Hydrogen

Plan

Introduction - Fertile Question & Thesis (Neutral Sentences, Supporting Points)

Paragraph 1 - What is Hydrogen? (75% all matter, Material makeup)

Paragraph 2 - How is Hydrogen used? (Heat, Energy, Electricity, Transportation)

Paragraph 3 - How is Hydrogen made? (Grey Hydrogen, Blue Hydrogen, Green Hydrogen)

Paragraph 4 - Why is Hydrogen not already in use? (Cost, Transportation, Implementation)

Paragraph 5 - Petroleum Pros & Cons (Cost, Storage, Enviromental Impact)

Paragraph 6 - Electricity Pros & Cons (Cost, Storage, Enviromental Impact)

Paragraph 7 - Hydrogen Pros & Cons (Cost, Storage, Enviromental Impact)

Paragraph 8 - Numerical Data (Comparing Petroleum, Electric & Hydrogen)

Conclusion - (Summary, Restate Thesis, Supporting Points & Lasting Impression)

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Hydrogen Transportation Transition & Implementation

Introduction

36.3 billion tonnes of Carbon Dioxide were released into our atmosphere in 2021. A 6% increase from 2020. The transport sector currently contributes 47% of the carbon dioxide emitted world wide. While petroleum vehicles can be cheaper and more cost effective, Hydrogen vehicles should become their replacement. This is because Hydrogen vehicles provide a clean alternative and produce no greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen is more fuel efficient and can be infinitely produced due to it being the most abundant substance in our universe. Hydrogen powered vehicles should replace petroleum and electric vehicles using a subsidization system, as well as a network of refueling stations. In this report we will present supporting arguments for this thesis.

What Is Hydrogen?

Hydrogen is a natural gas and the clean alternative to fossil fuels. Hydrogen has the scientific symbol of H , and as a standard gas has the symbol of H2. It makes up a total of 75% of all matter in our universe, making it an ideal fuel source. It was first recognised as an element by English physicist Henry Cavendish in 1766 with the name coming from the Greek words hydro for water, and genes for forming. This is because Hydrogen will produce water when it is burned with oxygen. If Hydrogen can be properly gathered, stored and utilized it can be used to provide the majority of the world with energy.

How Is Hydrogen used?

Hydrogen has been used for hundreds of years in dozens of ways. The infamous LZ 129 Hindenburg was an airship that maintained its airborne state with the help of Hydrogen. Hydrogen can also be used in fuel cells which are large batteries that convert chemical energy (Hydrogen) into electrical power. Hydrogen can be used in these fuel cells to power transportation and, in the future, whole cities. Hydrogen is also what most stars burn to produce energy. This process is known as fusion and could possibly be used as a power source. The Hydrogen fueling the sun is expected to last for around another 5 billion years.

Fuel Cell

Fuel cells are the powerhouse of Hydrogen vehicles. In a fuel cell Hydrogen gas, stored in a pressurized tank, reacts with a conductor usually made from platinum. The process takes the electrons from the Hydrogen and uses them to power an electric motor. After powering the motor, the electrons are then combined with the former Hydrogen atoms and oxygen molecules to create water. This water helps cools down the motor, since charged electrons create heat, before exiting the car as an exhaust of steam and water droplets.

Current Transportation

During our research we found there are two leading competitors when it comes to Hydrogen transportation. Hyundai and Toyota have both developed a Hydrogen powered vehicle, named the Hyundai Nexo and the Toyota Mirai. These vehicles can transport passengers hundreds of kilometers on a single tank without any of the greenhouse emissions produced by petroleum. We discovered that while the Hyundai Nexo has a larger Hydrogen fuel tank for increased driving distance, the Toyota Mirai has a better fuel efficiency. These facts are further explained in the graphs below.

How Is Hydrogen Made?

There are 3 different types of ways to make Hydrogen. Hydrogen can be made from fossil fuels, greenhouse gases and electrolysis. These methods of making Hydrogen are identified by colours. Black (also referred to as Grey) Hydrogen is made by converting fossil fuels into Hydrogen using heat that is produced by burning fossil fuels. This also creates CO₂ which is released into the atmosphere. Blue Hydrogen is made the same way as Black Hydrogen. The only difference is the CO₂ byproduct is stored away from the atmosphere. Green Hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water. Electrolysis is when a select amount of electricity is used to separate the oxygen and Hydrogen molecules from water. This method has no greenhouse gas byproducts and is renewable. Whilst this method is in limited use at present it will be the way forward for the future. Hydrogen gas can be released and then used as Hydrogen fuel. It can also be remixed with oxygen to create oxyhydrogen gas, which is used in welding and other applications.

