John Lyng

December 12, 1997

General Chemistry I Writing Assignment

Today’s world is a power hungry society. Our natural stores of fossil fuels are beginning to dwindle, but the developments using hydrogen may provide a solution to this problem. As with many new technological developments, the use of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels has technical, economic, political, and social problems.

Before hydrogen becomes a viable source of consumer energy, work must first be done to produce it in a cost-effective manner. Hydrogen does not occur in the free state in nature, therefore, it must be extracted from other chemical compounds. For this reason, hydrogen is not a source of energy, but a carrier of energy (Hydrogen: FAQ, p. 2). Several methods for extracting hydrogen exist.

One method is electrolysis, a process in which an electrical current is passed through water, releasing hydrogen and oxygen. This method releases two moles of hydrogen per one mole of water. This method is energy efficient to 65 percent, but it is not cost effective due to the price of electricity. Using photoelectric cells to generate the electricity needed could reduce this cost.

Another method of obtaining hydrogen involves chemical reactions. Several chemical reactions will displace hydrogen from water. Hydrogen is a product from reactions between the active metals of groups I and II and water. The following is an example.

2Na + 2H₂O è H₂ + 2NaOH + HEAT

Hydrogen is also a product of the reaction of a carbon donor and water. This is called the "Producer" reaction and was developed in the early 1800’s (Hydrogen Association [H2 FAQ] p. 2).

HEAT + C + H₂O è H₂ + CO

A final method of evolving hydrogen involves a reaction between steam and petroleum hydrocarbons.

Two other methods, biological production and photoconversion, also release hydrogen, but they produce low amounts of hydrogen and are not energy or cost effective.

The technology currently exists to retrofit existing internal combustion and rotary engines to use hydrogen fuel. Engines specifically designed to operate on hydrogen fuel also exist.

The use of hydrogen as an industrial fuel such as in generating electricity is also a viable option for use of hydrogen fuel. Technologies to use hydrogen in the utilities market are currently under development.

Methods of storing of hydrogen must also be considered. Hydrogen gas can be stored using a variety of methods. The American Hydrogen Association discusses four methods. It can be placed in canisters and compressed to 10,000 PSI. It can also be cooled to the boiling point of –252.7 C where it will liquefy. Many industries including glass manufacturing, brazing, heat treating, and semiconductor manufacturing use liquid hydrogen.

A third method of storing hydrogen is as slush. When quickly subjected to a vacuum, liquid hydrogen will evaporate, cooling the liquid mass below the freezing point of –259.2 C. Solid hydrogen is then produced and mixes with the liquid hydrogen. This forms a "slush" which is more dense than liquid hydrogen. A final method of storing hydrogen is in the interatom space of granular metals.

Transportation of hydrogen can be done using existing technologies. Liquid hydrogen can be transported by rail or truck. Hydrogen gas can be transported using existing natural gas and oil pipelines.

Becoming a hydrogen economy would solve the existing problem of pollution from greenhouse gasses emitted by fossil fuels. It would also help to prevent environmental disasters such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Becoming less dependent on fossil fuels means less impact on the wilderness, as the need for oil drilling and exploration will no decrease. Becoming a hydrogen economy could also solve environmental concerns such as pollution and acid rain. The production of hydrogen and its use as a fuel has little effect on the environment. Burning hydrogen does not release greenhouse gasses. In fact, the only byproducts of hydrogen combustion are water and carbon monoxide.

Some possibly serious economic problems could result from becoming a hydrogen economy. Oil companies are a large part of the American economy. Changing from a fossil fuel economy to a hydrogen economy could cause these companies to collapse. But, if these companies take the opportunity when it is available, they can begin to transfer their focus from fossil to hydrogen fuel.

In contrast, the American economy could derive enormous benefit by switching to hydrogen. Thousands of permanent scientific and industrial jobs would be created (Why Hydrogen? p. 1). Some investments which would stimulate the US economy would include building plants, selling equipment, manufacturing parts, and developing technology. In addition to the one billion dollars spent weekly on oil imports that could be saved, billions of taxpayer dollars used to subsidize oil exploration and protect Middle Eastern oil sources could be reallocated.

A U.S. switch to hydrogen would have little effect on the global economy, as other nations have been developing their own hydrogen technologies.

There do not appear to be many political problems associated with becoming a hydrogen economy. In fact, moving in this direction may solve certain political problems that exist today. The United States is extremely dependent on the oil reserves of foreign countries, especially those in the Mid-East. This dependency has forced us, both in the past and in the present, to become involved in the military and political affairs of these countries, specifically Iraq. By becoming a hydrogen economy and reducing or eliminating our dependency on foreign oil, we will no longer need to police these areas as we have in the past.

A document from the office of Harry Reid, a United States Senator from Nevada, states another political advantage to investing in hydrogen fuel. Germany, Japan, Canada, Belgium, and Saudi Arabia have taken United States developed technology and have expanded on it. In the meanwhile, the United States has continued using fossil fuels. By investing in hydrogen development, the United States would keep in step with global competition (Why Hydrogen? p.1).

The loss of jobs in oil drilling and processing which would result from becoming a hydrogen economy is a relatively small factor when considering the near elimination of environmental concerns such as pollution and acid rain. In fact, many of the jobs involved with oil would be replaced by jobs in manufacturing and development of hydrogen related technology.

Some social problems which must be overcome involve the public’s resistance to change. Society, in general, will not change unless there is a good reason to. If a current technology gets the job done, many find it hard to switch to a new development, especially if it involves more time, money, or effort on their part. These problems can be averted with adequate public education and the introduction of incentives for using this new technology.

The benefits from switching to a hydrogen economy greatly outweigh the disadvantages. Reduction of pollution, improvement of national security, creation of jobs, and reduction of deficit spending will greatly improve the economy of the United States. The United States has nothing to lose and everything to gain in moving in this direction.

Works Cited