The Power of Water

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Recommended: alternatives solutions for global warming

There is a balloon the shape and size of a beach ball. A string keeps it tethered to the ground. Someone in a white lab coat stands about eight feet away with a rod about as long with a small flame on the end. They put on a protective headset and put the flame in contact with the floating balloon. Not even a second later the balloon violently explodes in a large fireball and a loud bang. All that remains of the balloon is the string that held it down and invisible molecules of water vapor now floating through the room. With the continuing buzz on the issue of global warming and the general rise of cost of fossil fuels alternatives have been explored. One of these is hydrogen power in the form of the hydrogen fuel cell. This source of power is unique because the only direct byproduct of it is water. With hydrogen power there are several ideas that need to be understood to determine if hydrogen power can significantly reduce or replace fossil fuels in homes and cars. First, how hydrogen is able to produce power as well as what a fuel cell is and how it works. Second, there are two primary ways to produce hydrogen, the electrolysis of water as well as from methane each with differing economic and carbon costs. Third, there needs to be an infrastructure to deliver hydrogen to the consumer, with its own cost. Fourth, with the rising prominence of hybrid-electric and pure electric vehicles and their advantages, hydrogen fuel cell technology has its own strengths over those alternatives. Fifth, the development of safety regulations around the transportation and storage of hydrogen. Sixth, past, present and future real world applications of fuel cell cars showing promise of a tomorrow with greater acceptance and availability of these veh... ... middle of paper ... ... sees strong consumer interest on its fuel cell microsite.” Just- Auto.com 5 (Jan. 2014). Web. Nanthagopal, Kasianantham, et al. “Hydrogen Enriched Compressed Natural Gas - a Fu- turistic Fuel For Internal Combustion Engines.” Thermal Science 15.4 (Dec. 2011): 1145–1154. Web. Popovici, Ovidiu and Anton Hoble Dorel. “Influence of the Ambient Temperature, to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Functioning.” Journal of Electrical & Electronics Engineering 5.2 (Oct. 2012): 101–104. Web. Priambodo, Purnomo Sidi, et al. “Development of Electrolysis System Powered by Solar- Cell Array to Supply Hydrogen Gas for Fuel-Cell Energy Resource Systems.” AIP Conference Proceedings 1169.1 (Sept. 2009): 206–213. Web. Roman, Harry T. “The Hydrogen Challenge.” Technology & Engineering Teacher 71.5 (Feb. 2012): 30–32. Web. Wasef, Basem. “Hydrogen Rising?.” Popular Mechanics (Mar. 2014): 43–46. Web.

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