Why Is Hydrogen Not Already In Use?

The knowledge of Hydrogen has been around for hundreds of years. So it would be safe to assume that humans have found a way to use it effectively, right? However, there are four major challenges that have prevented Hydrogen from becoming the clean fuel source we know it can become.

Challenge 1

The first of these challenges is extraction (as mentioned above). With carbon dioxide as a by-product of Black and Blue Hydrogen production it seems counterproductive to be using Hydrogen as a clean fuel source. Although Hydrogen extraction methods have improved over the years there is still a way to go before supply can meet future demand.

Challenge 2

Secondly is transportation of the fuel. Hydrogen is extracted from fossil fuels and water in its gaseous form. This form has been proven the easiest way to transport Hydrogen as it can easily be stored in a pressurised tank for storage and transportation. Other methods such as a liquid and chemical form have been tested but require extreme temperatures for them to be extracted for later use. A pressurised tank will also keep Hydrogen away from oxygen as Hydrogen becomes flammable at concentrations of 4 to 94% in oxygen (and 4 to 74% in air).

Challenge 3

The biggest limitation to anything new and revolutionary is the cost. Our expert Linda Wright, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Hydrogen Council, says that “support from governments and organizations is crucial if Hydrogen is to become the new fuel source”. With Green Hydrogen costing on average around 16 dollars per kilogram to make, this presents numerous problems for governments and taxpayers alike. We suggest that a subsidization system should be placed on Hydrogen vehicles. This would be similar to that used with electric vehicles and would allow consumers to access Hydrogen vehicles at a cost effective price.

Challenge 4

The final hurdle to Hydrogen implementation is the availability of the fuel itself. The implementation of electric vehicles has been limited primarily by the cost of the cars themselves and the number of recharging stations. This has led to the popularity and use of electric vehicles progressing slower than expected. This situation could be mirrored with Hydrogen vehicles if there are insufficient and easily accessible refueling points. Globally there are currently 685 Hydrogen refueling stations with the majority of them located in Germany. If Hydrogen vehicles are to become our primary mode of transportation then we would need to have refueling stations in every major city and along transport routes. If we can overcome these challenges then we can achieve a global transition to Hydrogen power.

Petroleum Pros & Cons

Petroleum is the world's primary fuel at the moment. Over 50% of the vehicles currently in existence use petroleum. This is because petroleum is a very efficient fuel and is readily available. The main problem with petroleum is that as it is burnt carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere which contributes to global warming. Cars create the largest amount of emissions as they are found everywhere and produce the most amount of CO₂ since they are used everyday. This means if we were to remove petrol cars and replace them with Hydrogen cars we can drastically reduce our carbon emmissions. Obviously, there are still factories and industries that use petrol and oil to power their machines. Hydrogen will be even more useful in the future as it could power entire cities and factories/industries.

Electricity Pros & Cons

In the last few years, electricity has revolutionized transportation. Companies such as Toyota with their hybrid cars, and Tesla with their fully electric cars have created a new vision for the future. However, there are still some flaws with this system. Electricity needs to be generated from somewhere and burning of fossil fuels is presently the preferred means of producing power. Although there has been a push to convert countries to purely renewable based electricity 62% of the world's electricity is still generated from fossil fuels. Whilst there are no greenhouse gas emissions from electric and Hydrogen vehicles, the manufacturing process of the vehicles themselves will still create pollution.

Hydrogen Pros & Cons

We believe that Hydrogen is the renewable fuel source of the future. This is because Hydrogen is abundant and as technology evolves it can be harnessed to deliver a zero emission power source. Green Hydrogen, made through the process of electrolysis, should be used in order to produce power with no emissions. The reason that Hydrogen can be a renewable fuel is because when the stripped Hydrogen and oxygen is combined again it creates water. For example, using a car with a Hydrogen fuel cell creates pure water, clean enough to drink. After some time you can then extract the Hydrogen from this water and create more electricity.

Conclusion

Climate Change is one of humanity's greatest threats. It is obvious that the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly severe. If we do not take action we could be looking at the extinction of one third of the world's species by the year 2050. Current efforts to change the predicted outcome have been pushed back years or completely ignored. With hundreds of tonnes of greenhouse gases being emitted daily we are only further contributing to the problem. This is why Hydrogen should replace petroleum as a vehicle power source. Hydrogen implementation will be achieved through a combination of government subsidization, similar to that used with electric vehicles. Additionally fuel stations will be needed to provide Hydrogen throughout the World. This is one of the best ways to mitigate the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere. Using this method we can move the transportation industry away from petroleum power towards a clean, zero emission future.

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