necessary in small portions, but this is also not explosive. The idea is good, we must try - the battery electrolyte is available, as well as the power grid.
in WWII, hydrogen was used on airships in Leningrad, and later engines of machines with winches were also fed from them
Forget it, this is all theory, in fact, everything is correct, only Hydrogen is 3 times less caloric, say, natural gas, respectively, the efficiency of such an engine is 3 times lower than, say, natural gas, that is, it will hum at idle, but not drive. So forget about the use of self-sufficient hydrogen fuel, this is a utopia, but the molecular intensification of fuel gasoline, gas, solarium in internal combustion engines and gas turbine plants is prospectively economically justified since the efficiency of engines increases 2-3 times, with a reduction in fuel consumption by 38-50%, let's say it’s real for 100 km. All these strife about the gas of Brown, Mayer and others are nothing, so the laws of physics while the father-in-law is working to get gas by electrolysis and it’s not realistic to drive on nm because the power of the car’s network is not enough, the generator of a typical car produces a maximum current of 7.5A , for the stable operation of the electrolyzer, the required current strength is at least 2 times greater, which means we will plant the battery quickly enough and also kill how minimum relay regulator auto. All sailed. But there is still a solution. Since octane number hydrogen 1000, respectively, it is necessary to supply very little to the engine, that is, to bring the current strength in the electrolyzer to 3-4 amperes and prepares a gasoline or fuel mixture immediately before injection into the combustion chamber, enriching it with the resulting explosive gas. As practice has shown on Skoda Octavia test vehicles, BMW-520., Opel Ascona and others for about 5-7 years, the savings were up to 50% depending on the type of engine fuel, The motor resource increased by 2 times, the engine power increased by at least 50%, respectively, the torque increased. An interesting phenomenon is observed fuel consumption is almost the same in urban and suburban cycles. The car becomes frisky and very nimble, the speed at base engine Skoda Octavia with a volume of 1.6 liters picks up speed up to a hundred km in 12 seconds, with a molecular intensifier in 7 seconds ... cruising maximum speed Octavia was 195 km per hour at factory settings, only 120-130 from the hill, on gasoline engines killed high mileage it turned out that the spark plugs of the mixture become eternal, passed without replacement for 250 thousand mileage ...
H- gives ~ 75% more J than gasoline and ~ 50% more than methane (I could be wrong).
I wonder how much pressure it creates in cylinder H?
HHO.prom.ua
They collect electric lysers for sale
a hydrogen-powered vehicle is already in operation. More than 100,000 cars in the world run on hydrogen.
I wonder who is the author of this masterpiece? First, he writes: “In the conditions of the house, taking one kilowatt hour of energy from the network, we can get 10 kilowatt hours of thermal energy for domestic needs.” Simply and tastefully, the author offers an ordinary perpetual motion machine. A little lower: “The process of obtaining hydrogen by electrolysis of water is extremely expensive, in terms of energy costs it is almost equal to the amount of energy obtained by burning hydrogen in an engine.” Apparently the author wrote it different hands, and the right hand does not know what the left one writes and vice versa ....
Yuri.
The author meant that for those in power and property, the generation of hydrogen is most beneficial when synthesized with other substances. But again, these are whole chains of technological measures, not to mention expensive equipment. There are a lot of ways, but the profitability must be considered. I believe that electrolysis is the most cost-effective because wind energy is very cheap. And all other methods of extracting gas ob-hydrogen may not be profitable due to equipment wear and tear. Technologist. Processes..
About fifty million cars drive around the world that run on gasoline or diesel fuel. Oil is not unlimited, which means the question arises - what will cars drive in 30-40 years?
What fuel is available
Let's start with hybrid cars. They combine a small internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric drive with batteries. Energy from the engine and from brake system vehicle is used to charge the batteries that power the electric drive. Typical hybrid engines allow 20-30% more efficient use of fuel compared to traditional internal combustion engines and emit much less harmful substances into the atmosphere.
As we know, without gasoline, hybrids will not go far, so we remove this option. Electric cars seem to be the best option, But normal cars little electric. And they have a small power reserve, especially if you are traveling on long distance. The cost is also great. This option is for the future, and you need to look for alternative fuel now.
