Do we really have the technology to seperate hydrogen from water and burn it as a fuel?

Question

imagine what the "fossile fuel" industries would do to those responsable for such a discovery!

Answer 1

This technology has existed for hundreds of years; it is called electrolysis.  The difficulty is not separating the hydrogen and oxygen, it is storing and using it safely.  The "fossel fuel" industries are in no danger from hydrogen usage as a fuel, all they would have to do is convert and they already are the most likely outlet for commercial distribution.   Since the US has almost 500 years worth of oil reserves, which are untapped at this point, I don't think they care much.   A much better alternative would be building more nuclear power plant so the production of electrical energy would be "fossel fuel" free if you are so worried about the "evil capitalists" in the fossel fuel business.

Answer 2

Yes, this tech has been in existence for nearly 15 yrs, but unfortunately it's being held in limbo via the Big b*****d Owners of the Oily Industry, and their pitiful political puppets of our corruptament:(

Answer 3

The technology is there in a way, but it has drawbacks. The process you're thinking of is called thermolysis, and it will indeed separate water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The problem with it is that it occurs at a VERY hot temperature (2000+ degrees C), and to get there you have to invest a very large amount of energy that almost makes it not worth it on a large commercial scale.

If we ever figure out a way to do it the way plants do it in photosynthesis, at room temperature, then we've got ourselves a winning path out of fossil fuel dependence.

Answer 4

It's possible to do it, but it requires a significant investment of energy to perform the hydrolysis. That energy has to come from somewhere, and until that can be made much more efficient, it's just removing the carbon emissions one step away from the car.

Answer 5

It's easy to do, but it does not give you any energy.

Why not? Because the energy required to split water is greater than the energy you get back from burning the hydrogen as fuel.

Answer 6

People don't understand that its not free.  It takes more energy to separate the hydrogen and oxygen in water than you get back when you burn it.  Plus hydrogen is a crappy fuel to transport.  Those fossil fuel industries don't need to worry about this.

Answer 7

Sure .. it was an elementary school experiment. Put some salt in water. Hook up wires to a battery and put them in the water. You will see bubbles on the wires.. One gives off oxygen the other hydrogen.

Answer 8

yess!!!!............it's called electrolysis and all you need is water, a power source and 2 wires. but the problem isn't the separation of the hydrogen from the oxygen,but the storage of enough hydrogen to power the vehicle.

God bless,

gabe

Answer 9

yeah we have done it before but only on a small scale i dont think we could do it on a large scale

but good thinkin trying to preserve the environment

Answer 10

Simple, use wind power to create electricity.  Then use DC current with a positive and negative electrodes to separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen.  Then compress the hydrogen into liquid form in steel bottles.  That was one of the first "experiments" we did in junior high school.  It is not rocket science.