HYDROGEN ENERGY

INTRODUCTION
Hydrogen as an energy carrier can play an important role as an alternative to conventional fuels. It can be produced from water which is abundantly available in nature. Its burning process is non-polluting & it can be used in fuels cells to produce both electricity and useful heat. The combination of hydrogen with oxygen results in the liberation of energy ,with water as the sole material product. Unlike fossil &nuclear fuels which are primary energy sources,hydrogen is a secondary fuel that is produced by utilizing energy from a primary source. The Attributes of Hydrogen Hydrogen is considered an alternative fuel for two reasons: It is renewable, and it is the most abundant element on the earth. Hydrogen comprises more than 75 percent of the environment; so if it became a primary fuel, dependence on foreign sources of fuel would be eliminated. However, hydrogen in nature exists primarily in combination with other elements. For hydrogen to be useful as a fuel, it must exist as free hydrogen (H2). One common source of hydrogen is water, which is 11.2 percent hydrogen by weight. Hydrogen also can be produced from biomass. Biomass is essentially plant matter, so the vast agricultural resources of the United States could be used to "grow" the fuel required by AAN platforms Hydrogen's Characteristics Hydrogen's physical and chemical properties make it a good candidate for a fuel. At normal atmospheric conditions, hydrogen is a colorless and odorless gas. It is stable and coexists harmlessly with free oxygen until an input of energy drives the exothermic (heat releasing) reaction that forms water. Fuel cells also may use hydrogen as a fuel. A fuel cell is an electrochemical engine that converts the chemical energy contained in the hydrogen molecule into electrical energy. Hydrogen can react with oxygen to produce electricity in a fuel cell

APPLICATION:1.Use of hydrogen in the processing of heavy oil. 2.Use of hydrogen for manufacture of synthetic liquid or gaseous fuels. 3.Use of hydrogen as a motor vehicle fuel in urban transport . 4.Use of hydrogen as an aircraft fuel in air transport. 5.reduction of iron oxides by means of hydrogen in the steel industry. Environmental Considerations Hydrogen is the cleanest fuel available. Hydrogen-fueled ICE's and gas turbine engines have negligible emissions of air pollutants. Hydrogen-powered-fuel-cell vehicles have zero emissions. On the other hand, platforms powered by petroleumbased fuels emit significant amounts of air pollutants (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and particulate matter), air toxics (either confirmed or suspected human carcinogens, including benzene, formaldehyde, 1,3butadiene, and acetaldehyde), and carbon dioxide. The health effects of these pollutants range from headaches to serious respiratory damage such as lung cancer. Burning hydrogen with air under appropriate conditions in ICE's or gas turbines results in very low emissions. Trace hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions, if generated at all, can result only from the combustion of motor oil in the combustion chamber of ICE's. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions increase exponentially with the combustion temperature. Therefore, these can be influenced through appropriate process control. Particulate and sulfur emissions are limited to small quantities of lubricant remnants. Aircraft gas turbine engines fueled with hydrogen produce no carbon dioxide emissions and cut nitrogen emissions up to 80 percent. Using hydrogen in fuel cell propulsion systems with low temperature fuel cells completely eliminates all polluting emissions. The only byproduct resulting from the generation of electricity from hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen is water.