Next on the list are alternative fuel vehicles, by type of alcohol fuel, biodiesel or ethanol. This option, at first glance, seems great, besides, alternative fuel cars are being created and they have shown themselves well. But if all cars are "transplanted" to biofuel, then food prices will rise, because. For the production of this type of fuel, large sown areas are needed.
Another thing is hydrogen for refueling cars. It is more promising for several reasons: the mass of a hydrogen battery is smaller, refueling is faster, the production of batteries is more expensive and requires more different exotic elements, it is much easier to organize a network of filling stations than chargers, there are other advantages ...
Electricity - the fuel of the future?
Auto companies are already investing huge amounts of money in the development of alternative fuels, electric vehicles with a long range are being created. If at the beginning they had a power reserve of no more than 100 kilometers, now some can boast of a reserve without recharging of up to 300-400 kilometers. Even if technologies develop and new types appear batteries for electric vehicles, the stock can be increased to 500 km.
The applicability of electric vehicles with a long range is not limited to this. We need to build gas stations all over the world, there should be a large number of. And refills should be fast when the machine can be "powered" by electricity in no more than 1 hour (ideally 10-20 minutes). Now it takes up to 16-24 hours to fully recharge, depending on the capacity of the batteries.
As you understand, it is necessary to completely change the road network, and large oil companies can go for it. They possess big amount auto refueling. All you need to do is to put stations for refueling electric vehicles nearby. Then the number of cars on electric traction will increase, because the problem of refueling will be solved.
Based on the foregoing: there are no normal batteries for electric vehicles that would be all-weather and take a charge at least in minutes. In addition, electric vehicles are expensive for most motorists. But with time and the development of technology, their cost will decrease, they will become available to everyone.
Introduction
Studies of the Sun, stars, interstellar space show that the most common element of the Universe is hydrogen (in space, in the form of hot plasma, it makes up 70% of the mass of the Sun and stars).
According to some calculations, every second in the depths of the Sun, approximately 564 million tons of hydrogen as a result of thermonuclear fusion turn into 560 million tons of helium, and 4 million tons of hydrogen turn into powerful radiation that goes into outer space. There is no fear that the Sun will soon run out of hydrogen reserves. It has existed for billions of years, and the supply of hydrogen in it is sufficient to provide the same number of years of combustion.
Man lives in a hydrogen-helium universe.
Therefore, hydrogen is of great interest to us.
The influence and use of hydrogen today is very great. Almost all currently known types of fuel, except, of course, hydrogen, pollute the environment. In the cities of our country, landscaping takes place every year, but this, apparently, is not enough. Millions of new car models that are now being produced are filled with fuel that releases carbon dioxide (CO 2) and carbon monoxide (CO) gases into the atmosphere. Breathing such air and constantly being in such an atmosphere is a very great danger to health. Various diseases come from this, many of which are practically untreatable, and even more so it is impossible to treat them, continuing to be in one can say “infected” exhaust gases atmosphere. We want to be healthy, and of course, we want the generations that will follow us not to complain and suffer from constant air pollution, but on the contrary, remember and trust the proverb: "The sun, air and water are our best friends."
In the meantime, I can not say that these words justify themselves. We already generally have to turn a blind eye to water, because now, even if we take our city specifically, there are known facts that polluted water flows from taps, and in no case should you drink it.
As for air, an equally important issue has been on the agenda for many years now. And if you imagine, even for a second, that everything modern engines will run on environmentally friendly fuel, which, of course, is hydrogen, then our planet will embark on a path leading to an ecological paradise. But these are all fantasies and ideas, which, to our great regret, will not soon become a reality.
Despite the fact that our world is approaching an environmental crisis, all countries, even those that pollute the environment to a greater extent with their industry (Germany, Japan, the USA, and, sadly, Russia) are in no hurry to panic and start an emergency policy for its cleansing.
No matter how much we talk about positive influence hydrogen, in practice this can be seen quite infrequently. But still, many projects are being developed, and the purpose of my work was not only to talk about the most wonderful fuel, but also about its application. This topic is very relevant, because now the inhabitants of not only our country, but the whole world, are concerned about the problem of ecology and possible ways to solve this problem.
