Why isn't hydrogen commonly used as a fuel today?

Answer 1

There are probably many, but at the moment I can think of only two. One unresolved problem is that of adequate storage volume in an automobile. Another problem is the logistics of setting up an adequate number and spacing of refueling stations in a very short time. : Most hydrogen production is obtained from fossil fuels (hydrocarbons)and is therefore impracticable, more expensive and not renewable. : Fuel cells are the alternative emerging technologies producing hydrogen in situ. ;

; -It wold be ridiculous to isolate hydrogen from organic molecules. The problems are not particularly the lack of infrastructure, rather they stem from problems related to extraction and storage. The hydrolysis of water is energy taxing; unlike fossil fuels that may simply be pumped out of the ground, energy must be put into the system to get it out. A system could be developed to utilize green energies or nuclear to drive the production of hydrogen, or use the electrical energy generated by a running car to subsidize its hydrogen fuel. There is much development at the chemical front to solve the storage problems. Most notably, metal-organic frameworks have recently emerged from labs that are capable of storing it in a non-volatile form with a higher density than its liquid phase. Hydrogen never will be a viable car fuel. This is why: There are two basic ways to produce hydrogen: separating it out of methane, and electrolyzing water. You'll then feed the hydrogen into a fuel cell to make electricity. Now here's the thing: both technologies are a waste. There are fuel cells that can operate directly from natural gas, so why bother extracting hydrogen from it? As for electrolyzing water, it would be much more efficient to skip past the part where you burn off all that electricity to liberate the hydrogen from the oxygen, and just put a huge battery in the car. ----------------------

in response to the above answer....

Hydrogen is the "Perfect" fuel period! The answer given above is quite defeatist and just plain wrong.

The fuel cell is the way forward and the only thing required is to develop an efficient and cost effective means of producing the hydrogen. Preferably not using hydrocarbons in the process.

Storage of hydrogen is futile and dangerous and will readily pass right through its own container (no matter what materials you use) as it is the smallest of all atoms. Production insitu is the sensible way forward - utilised as required on-board. Imagine it,

Now use your head and find the solution.

Answer 2

Hydrogen isnt widely used as a fuel because manufacturing hydrogen (e.g. manufacturing water to produce hydrogen) needs a lot of energy and there are also major problems in the transport of hydrogen as you cant store the element very easily.
Because it's costly.

Hydrogen is usually stuck to something else, like carbon and takes a lot of energy to separate it.

There is also fear, from it's explosive nature.

Answer 3

This is a reaction called fusion, where under an extremely high pressure, temperature and density, hydrogen nuclei are fused together.

The reaction would cause an everlasting source of energy and would resolve much of the energy problems we currently have, however, it is extremely difficult to achieve these conditions on planet earth and also sustain these reactions, as the only similar conditions are in the sun, which is much hotter than the conditions that have been reached on earth. The reason to why this reaction is so difficult to achieve is due to the positive charge on the hydrogen nucleus, which takes a lot of energy to fuse.

Answer 4

Cause Hydrogen takes more energy to create then you actually get from it so this day and age it would not be effective due to our on going energy crisis with inferior fossil fuels. Now if we had more Nuclear Power or other means of fusion, Solar Power, and other means of renewable energy's then Hydrogen would be a greater possibility cause its clean and ultimately get us away from coal, and gas.

Answer 5

Mainly because it has to either be compressed or liquefied to transport a sufficient volume. Handling hydrogen in either form is extremely dangerous because it can explode.

The major thrust of hydrogen power is to create fuel cells that generate no pollution, creating power by combining hydrogen and oxygen without combustion.

The major current application is as rocket fuel (e.g. as it was for the Space Shuttle).

Answer 6

There are no major reserves of pure hydrogen. To separate hydrogen from the oxygen in the water, for example, would require more energy (considering that some energy will be wasted) than would be gained by recombining it, when used as a fuel. Thus, hydrogen can be used to store energy, but not as an energy source.

Answer 7

It is used as a fuel in some places in Germany buses are run on it

Answer 8

hydrogen gas is highly inflammable. Slightly spark may cause blast of hydrogen gas. So it canot be used as a fuel.

Answer 9

Hydrogen is not as powerful by far is very very very reactive.