Hydrogen as a Fuel Source
... by gasoline. The hydrogen car is a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV). Although NASA’s space program uses hydrogen as fuel on their spacecrafts, it is not yet safe for vehicle use as of this moment because there are problems. There exist three major problems for hydrogen as a major fuel source for cars: cost of production, storage, and transport. The cost of highly purified hydrogen is an obstacle. Fuel cells require hydrogen that is “99.999 percent pure”, which today costs about “$15 to $22 per kilogram” (uscar.org). The cost of production must be cut into half before attempting to market this to the public. Many companies are in the process of the development of advanced steam methane reforming technologies which will cut the production cost. Moreover, hydrogen is highly flammable and there is an explosion risk similar to that of gasoline. Hydrogen displaces air, which means explosiveness is a serious risk because of the concentration. Next, there is a problem with storage and transportation of hydrogen. Hydrogen must be kept in liquid form because the pressure of the gas would not give practical gas mileage. Liquid hydrogen is very cold, more than “423.2 F below zero”. (energyquest.ca.gov) The containers are able to hold pressure, but they are also insulated to keep the liquid hydrogen from warming up. Insulation of that quality is very expensive to build which raises the price, making it less tempting for consumers. Hydrogen molecules decompose into atoms so the container that is holding the hydrogen will travel into the metal causing corrosion, ultimately making the metal contain...