INFORMATION CONCERNING THE POSSIBLE USE OF HYDROGEN AS AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL SOURCE

07Jan11

Recently an article published by John Timmer in the “ars” ars technical web site found on the internet at http://arstechnica.com/science/ provided information on a possible new breakthrough in producing hydrogen at a completive expense as will as on a large scale.  If the process proves to be as easy and cheap as proposed, it could have one of the most dramatic positive effects upon our economy and our country as almost anything else ever developed.  The Sunday Morning News show, dated 1/2/2011, dealt in part with the perceived notion that the best days for our country are behind us.  This notion is based upon our acquired tremendous debt, our unsustainable required expenditures, our government’s inability to deal with these realities in a realistic way, and the fact that other

letter sent to Mr. Buffett & others relative to the use of hydrogen as a fuel source

areas (especially China and India) of the world are emerging as serious competitors for natural resources and production jobs that we depend upon for growth.

One of the major issues causing the above concerns is our country’s reliance and dependence on oil for its transportation infrastructure, electrical power, heating, and production of many items used in our everyday lives.   Alternatives to oil that have been and are being considered include natural gas, nuclear fuel, wind, solar, water, and even hydrogen.

During the previous election campaign, and as a result of high prices of oil (due to our dependence on It) to run our transportation system, T. Boone Pickens put several commercials on TV suggesting that we spend a lot of money on developing alternative energy sources for that usage instead of oil.  In his advertisements, he listed natural gas as a wonderful source accomplish this goal because it was clean, efficient, a grid work for supply was already well established, it produced less environmental pollution and it could be found in America in abundance.  His rational was good, but he failed to mention the fact that hydrogen would be even a better option because it was unlimited in quantity and would have even less of a negative effect upon the environment.  I sent him, along with several corporations, political representative, and even the Chinese government, a letter suggesting that the establishment of a hydrogen production system could be even more beneficial than coal, oil, and even natural gas.  In the letter, it was noted that overcoming the production problem, storage and transportation problems, and the ability to make it just as accessible as gas currently is, would be all that was needed to be successful in this endeavor. 

The potential distribution infrastructure (just like with natural gas) was already in existence.  Businesses, such as McDonalds, Wal-Mart’s, motel chains, and other large chains or corporations have the capitol for investment if they “think outside the box” about such possibilities.  They also have the many locations along our highway infrastructure to provide the access to such commodities.  And in some cases, like Wal-Mart, they even already have the delivery infrastructure in place (the Murphy gas station chain which has many stations on their premises is an example of this).  It’s like taking the concept of placing Red Box Video Rental kiosks in all kinds of retail businesses and they have became a real competitor to the video store concept. Another example of this trend is the fact that propane tank refill locations can be found at many retail stores almost anywhere (Menards is an example) now days.

  Such an idea would very quickly be able provide real competition to the oil companies who have been reluctant to change their business model (monopoly) making sure that we maintain our dependence on oil for as long as possible.  Automotive manufactures need only assurances that any fuel is abundantly, present, reasonably priced, more abundant than oil, and produced at a cost per unit without any subsidies, and they would have little rationale to avoid the option if capitalism is really at play in our society (currently the electric car is an example of how they bend when there is enough public pressure). In fulfilling these criteria, other companies would have an excellent chance to  “change” the market place, compete with oil companies, and make a good profit I the process as well.  

 The reason that this idea was presented to China officials was really four fold.  First their population (relative to individual wealth) is currently really growing and expanding quite rapidly (kind of like the United States did in the early 1950’s) and as it grows more, domestic products depended upon some kind of energy source will be expected to be available by the people (like cars, roadways, refrigerators, etc) at a quickening pace.  The highway or transportation infrastructure is growing at a rapid rate, as the country becomes more dependant upon it for personal expectations and the delivery of goods on a more equitable basis for all of the population regardless of where they live.  All of this expansion and development has placed the energy demand for oil in a precarious situation for them and us on a very completive level (currently the demand for oil is overtaking the supply of a limited commodity and that is raising the price to a point of non-affordability for all in growth related issues).  And fourth, the amount of environment pollutants resulting from the ever-increasing use of fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, are damaging the environment just as much for everyone on the planet as well as ourselves.

To me the only drawback this idea has is associated with the development of the mass production of hydrogen on a large enough scale, at a cheap enough price, without increasing environmental concerns, and the development of a transportation and storage infrastructure meeting those same criteria.  Although a solution to the production problem may actually be in the process of being solved, both the transportation and storage issue raise a particular problem in that the hydrogen gas is so light; it currently appears to slowly seep from storage containers.  

 To solve this dilemma, storage containers that are cheap, strong, and light enough to be handled, need to be developed.  An individual by the name of Mr. Shai Agressi, who is the founder and chief executive of a better Place, has written about an interesting proposal, which looks at the battery for the electric car as the fuel component rather than as part of the car itself.  His reasoning is that if it were considered fuel, it could be replaced faster and easier than having to depend upon charging the battery. With this idea, problems concerning distance and duration between the need for charging the battery could be eliminated.  If rechargeable batteries were stored at gas station or other businesses along highways, one could merely replace it whenever needed while the old battery could now be recharged for the next customer needing a replacement battery.  This concept is already available for gas grill users in that whenever their propane tank runs low, they simply unplug it and run to the nearest Menards store and replace the whole tank without having to wait for their original take to be refilled.  In fact Burger King, Best Western motels, etc. could handle this exchange process without much additional capitol outlay or investment.  Just as in the case of the interchangeable battery, Hydrogen tanks could be handled in the same way by the same retail outlets.

As stated above, it may appear that the problem associated with the effective production of hydrogen fuel may be on the verge of a major breakthrough.  Though experimentation with solar energy, as explained by John Timmer, a way may actually have been found to mass-produce the fuel on a cheap, consistent, and effective way.  Solar energy, like hydrogen, is limitless and it appears that the ingredients needed for the production are already available without creating harmful side effects to the environment, do not cost more to obtain or use than the materials used in the  production of oil today.   I have requested from Mr. Timmer the opportunity to reproduce his article in its entirety; and if that request should be granted, I will include it in a latter post.  His presentation was based upon the original article  found in the December 24, 2010 edition of he Science Journal, vol. 330 no. 6012 on pages 1797 through 1801 where an abstract  on the article may be found free og charge.

Filed under: Uncategorized   |  1 Comment