Will hydrogen powered cars ever replace conventional cars?

Question

Will hydrogen powered cars ever replace conventional cars?

Answer 1

http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2006/11...

Answer 2

Hydrogen powered cars are still a "pie in the sky" idea.

It is possible now but hydrogen cells that produce enough energy are very expensive and do not last long. Maybe someday but no technical answer soon.

Answer 3

No, there are currently 3 mainstream forms of combustion motor Diesel, Petrol and liquid gas and some other combustion forms that burn more efficient like Hydrogen hybrid motors.

The best type of motor to solve dependency on crude and replace the conventional car engine, would be more efficient and environmentally safer than a standard motor by use of the "Perpetual Motor."

The technology listed here can potentially save our future and environment by eliminating hazardous forms of power like coal, nuclear/thermal, and petroleum in generating our energy needs more efficiently, which would also eliminate other forms of power like wind, thermal, hydro as being less cost effective and efficient.

Our future is already here but its technology isn't being used.

Abuse of energy could be having destructive effects on world weather patterns, perhaps this is the case with something like H.A.A.R.P, it maybe destroying the atmosphere and ozone layer more rapidly from its use because the transmitted energy can superheat it.

Answer 4

It might ,but there are several problems.Very explosive. The car must generate H so that there will only have a small amount in the car at any time . It will still generate NO2 and water vapor.

Answer 5

Hydrogen is the most abundant fuel on earth. It is also the basis for ignition of all the carbon cased liquid or gaseous fuels used in transportation vehicles. There are three ways to produce hydrogen for fuel. Thermal, Electro-chemical, and Nuclear.

Thermal requires heat to transform Natural Gas using steam reformation in a retort contained environment. At 600-700 degree F, the Methane gases and Hydrogen in Natural Gas are pressurized and charged with steam. Under the extreme heat and pressure the H2O molecule cracks and separates into fractions of H2+CO+CO2. Once cooled to 400 degree, these components are separated and compressed.

Electro-Chemical requires the cracking of the H2 molecule from water using positive and negative charged anodes and catodes in an electrolyte solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide. This system is available for "Hydrogen on Demand" systems for most cars and trucks. I have built one myself and get 24% increase in  fuel mileage.

The third option is Nuclear and is probably the most promising aside from solar powered thermal-chemical. In a nuclear reaction, superheated molecules of hydrogen are produced. Nuclear Reactors of the Third Generation are developing H2 generation systems to manufacture large amounts of hydrogen from a single reactor facility.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) the largest power generation authority in the world and operated by the United States Department of Energy, is currently working on the 3rd generation hydrogen reactors that will eventually remove the need for crude oil from the planet. (see also research in Japan)

Someday we may see hydrogen pipelines being installed from the Heart of the Tennessee Valley to all parts of the United States to power our cars, boats, and airplanes. Can you imagine that if an airplane didn't need to carry the weight of fuel at 7.69 lbs per gallon, and H2 was stored in carbon fuel tanks in the wings, how many passengers it could carry.

While Hydrogen is volatile, it is manageable. It is being produced daily in the United States for it's increased use in removing high sulfur compounds from diesel fuel in compliance with US Air Quality Standards.  Hydrogen is and will be the fuel of the universe.

Answer 6

I don't think so, because electric vehicles are superior in almost every way.

The only advantage hydrogen cars have over EVs is that theoretically you can fill them up fast and they have better range than batteries.  However, battery technology is advancing rapidly to address these issues.  There are already EVs with ranges of over 200 miles per charge, and batteries which can be recharged in 5 minutes at special rapid recharge stations.

So these issues have almost been solved already.  Meanwhile, hydrogen cars face serious roadblocks, such as where to get the hydrogen, how to transport and store it, how to make the cars affordable when fuel cells require platinum, how to make the hydrogen tank safe, etc. etc.

Even if you solve all those problems (which will take decades), electric cars will have become widespread by then.  They're also a more efficient technology, because they store the electrical energy directly in a battery and use it to power an electric motor, whereas for hydrogen the electrical energy has to be used to separate the hydrogen first.

I really don't think hydrogen cars will make up a significant fraction of our transportation in the future.  I think electric cars will dominate.  See the links below for further details.

Answer 7

Yes.  Eventually.  I suspect it will take a few decades to become mainstream.

Answer 8

I don't think so. Refueling a hydrogen tank for a vehicle is not very user friendly. The hydrogen must be pumped at high pressure and low temperature with an airtight seal between the nozzle and receptacle. Hydrogen is also much more flammable (your cell phone really could combust the fuel). It would require too much responsibility on the part of the consumer.

I think hydrogen and CNG will be used more by motor pools like public transportation, police, fire, government and company fleets. The average person will use biofuels like recycled oils as biodiesel and ethanol from cellulose. Many commuter cars will also be either hybrids or electric.

All fuels have their pros and cons. The trick is to realize these and use the fuel for the application that gains the most from the pros and loses the least from the cons.

Answer 9

Yes, they will.  This is already happening on a small scale.  Honda recently announced that they will be selling a line of hydrogen powered cars in California, where hydrogen fueling stations already exist.  Much research is being done to improve this technology, and you will be hearing more about it soon.  In a related development, numerous areas in the US, including St Lucie County, Florida, Santa Cruz and Sacramento Counties in California, and the State of Hawaii, plasma arc generators are being installed as a more efficient way to process waste than traditional landfills.  These plants have the added benefit of producing large amounts of hydrogen, which can be used either to produce energy or to fuel vehicles.  This technology will spread rapidly and will become common across the US and beyond.  Stay tuned.

Answer 10

maybe.

Answer 11

Yes, but because of the hot steam or water vapor from its mufflers , even 10 yrs old children of metropolitan environments - will contract painful reumatic arthritis.

Answer 12

I hope so.