Hydrogen Powered Cars
Hydrogen, the simplest element, is composed of one proton and one electron. It makes up more than 90% of the composition of the universe. More than 30% of the mass of the sun is atomic hydrogen. It is the third most abundant element in the earth's surface, and is found mostly in water. Under ordinary conditions, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and nonpoisonous gas composed of diatomic molecules (H2). When cars burn gasoline, they would ideally burn it perfectly and create nothing but carbon dioxide and water in their exhaust. Unfortunately, the internal combustion engine is not perfect. In the process of burning the gasoline, it also produces; Carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas , Nitrogen oxides, the main source of urban smog , unburned hydrocarbons, the main source of urban ozone . Catalytic converters eliminate much of this pollution, but they aren't perfect either. Air pollution from cars is a real problem in big cities. Carbon is also a problem. When Carbon burns, it turns into a lot of carbon dioxide gas. Gasoline is mostly carbon by weight, so a gallon of gas might release 5 to 6 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere. The U.S. is releasing roughly 2 billion pounds of carbon into th
" A Hydrogen powered internal combustion engine works the same as the engine in your car. Right now there are several different ways to create electricity that do not use fossil fuels: nuclear power, hydroelectric dams, solar cells, wind turbines, geothermal power, wave, and tidal power. " It was not until NASA began searching for on-board power supplies for its Gemini and Apollo that fuel cells became real applied technology (Jaffe 3). However, it may be a good temporary step to take. Many expensive materials are required to manufacture fuel cells, but prices are slowly going down. "The electrons are removed by using a substance called an electrolyte, such as Yttrium Doped Ceria, Calcium Doped Ceria, Bismuth Yttrium Oxide, Strontium Cerate, or Barium Cerate (Electrolyte 1). Nafion, the electrolyte made by DuPont, costs about $80 a square foot. But changing the power plants over to nuclear and solar may not be so easy. But with just one place to "fill up," hydrogen cars are now practical only in and around Bavaria, near the Munich filling station, they are only practical in the 217. Energy companies, auto companies, and governments need to work together to make hydrogen powered cars a reality. Until there are hydrogen stations on every corner like we have gas stations now, this is the easiest way to obtain hydrogen to power a vehicle's fuel cell. By 1965 fuel cells were standard equipment on spacecraft. It needs to be down at $5 to $10 to be economical (Jaffe 4). " "The weight of the cells is another issue.
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