Introduction
Considering current tendency of consumption of fuel in the automobile industry, it is assumed that humanity will exhaust the supply of the oil for transport supposedly in the period of the next 50 years. It is assumed by British Petroleum (2013) in their annual report that “world proved oil reserves at the end of 2012 reached 1668.9 billion barrels, sufficient to meet 52.9 years of global production”. As the only widely distributed automobile fuel type is petroleum, it will be problematic to travel from one place to another if the oil depletion occurs and no other fuel types will be introduced by that moment. Therefore, it is essential to find alternative fuel type as a substitute to the petroleum. In the field of automobile industry, out of all the available options, hydrogen seems to prove to be a superior alternative to petroleum in terms of usage as fuel in automobiles.
Hydrogen as a fuel
Plenty of arguments demonstrate that hydrogen is an exceptional alternative to petroleum. The main reason is that it has the highest energy-to-mass ratio than any other chemical, as it is the lightest element in the periodic table. It is also the central reason why it has been used as fuel in rockets, where minimizing the carried fuel mass is necessary. Secondly, it is ecologically harmless and possesses no threat to the environment. When combusted with oxygen, both thermally or electrochemically, it produces only water, energy and insignificant amounts of nitric oxide air pollutants, which do not provide much hazard to the atmosphere. Furthermore, the primary source for hydrogen is water, virtually infinite resource (Schlapbach 2009, 809).
Operating principle
Currently, engines are divided into two categories, as there are two m...
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...urne 2012, 16). Considering this information, it can be assumed that hydrogen will be one of the most used fuel types in the future, if the problems will be dealt with.
Conclusion
Currently, the future of alternative fuel types is not clear, as they are not able to substitute petroleum at this moment. It can take many years to revolutionize the global automobile fleet. However, doubtlessly, hydrogen has high very potential and can be expected to be used in the future at least at a certain extent, and it has guaranteed place in the automobile industry strategies. If the present problems are solved, hydrogen will serve humanity in a long-term period, as water, that is needed for hydrogen extraction can be considered as unlimited resource. But to ensure that, long-term support from best scientists, engineers, sponsorship from developed countries’ governments is needed.
Hydrogen is a diatomic element that is in a gaseous form at room temperature. Its most identifying characteristic is the fact that it is highly explosive. It is the lightest element in the world, and has a lifting power of 8% more than that of helium. Hydrogen was used in airships and zeppelins for more than 20 years during the beginning of the 20th century. This practice stopped abruptly after the German airship Hindenburg disaster over New Jersey. It is used in fuel cells to create electricity, and to power cars and planes. Liquid hydrogen is mixed with liquid oxygen to form a cryogenic liquid that is burnt in Solid Rocket Boosters to power the space shuttle. Hydrogen is used to fill weather balloons because of its superb lifting power.
Oxides of Hydrogen Introduction: Hydrogen atoms can react with oxygen atoms forming different compounds. There are mainly two types, one is water and the other is hydrogen peroxide. Structure: A water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom joining together by covalent bonds. The shape of it is bent and its bond angle is of 105°. The structure is shown below.
Hydrogen lies in one of the copious replacements for gasoline. It is not an energy source such as oil, but an energy carrier that is produced instead of digging and finding it underground. Though replacing fossil fuels by hydrogen fuel cell is very hard and costs a great deal, for the most part, hydrogen fuel cell is a zero carbon emission fuel which highly reduces the carbon emissions that causes pandemic global warming. Hydrogen is very helpful for nature by cause of replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen fuel cells might end global warming once and for all.
Elements are the basic building blocks of matter due to the fact that they are chemically the simplest substances. Whether we can find them in the air or in our gold/silver necklaces, elements are everywhere! One essential element is hydrogen, the first element on the period table (located under Group 1 as an alkaline metal) is composed of a single proton and electron; therefore having an atomic number and atomic mass of 1 and electron configuration of 1s1. In fact, hydrogen is the lightest, simplest and most commonly found chemical element in the universe (it makes up about 90% of the universe by weight). Interestingly enough, the heavier elements on the periodic table were either made from hydrogen or other elements that were made from hydrogen. The most common isotope formed of hydrogen is protium, with 1 proton and no neutrons. Hydrogen can also exist as both positively or negatively charged. The physical form of hydrogen at room temperature is a colorless and odorless gas. Hydrogen gas is extremely flammable and because of this chemical property, it is used as fuel for the main engine of space shuttles. Hydrogen is an important element and has received a lot of recognition throughout history for its usefulness.
