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No, and yes. Taking hydrogen out of the air for fuel won't harm the atmosphere. But there isn't that much free hydrogen in air. And to get hydrogen out of air, it takes more energy than could possibly be recovered by using that hydrogen for fuel.

The easiest place to get hydrogen is from water. We "crack" water into its constituent elements, hydrogen and oxygen, and let the oxygen go while collecting and compressing the hydrogen. But this, too, takes a lot of energy. And it isn't cost effective to do it. It takes a fair amount of electricity to get hydrogen for fuel, but over half the electricity we use comes from plants that are coal-fired. And they're pretty darn dirty, in spite of tight controls and constant stack monitoring (to look at emissions).

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Fuel for a fusion reaction is?

Most water moderated reactors use yellowcake powder: a uranium oxide enriched to 3% uranium-235. A few reactors use metallic uranium, sometimes enriched past 20%. Some experimental reactors use plutonium or mixed uranium & plutonium.


When fuel is consumed what is the energy released as?

When fuel is consumed, the energy is released in the form of heat and light. This is a result of the chemical reactions that take place when the fuel is burned.


The center of the reactor where the fuel and control rods are located is called the?

The center of the reactor where the fuel and control rods are located is called the core. It is the central region where nuclear reactions take place and energy is generated.


The part of a nuclear reactor in which the fuel is located is called the?

The part of a nuclear reactor in which the fuel is located is called the core. This is where the nuclear fission reactions take place, producing heat that is used to generate electricity.


How much voltage does it take to split water?

If you had an absolutely perfect system - free of any inefficiencies - it would take you no more energy to split water than the amount of energy you would gain from the recombination of hydrogen with oxygen to form water. That energy level is 142 J/g. So, the amount of energy gained from the recombination of hydrogen with oxygen to re-form water (in effect, "burning" the hydrogen) is 142 Joules per gram of hydrogen. In an absolutely perfect system it would take 142 Joules of electricity to form a gram of hydrogen from water. Since inefficiencies exist in any energy-conversion system, your mileage will vary. Actually, it's going to take about 50% more energy to split the water than you're going to get back out of the system - depending upon your system. There are systems in laboratories and other experimental systems which are more efficient than the "50% more" mark quoted, but you won't find any of them on the shelves at Wal*Mart. For a homebrew system, however, start your calculations at about 200 Joules per gram of hydrogen extracted from the water. Remember that depending upon the inefficiencies inherent in whatever system you build that it may take more or less energy than 200 J/g to extract the hydrogen you seek.

Related Questions

How you get hydrogen?

take an alpha particle from Lithium or make a electro fuel cell to take the hydrogen off dihydromono oxide


Is hydrogen fuel cells renewable or nonrenewable?

Hydrogen fuel cells deteriorate over time, and must be repaired or replaced. The speed at which they deteriorate is of some concern, as it may take as little as a few years for them to fail.


What is a bad thing about hydrogen fuel cells?

There are two problems with hydrogen fuel cells. One is that the cars that run off of hydrogen fuel cells are very expensive to make another thing is that hydrogen storage is not easy. The work and money it would take to put up hydrogen stations around the country for cars is too much to even consider it. Also another problem with hydrogen is te oil companies that don't wanna lose their business.


How do cars hurt the environment?

Cars hurt the environment because gas takes oxygen from trees. Also cars take gas. If trees are dieing, we have no oxygen to breathe in, and we may be caused by sudden death. That is why some people make car polls. I don't like to take the car but my guardian always allows it. I like to ride bikes but now it is the winter time. Cars make pollution. That is why cars hurt the environment.


How types of fuel you can take in cars engine?

Gasoline, Diesel, Propane, E85 in a flex fuel vehicle, & Hydrogen in future vehicles. Old steam powered cars used coal, or wood as a fuel.


How much hydrogen does it take to drive a car?

It depends how far you want to go, how fast, and how big your car is! But when you ask a vague question you get a vague answer... a lot. The energy density of hydrogen is much lower than gasoline, even when it is highly compressed.


About how many years does it take for a star to run out of its fuel hydrogen?

It typically takes around 10 billion years for a star like the sun to consume all its hydrogen fuel and enter a different phase of its life cycle. The exact duration can vary depending on the size and type of the star.


How can Hydrogen be used to power a car?

Yes it is used in Iceland


What is hydrogen ions and will take as many as possible?

Hydrogen ions are single protons that are positively charged. They play a crucial role in regulating the acidity (pH) of solutions and are involved in chemical reactions in various biological processes. Excess hydrogen ions can lead to acidic conditions, affecting the environment they are in.


What happens when oxygen and hydrogen are mixed in fuel cell?

It explodes because of the high Energy and because it has a lot of isotopes and and if you put some Einsteinium in it, it will destroy a planet the size of Jupiter +++ :-). Seriously though, that is what a Fuel Cell is supposed to do - take Hydrogen and Oxygen, but to produce electricity in a controlled manner, not explode.


How do you convert your car to burn hydrogen from water instead of gas?

To make your care burn from water instead of gas you need to add a water fuel cell to you fuel take. The converting of electricity through the water cause hydrogen causes the vehicle to run at a lower temperature and lowering harmful emissions


What happens when oxygen and hydrogen are mixed in a fuel cell?

It explodes because of the high Energy and because it has a lot of isotopes and and if you put some Einsteinium in it, it will destroy a planet the size of Jupiter +++ :-). Seriously though, that is what a Fuel Cell is supposed to do - take Hydrogen and Oxygen, but to produce electricity in a controlled manner, not explode.