It’s possible to produce hydrogen gas using many different methods and raw materials to the extent that it has potential to be the most flexible and abundant resource for creating fuel on the earth. Producing hydrogen gas in a typical factory environment starts with raw materials including algae, natural gas, water, coal, and biomass, which is made up of naturally organic composting materials.
Gasification is the act of producing hydrogen gas from a raw material like biomass or coal by a process that involves extreme heating and subsequent cooling of the raw material, separation and purification. The hydrogen produced in this way can then be used to generate electricity or for any regular fuel need. For power plants that are traditionally fueled by coal as a means to generate electricity, using coal gasification to produce hydrogen gas as the fuel source for this electricity results in much lower emissions.
Producing hydrogen gas using water is one of the greenest production methods possible when the energy source can be generated from renewable energy sources like solar power or wind generators. The principle method is electrolysis which means that electric current is passed through water and an electrolyte. This separates water into its component parts of hydrogen gas and oxygen. Nuclear energy or even the earth’s own geothermal energy may also be used as an energy source for the electricity requires to make the process work.
In Thermochemical Water Splitting, water is heated at high temperatures with certain chemicals to create a chemical reaction that separates the hydrogen from the water. This process is usually found at nuclear power plants. The High Temperature Electrolysis process used for producing hydrogen gas is the same as electrolysis fueled by electricity except that this method utilizes heat generated by nuclear power generation directly, instead of using electric current to bring water to the appropriate temperature.
Steam Methane Reformation is the name of the technique used to extract hydrogen from natural gas. When natural gas is burned to create steam, a synthesis gas is produced that hydrogen is then extracted from. Ninety five percent of all the hydrogen used in the United States is produced this way; even though it is not as, “green,” as electrolysis.
By employing Photo-Biological Production, hydrogen can be obtained from algae or bacteria recovered from wastewater. Under this method, when deprived of sulfur, algae produce hydrogen instead of oxygen. The greenest of all possible methods, this method’s feedstock is created from waste by-products and renewable wastes, and is heralded by environmentalists.
When compared with fossil fuel production, producing hydrogen gas to be used to power any form of motor or engine seems to be a better proposition going forward. Fossil fuels are a finite resource that has a limited future. As abundant in supply as hydrogen naturally is, it will be an important fuel in the future, no matter how it is generated.
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