VitalAccurateThinking

Hydrogen Perfection?

This post caught my eye:

"I also note that H2 gas is itself pretty much the perfect fuel for internal-combustion engines. Engineers have known for decades that hydrogen injection into the air intake, just before injecting into the combustion chamber, improves fuel efficiency enormously. By weight, hydrogen has three times the energy of gasoline."

I was about to jump in with both feet until I read the "yeah but" paragraph:

"The rub has always been how to get the hydrogen gas. H2 is very difficult to store. Hydrogen atoms are so small that making a leakproof container is no simple thing. H2 gas takes up a lot of space, making it imperative either to compress it (adding a safety concern and increasing the leaking challenge) or liquefying it (adding the refrigeration problem of mobile storage). And both compression and liquefaction of H2 add weight and complexity to an auto."

I would not want a hydrogen storage tank on my car; my years in the chemical industry have taught me about hydrogen; "trust me". All in all, hydrogen (H2) is not a good energy storage device. There is no getting around the negative qualities merely by wishing it so. That is the bottom line. Next idea please.

posted by Jim VAT @ 5:57 PM