Is the hydrogen used in hydrogen cars stable? If it comes in contact with oxygen will it just turn into water?

Question

I know the hydrogen combines with air in the fuel cell, and the byproduct is water, but what if it spilled, would it combine with air and turn into water? What keeps it stable?

Answer 1

Hydrogen is a very light gas ,so if spilled it will go high in the air quickly. When it gets very high the sun is strong enough to cause combustion. Hydrogen is a very small atom so it will leak through most hoses. Hydrogen is the most explosive gas on earth. When u fill a tank ,U must purge the tank of all oxygen ,because if there is a spark the whole tank will explode. If U have a wreck and have much gas in the tank it would be bad.

Answer 2

Yea you know I heard that the emissions was steam and maybe some drips of water since it comes in contact with oxygen when it gets outside in the air.

What keeps it stable.... i not kno.... @_@ those tubular things. Tubular is a funny word. Like cowabunga, awesome, cool.

Tubular.

Answer 3

Hydrogen is very unstable.   It will combine with many elements.   I made hydrogen and oxygen by using electrolysis.   Set up the experiment wrong and they both came out in the same container, where they just combined and formed water droplets on the top of the container.    No fire, no explosion, just water.

Answer 4

Jonney B--- They said that Gasoline would be to Dangers also, in the first days. Hyd. will float into the air and nothing ...just rain?

The thing with Hyd. is it in fact turns to water after being burnt, that's a problem with todays present day engines they are made out of corrosive materials that react with water. So you have a short lived engine  I have heard of Ceramic engines , but not feasible due to cost.

Answer 5

H2 is lighter than air, so it will rise safely into the sky, where it will combine with atmospheric  oxygen while releasing only a very diffuse heat.

Answer 6

yes it is suitable. in a fuel cell when the hydrogen reacts with oxygen there is a lot of heat produced and it is this heat that is used to move the car. so if hydrogen combines with oxygen what's wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

If hydrogen is released in contact with a spark or flame, even a catalyst like palladium, hydrogen will burn in atmospheric oxygen to produce water.

But there is a threshold energy needed to be overcome to get combustion going. Once it starts to burn, it will do so with gusto.

The threshold energy is what keeps it stable.

As pressure increases, or temperature increases, the threshold needed to start combustion is lower. This is the same for gas or gasoline.  Taken to very high pressure all of those fuels will burn without spark or flame. and taken to a high temperature they will ignite.

Like those other flammable gases, there must be a substantial concentration in the air to support combustion. So it has to come in contact with a flame where there exists an appropriate mixture.