Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The increased use of renewable hydrogen energy can reduce the vul-
nerability to physical attack, economic attack by OPEC sanctions or em-
bargo, terrorist attacks (since hydrogen dissipates faster than gas or jet
fuel), and many cumulative environmental problems.
Hydrogen energy is an important long-range solution to our depen-
dence on oil. A sudden rise in gasoline prices occurs when even one refin-
ery shuts down since we have not built a new refinery in over 30 years and
we are becoming more dependent than ever on foreign oil.
The price of oil itself is not clearly accounted for until the subsidies
for exploration and the actual cost of Middle East defense is added. Only
recently have the true costs of fossil fuel energy been studied, from de-
fense commitments to long term health care for nationwide respiratory
illnesses. Hydrogen must face economic comparisons to gasoline, but we
notice that the oil and gas industries are already investing in the hydrogen
economy.
GASOLINE REFORMING
The use of available fuels will allow fuel cells on the market more
quickly. Hydrogen could be processed from gasoline onboard vehicles un-
til hydrogen becomes a more practical fuel choice. DaimlerChrysler has
been working with an onboard sensor that would tell what kind of fuel
is being pumped in and then adjust the reformer on the fly. This system
would allow different fuels to be reformed at different temperatures using
varying proportions of steam and air.
An onboard hydrogen tank has several problems since hydrogen
leaks easily, is hard to store and hard to compress and burns quickly. Over-
coming all these concerns has been expensive but most of the major auto
companies has solved these problems for the most part in their prototype
fuel cell vehicles. Refueling tends to be difficult although there are now a
number of hydrogen refueling stations in use around the world.
STEAM REFORMING
Steam reforming is expected to remain the most cost-effective means
for producing hydrogen in volume. A steam reformer's main function is to
produce hydrogen. Hydrocarbon feed gas is mixed with steam and passed
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