Hydrogen on Earth
Hydrogen is one of the most abundant elements on Earth. In the earth's crust, out of every 100 atoms, 17 are hydrogen atoms. It is approximately 0.88% of the mass of the globe (including the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere). If we recall that the water on the earth's surface is more
1.5∙10 18 m 3 and that the mass fraction of hydrogen in water is 11.19%, it becomes clear that there is an unlimited amount of raw materials for producing hydrogen on Earth. Hydrogen is included in oil (10.9 - 13.8%), wood (6%), coal (lignite - 5.5%), natural gas (25.13%). Hydrogen is found in all animal and plant organisms. It is also found in volcanic gases. The bulk of hydrogen enters the atmosphere as a result of biological processes. When billions of tons of plant residues decompose under anaerobic conditions, a significant amount of hydrogen is released into the air. This hydrogen in the atmosphere quickly dissipates and diffuses into the upper atmosphere. Having a small mass, hydrogen molecules have high speed diffusion motion (it is close to the second cosmic velocity) and, getting into the upper layers of the atmosphere, can fly away into outer space. The concentration of hydrogen in the upper layers of the atmosphere is 1∙10 -4%.
What is hydrogen technology?
Hydrogen technology is understood as a set of industrial methods and means for obtaining, transporting and storing hydrogen, as well as means and methods for its safe use based on inexhaustible sources of raw materials and energy.
What is the attraction of hydrogen and hydrogen technology?
The transition of transport, industry, and everyday life to burning hydrogen is the way to a radical solution to the problem of protecting the air basin from pollution by carbon oxides, nitrogen, sulfur, and hydrocarbons.
The transition to hydrogen technology and the use of water as the only source of raw materials for hydrogen production cannot change not only the water balance of the planet, but also the water balance of its individual regions. Thus, the annual energy demand of such a highly industrialized country as the FRG can be provided by hydrogen obtained from such an amount of water that corresponds to 1.5% of the average flow of the Rhine River (2180 liters of water give 1 toe in the form of H 2). We note in passing that one of the brilliant conjectures of the great science fiction writer Jules Verne becomes real before our eyes, who, through the mouth of the hero of the rum "Mysterious Island" (Chapter XVII), declares: "Water is the coal of future centuries."
Hydrogen obtained from water is one of the most energy-rich energy carriers. Indeed, the calorific value of 1 kg of H 2 is (at the lowest limit) 120 MJ/kg, while the calorific value of gasoline or the best hydrocarbon aviation fuel is 46–50 MJ/kg, i.e. 2.5 times less than 1 ton of hydrogen corresponds in its energy equivalent to 4.1 tf, moreover, hydrogen is a highly renewable fuel.
To accumulate fossil fuels on our planet, millions of years are needed, and in order to obtain water from water in the cycle of obtaining and using hydrogen, days, weeks, and sometimes hours and minutes are needed.
But hydrogen as a fuel and chemical raw material has a number of other valuable qualities. The versatility of hydrogen lies in the fact that it can replace any type of fuel in various fields of energy, transport, industry, and in everyday life. It replaces gasoline automotive engines, kerosene in jet aircraft engines, acetylene in the processes of welding and cutting metals, natural gas for domestic and other purposes, methane in fuel cells, coke in metallurgical processes (direct reduction of ores), hydrocarbons in a number of microbiological processes. Hydrogen is easily transported through pipes and distributed to small consumers, it can be obtained and stored in any quantities. At the same time, hydrogen is a raw material for a number of important chemical syntheses (ammonia, methanol, hydrazine), for the production of synthetic hydrocarbons.
How and from what is hydrogen currently produced?
Modern technologists have hundreds of technical methods production of hydrogen fuel, hydrocarbon gases, liquid hydrocarbons, water. The choice of one or another method is dictated by economic considerations, the availability of appropriate raw materials and energy resources. IN different countries can be various situations. For example, in countries where there is cheap surplus electricity generated at hydroelectric power plants, hydrogen can be obtained by electrolysis of water (Norway); where there is a lot of solid fuel and hydrocarbons are expensive, hydrogen can be obtained by gasification of solid fuel (China); where oil is cheap, hydrogen can be obtained from liquid hydrocarbons (Middle East). However, most hydrogen is currently produced from hydrocarbon gases by the conversion of methane and its homologues (USA, Russia).
During the conversion of methane with water vapor, carbon dioxide, oxygen and carbon monoxide with water vapor, the following catalytic reactions occur. Let us consider the process of obtaining hydrogen by conversion of natural gas (methane).