Did you know that you can receive a maximum of a $7,500 tax credit for just owning an electric or hybrid vehicle? The United States government values citizens that buy fuel efficient vehicles because it gets the United States one step closer to not buying outsourced oil (Jones par.14). Hybrid vehicles are vehicles that are mostly powered by gasoline, but switch over to electric at stop signs or at coasting speeds. Electric cars are cars that are solely powered by electric from start up to shut down (Motavalli par. 6). Most cars and trucks on the road today are powered by gasoline or diesel engines, which are expensive to operate, bad for the environment, and use resources that are non renewable. To achieve better fuel economy, lower operation cost, reduce the pollution on the environment, and operate vehicles with renewable resources, this world needs to take a better look at using alternative fuels to power vehicles. Alternative fuels for motor vehicles are better for the environment, are renewable resource, and are cheaper for consumers.
For over 100 years, the automobile industry has relied on gasoline as its main source of fuel. Gasoline is a colorless, highly flammable substance used in internal combustion engines. It is a fossil fuel made from crude oil, a natural gas formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals (Webster‘s Dictionary). Gasoline has positively influenced our way of life by providing convenient, on demand transportation. It has created a global economy that moves people and goods faster and more easily than ever imagined (Povey 12). Although a seemingly perfect substance, it has unprecedented flaws. The tremendous political, environmental, and economic problems resultant from the excessive use of gasoline leads to the conclusion that the automobile industry should not continue to rely on this source of fuel.
There are many different types of alternative fuels. Ethanol is derived domestically from corn and other crops it creates less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels. (fueleconomy.gov) Bio diesel is produced from oils which are from vegetables also some animal fats; it will most likely create less air pollutants than petroleum based fuels do in the environment. (fueleconomy.gov) Natural Gas is a fossil fuel that produces less air pollutants and greenhouse gases than most other fuels do. (fueleconomy.gov) “Hydrogen may be produced domestically from fossil fuels such as coal, nuclear power, or other things like renewable resources, such as hydro power; fuel cell vehicles which are powered by pure hydrogen do not tend to create any harmful pollutants in the environment.
Cars are a fantastic invention. They make our lives even more carefree by getting us from place to place quickly while eradicating the need for legs altogether. There is no doubt that the benefits of driving from place to place are numerous. However, driving takes a whole lot of fuel, and everyone knows that fuel for cars isn’t the most plentiful (or cheapest!) of resources.
...ination, hydrogen fuel and solar energy (World Economic Forum 2014). These are technologies that closely related to environmental and recourse preservation, which help the society switch to use renewable energy.
Fuel alternatives for the future are very important because, we need resources for life. We won’t have fossil fuels forever. It is important to start now. If we did not have any fuel alternatives how would the world be?
Hart, David. " Hydrogen: A Truly Sustainable Transport Fuel?" Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 1.3 (2003): 138-45. Web. Kühne, Reinhart. "
Most people today fill up their car with different qualities of petrol, because that's what the average car takes. They don't usually consider an alternative for the petrol that they load into their cars. Although petrol is widely used, it is not the only source for a car to get its power from; diesel and electricity are alternatives to the general petrol used by most cars. Although different from each other, diesel and electricity are alternatives to the average gasoline received at a gas station. Diesel is a more concentrated type of fuel that is usually used by big automobiles because they require a lot of power in a little amount of time. Electricity is a method that uses the power of batteries to produce a low horsepower but, nevertheless fast automobile. Electric cars are generally created to be soundless and environment friendly. The purpose of this paper is to classify and educate the reader of the different types of fuel available for an automobile to use: petrol, diesel, and electricity. The general petrol, used by most people, is usually the only type of fuel accepted on the average car in the United States today.
In an age where our dependence on fossil fuels and other expendable resources is dramatically increasing as our supply is decreasing, it is imperative that new forms of energy arise. Although it is still in very early stages, it is fundamentally plausible that hydrogen could become a major fuel source in cars. For example, Honda has already released five hydrogen fuel cell cars.
Hydrogen would be one of the easiest sources of renewable energy to incorporate into our current energy infrastructure. Since hydrogen is a gas of normal temperature, it is possible to have it be used as a fuel in vehicles similar to current ones. For example, Hydrogen could be introduced into the vehicle as a gas, stored...