Why is hydrogen not being used presently as a fuel?

Question

Why is hydrogen not being used presently as a fuel?

Answer 1

The reliable large scale supply is not yet viable. Then there is the problem of distribution.

Answer 2

It's too expensive to use.  Some terrorist will use it as a bomb because it's very unstable.  What if it collided with another car.  There will be a big hole in the road and no car from the explosion.

A better alternative is this car that runs on compressed air.  It's rated the world's cleanest car.  It coming out in 2008.  I getting this car and do my part to keep the environment cleaner.

Answer 3

There are a number of problems with Hydrogen as fuel.

First of all, the simplest way to make hydrogen is to take water and run electricity through it.  This process is called "electrolysis" and splits water into oxygen and hydrogen.

The problem with it is that making hydrogen this way takes more energy than you will ever get by burning the hydrogen.  So hydrogen isn't really an energy "source."  It's more of a way to store energy, but you need to make the electricity first, by burning oil or whatever.

The second reason is that the hydrogen molecule is the smallest molecule there is.  As a result, it is very hard to make hydrogen containers that won't leak, because the molecules can fit through the tiniest holes.  A watertight container won't necessarily be 'hydrogen-tight.'

This brings us to the third problem: right now we don't have the technology to build hydrogen vehicles cheaply.  You can get one, but the equipment is so expensive that a hydrogen car will cost you about a million dollars.  Arnold Schwarzenegger drives a hydrogen car that cost much more than this.  

People theorize that eventually the price will come down when they start mass-producing thses vehicles, but the technology to do that isn't here yet, and probably will take another 20 years or so.

Answer 4

COst. It takes energy to produce the H, far more than if you just used the original source of fuel.

Answer 5

It is just too dangerous.

Answer 6

Hydrogen has a very large calorific value; which means that it releases lot of heat when burnt and this heat is uncontrollable. The engine which can use hrdrogen as a fuel is also very expensive and thus not affordable by all. So people are trying to make hydrogen an effecient fuel and it will be a big success sooner or later.

Answer 7

it explodes?

Answer 8

Because making such a large change to the way energy is produced takes a while.  For more information go to the US DOE EERE Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program website.  (the "Quick Links" on the left are also a good short list of the issues that still need to be addressed)

Answer 9

hydrogen is a highly explosive gas and we currently don't have the technology to prevent it from exploding

Answer 10

the manufacturing cost prohibit the production. the cost of electricity to produce the hydrogen gas vs fossil fuels power output.

Answer 11

Peel was right in his answer as far as he went. There is more.

When you have heard mention of the Hydrogen Highway they are not talking of an engine that runs on Hydrogen Gas but a Fuel Cell that passes the hydrogen through a membrane in the fuel cell and strips off an electron creating an electrical charge. The electrical charge then powers an electric motor.

The Hydrogen Highway is really an Electrical Conduit.

Try to recall your history and remember the Hindenburg. A huge blimp type passenger airship (a Zeppelin) that was filled with hydrogen. It ignited and crashed. Hydrogen is very flammable, that is to say inflammable. Plus most industrial hydrogen is made from Natural Gas because the process is cheaper than getting it from water, but the byproduct is CO2, a greenhouse gas. DUH.

Answer 12

Hydrogen is being used in some vehicles that do not require much performance. The reason its not being used more often is the fact that the engines that are needed to run it are far too large for other vehicles or equipment.

Answer 13

There are some cars developed which use hydrogen as a fuel. In the 60s my father worked on a project for the UK Government for a Hydrogen car, but the Government shut the project down following lobbying from the oil companies

Answer 14

It is to a limited extent.  There are several projects in the works to use hydrogen fuel for power generation.  There are also a few prototype hydrogen powered cars.  The single largest problem associated with hydrogen as a fuel is the fact that the production of hydrogen is quite energy intensive and thus, the fuel cost is high when compared to hydrocarbon liquids.