Hydrogen production is carried out in three stages. The first stage is the conversion of methane in a tube furnace:
CH 4 + H 2 O \u003d CO + 3H 2 - 206.4 kJ / mol
CH 4 + CO 2 \u003d 2CO + 2H 2 - 248.3 kJ / mol.
The second stage is associated with the additional conversion of the residual methane of the first stage with atmospheric oxygen and the introduction of nitrogen into the gas mixture, if hydrogen is used for the synthesis of ammonia. (If pure hydrogen is obtained, the second stage may not exist in principle).
CH 4 + 0.5O 2 \u003d CO + 2H 2 + 35.6 kJ / mol.
And finally, the third stage is the conversion of carbon monoxide with water vapor:
CO + H 2 O \u003d CO 2 + H 2 + 41.0 kJ / mol.
All of these stages require water vapor, and the first stage requires a lot of heat, so the process in terms of energy technology is carried out in such a way that the tube furnaces are heated from the outside by methane burned in the furnaces, and the residual heat of the flue is used to produce water vapor.
Let's see how this happens in industrial environment(scheme 1). Natural gas, containing mainly methane, is pre-purified from sulfur, which is a poison for the conversion catalyst, heated to a temperature of 350 - 370 o C and mixed with water vapor under a pressure of 4.15 - 4.2 MPa in the ratio of steam volumes: gas = 3, 0:4.0. The gas pressure in front of the tube furnace, the exact ratio of steam: gas are maintained by automatic regulators.
The resulting gas-vapor mixture at 350 - 370 o C enters the heater, where it is heated to 510 - 525 o C due to flue gases. Then the gas-vapor mixture is sent to the first stage of methane conversion - to a tubular furnace, in which it is evenly distributed over vertically located reaction tubes (8). The temperature of the converted gas at the exit from the reaction tubes reaches 790 - 820 o C. The residual content of methane after the tube furnace is 9 - 11% (vol.). The pipes are filled with catalyst.
Decreased hydrocarbon volume and deterioration environment.
The largest megacities of the world greet you with a gray look: heavy smog frozen over the city, formed by exhaust gases.
Along with smoke, carbon dioxide is released into the air, changing our climate on Earth.
Also, many states are thinking about energy independence.
Don't worry, the car won't disappear. Even as you read, today's scientists are exploring the fuels of the future. What will the engines of tomorrow's cars run on? Consider the three most promising candidates.
Hydrogen is the fuel of the space age
- more energy intensive than gasoline or an electric vehicle battery;
- as an exhaust water;
- refuels quickly.
- very expensive to manufacture;
- difficulty in storage and transportation;
- incompatibility with today's infrastructure.
Outcome:
On paper, hydrogen is a very promising fuel, but high cost and storage problems prevent it from being widely used in the near future.
When scientists needed fuel for the space industry, they turned their attention to hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel cells have been used to power electronics in command modules, including the 1969 mission that landed humans on the moon for the first time.
Power units, although they look unusual, are nevertheless very similar to batteries. They also produce electricity, which gives reason to consider a car powered by a similar element as an electric car. Two chemicals interact to generate electricity in fuel cells.
Others may be used, including methanol and ethanol. But, as a rule, hydrogen is used, since it has a high energy intensity per unit weight, and by-product is water. Therefore, if you have a hydrogen car, you can drink its exhaust.
Fuel cells are almost unlimited in size and can be used in various vehicles.
But not everything is so rosy. Unfortunately, hydrogen fuel cells have serious drawbacks.
First, energy is not stored in them.
Second, there are no large natural sources of pure hydrogen on Earth, unlike fossil fuels. This means that it must be produced from scratch. Hydrogen is also a very energy-intensive substance. This advantage also becomes a disadvantage, as it requires a lot of energy for production.
Despite some promising new technologies, today in almost every conceivable industrial scenario, the cost of hydrogen exceeds the price of gasoline.
Besides, hydrogen is a gas. To be used, it must be in a compressed state when high pressure which makes it difficult to store and transport. For example, to store 5 kg of hydrogen, you need a large 171 liter tank that holds gas at a pressure of 340 times atmospheric pressure.
Refueling vehicles with compressed gas requires expensive infrastructure. Hydrogen Gas station is worth approximately US$2 million. Add the cost of transporting and producing hydrogen. All this will require significant long-term investments.
