Why helium is used in balloons and airships instead of hydrogen?

Question

Why helium is used in balloons and airships instead of hydrogen?

Answer 1

Less explosive, remember the Hindenburg!

Answer 2

one word

'boom'

Answer 3

Hydrogen goes off BANG! Helium does not.

Answer 4

Today helium is used instead of hydrogen, since it is inert so non-flammable which makes things a lot safer. Hydrogen can ignite very easily when mixed with the oxygen of the surrounding air. In party balloons and were people are in direct contact with the "thing" be it a balloon or even an airship helium is the safer choice.

But helium is also limited and helium prices are going up just like the fuel prices. If we ever want to see more airships in the sky we need to find a way to safely use hydrogen. The Graf Zeppelin flew many years without a single incident with hydrogen and the Hindenburg disaster was only so spectacular because the envelope was coated with the wrong paint that was close to rocket fuel. And after all, only 35 people out of 97 died. Try to get a survival rate of 60% when an airplane crashes. And most of the people who did die, did not die from the Flames they died because they jumped of the airship. If they would have stayed on board until the ship touched ground they probably would have survived. With todays technology, hydrogen might be used again for airships. The whole world talks about hydrogen today and that we should all put hydrogen in our cars if this can actually happen I believe that airships will also be able to use hydrogen again. A good start would be to use hydrogen in unmanned airships that are not flying inside or over people. Weather Balloons use hydrogen as a lifting gas today so why not use it in unmanned airships too.

Regards

Andreas

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Editor of Airshipworld

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Answer 5

Hydrogen is dangerously flammable (look at the Hindenburg disaster). Helium does not burn, so it is much safer.

Answer 6

Hydrogen is highly explosive.

Helium will just give you a squeaky voice.  

Answer 7

In addition to what everybody said, think of a space shuttle launch. Most of its huge fuel tank is filled with hydrogen + a little oxygen in a separate compartment. When they both mix.... it goes BOOOM!

Answer 8

Hydrogen is highly flammable in the presence of air (oxygen) and an ignition source.

Remember the 'Hindenburg' disaster that took place on the 6th of May 1937.

Answer 9

so we can have great fun and get squeeky voices lol

Answer 10

Hydrogen has a nasty tendency to bust into flame when in presence of oxygen.

Answer 11

ALthough it is less buoyant, it is safer as it will not burn explosively in mixture with air, as Hydrogen will.

Answer 12

Mmm.. Two Words 'Boom Boom'

Seriously after the Hindenburg and the R101 disasters of the old Hydrogen filled zeppelins/airships. The days of hydrogen use as a lighter than air buoyancy aid was over..

Answer 13

Hydrogen is explosive, and tends to make air travel very hazardous.

Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZ_129_Hind...

-Stuart