Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The Future of
Hydrogen Fuel
One of the challenges for hydrogen
fuel is the way it is produced. If it could
be produced without using nonrenewable
energy sources, it would be seen as more
practical. Researchers are working on some
promising new technologies with hydrogen fuel.
New Ways of Producing Hydrogen
Researchers believe that, in the future, hydrogen will probably
mostly be produced from water. Devices that generate
electricity through wind or solar power will likely create the
electrical current needed to split water molecules into hydrogen
and oxygen atoms. Hydrogen will probably also be produced
using a special type of
algae
. Researchers have discovered
ways to cause the algae to produce hydrogen for a long period
of time. This natural biological reaction can be controlled in
what are called algae farms, where hydrogen for fuel cells
can be produced at a cost that is far less than the cost of the
electrolysis process used today.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electricity
There are some exciting ways in which electricity produced
through hydrogen fuel might be used. How about a cell phone
or MP3 player with a tiny fuel cell in it that provides electricity?
How about a laptop powered by a fuel cell that will give you