However, many automakers have built hydrogen fuel cell car prototypes, including Fiat, Volkswagen and BMW. And Peugeot-Citroen even produced a hydrogen-powered ATV.
Batteries - high voltage in reality
- no exhaust;
- almost silent operation;
- the mains is used for charging;
- Batteries are already in mass production.
- large dimensions;
- heavy;
- for a long time charging;
- most of the electricity in many countries is produced by coal-fired thermal power plants.
Outcome:
An electric car is an inventor's old dream. With the right government and industrial support, it would have become mainstream long ago. There are many conspiracy theories about what killed the "clean" car. But any story about electric vehicles must start with a discussion of energy.
After 20 years of technological journey, today the golden child is lithium ion battery. It is substantially lighter, holds more power and is more efficient than the batteries that preceded it. They are used in all consumer electronics.
Yet today's most best batteries produce significantly less energy than hydrogen or gasoline. The average range of an electric car is 60 km. Therefore, technologies clean energy are in addition to the traditional ones.
Although the possibilities of electric vehicles are constantly expanding. For example, Mini-E travels 240 km on a single charge. But the Mini-E is a tiny car with a large battery weighing over 300 kg, which forced the designers to sacrifice rear seats.
Beyond the terrible model range, there is another drawback. Batteries are very slow to charge.
However, technological innovations are being introduced to cope with various challenges. The Israeli company took an unusual path: the creation of points for the replacement of used batteries.
Other solutions include the introduction of powerful stations, where the charging time can be reduced to thirty minutes. It is also possible to charge special batteries in just 10 seconds using very high voltage. But if something goes wrong, there is a danger of serious harm to health.
Taken together, the above technical problems killed the first electric car mass production– EV-1 GM.
Yet progress does not stand still. Many companies around the world are researching new types of cells to create batteries that are more energy efficient and easier to maintain. And the hour is not long when we stop breathing city smog.
Biofuels - mother nature to the rescue
- no need for new infrastructure;
- resumes;
- is a neutral carbon;
- produced and applied.
- can harm older vehicles;
- competition with food production;
- a large amount of biomass is needed to meet the world's demand.
Outcome:
Biofuels are already in use today. WITH further development technologies and increasing production, its use will only grow. Despite all the prospects, the impact on the environment is a subject of intensive discussion.
Biofuel is any fuel derived from biological materials such as wood chips, sugar or vegetable oil. Biofuel differs from traditional fuel in two important properties.
During the extraction and combustion of fossil energy resources, additional carbon dioxide is released and accumulates in the atmosphere. And biofuels are made from crops that use carbon dioxide from the environment for photosynthesis. Therefore, when biofuels are used, no new carbon dioxide is released (neutral carbon), which does not lead to climate change.
In addition, raw materials are grown for biofuel.
But a few environmental "dirty spots" spoil the rosy picture.
To convert biological material into biofuel, manufacturing process that requires energy. And, if it's not from a renewable source, the production causes pollution.
The second problem is that replacing the world's fossil fuels with biofuels requires huge amounts of new biomass. This could significantly reduce the world's food stocks. Ethanol is traditionally made from grain. There are non-food sources such as palm oil. But they often entail the destruction of virgin forests.
The good news is that there is a wide range of biological material to create different types biofuel. Methane, fuel additives in the form of ethanol, heavier diesel fuel.
The destination receives a significant amount of government subsidies, as biofuels are compatible with existing engines internal combustion. Therefore, no new infrastructure and cars.
Manufacturers have focused on making ethanol from cellulose, the inedible parts of plants. There are two benefits to this. First, there is no competition with food production. Secondly, cellulose is the richest biological material on Earth.
In many countries, bioadditives are used. For example, in Australia, ethanol is combined with gasoline into a 10 percent blend known as E10. Nearly all cars made after 1986 can be driven safely. Biodiesel - other fuel mixture(B10).
What will be the fuel of the future?
When fossil energy resources are reduced to critical levels, the cheapest and fastest alternative will win.
Therefore, biofuels are currently leading the race. It is already on sale, widely used, and depreciating in price due to increased production. Electric cars are second by a small margin. Hydrogen cars without infrastructure, trail in last place.
Although a sudden technological breakthrough, such as a cheap way to store large amounts of hydrogen, could change the game.
