| Hydrogen is often cited as the solution
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| | It takes energy to make energy. We use
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| to global energy problems and the perfect
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| | energy to find and pump oil but, luckily
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| energy carrier for a sustainable society
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| | for industrial society, oil has huge net
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| due to its’ non polluting nature and
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| | energy and we can usually obtain more
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| suitability to store and transport energy
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| | than 200 times the amount of energy from
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| generated from renewable sources. This
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| | oil than is required for its’
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| essay examines the practicalities of a
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| | extraction. Oil has the highest net
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| hydrogen-based energy system and its’
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| | energy return of any fuel; gas, coal,
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| ability to provide a sustainable future.
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| | wind and solar all have dramatically
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| Many people including Romano Prodi,
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| | less. Hydrogen has negative net energy
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| president of the European Commission,
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| | meaning it takes more energy to produce
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| President Bush and numerous "deep greens"
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| | it than it contains, this highlights the
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| including Amory Lovins, author of Natural
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| | first problem of a hydrogen society.
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| Capitalism advocate the "hydrogen
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| | Counting Calories
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| economy" as the future of world energy
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| | Although it is the most abundant element
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| supply. The justification seems well
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| | in the universe hydrogen is not very easy
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| founded; a renewable energy plant
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| | to obtain. Ironically, petrol is the most
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| generates electricity sporadically,
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| | concentrated form of hydrogen available
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| hydrogen can be produced by the
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| | for human consumption containing more
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| electrolysis of water, storing energy in
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| | hydrogen by volume than pure hydrogen
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| the form of hydrogen negates the need for
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| | itself, since the structure of the atoms
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| large and inefficient batteries (and
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| | in hydrocarbons use less space. Hydrogen
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| associated pollution) and fuel cells
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| | also has a very low calorific value (a
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| (fig. 2) can turn hydrogen back into
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| | gallon of petrol has 115,000 btus, a
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| useful electrical energy (using oxygen
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| | gallon of liquid hydrogen has only 30,000
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| from the atmosphere) as and when
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| | btus) so it takes about 4 times the
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| required, the only by-product being steam
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| | volume of hydrogen (compared with petrol)
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| or water.
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| | to travel the same distance, requiring
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| The associated benefits include the
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| | larger and heavier fuel tanks
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| elimination of exhaust pollution (sulphur
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| | (compressing or liquifying hydrogen uses
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| dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide
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| | more energy) which require additional
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| and other particulates associated with
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| | energy to transport. This low calorific
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| the combustion of fossil fuels)
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| | value dictates increased volumes (or high
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| particularly in cities, the associated
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| | pressures) throughout the entire hydrogen
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| reduction in global warming and the
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| | system.
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| ability to generate power locally
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| | Hydrogen manufacture
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| promoting the development of a
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| | There are several ways to obtain
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| decentralised energy system. It is even
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| | hydrogen; by electrolysis of water, by
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| suggested that ultimately a hydrogen
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| | splitting water using light, by
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| economy would help avoid global economic
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| | collecting and reforming gas from
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| downturn due to unmanageable increase in
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| | biomass, by reforming natural gas or any
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| peak demand and the limited supply and
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| | other fossil fuel. Each of these
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| increasing costs of fossil fuels.
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| | processes is extremely energy intensive
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| Don’t believe the hype
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| | and always results in hydrogen with a
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| It’s easy to be convinced by stories we
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| | negative net energy, electrolysis (the
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| want to believe. Ergo magazines claims
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| | cleanest and most appropriate process for
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| hydrogen ‘is the one’. Jeremy Rifkin,
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| | obtaining hydrogen from wind and solar
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| head of the Foundation on Economic Trends
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| | power) is the most energy intensive of
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| claims the hydrogen economy will be
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| | them all – roughly 75% efficient and
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| ‘the next great economic revolution’
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| | costs roughly four times as much as
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| James Burges thinks it ‘may be our only
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| | reformation. The simplest, cheapest and
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| option for survival’; hydrogen is the
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| | most efficient process is the reformation
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| answer. However, critical analysis of the
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| | of natural gas, an established industry,
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| properties of hydrogen and the necessary
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| | yet this is still only 85% efficient. It
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| steps in a hydrogen society reveal a far
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| | is therefore less polluting and resource
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| less optimistic picture.
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| | intensive to simply burn natural gas.
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| Net Energy
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