Introduction to Hydrogen cars
A hydrogen car is a car that uses hydrogen as a fuel as a source of energy. We all know that the automobile sector is being transformed a lot, there are gasoline cars, hybrid cars, electric cars, and now hydrogen cars. Hydrogen cars use hydrogen cells to carry out their operation, it use the same electric motor as the electric vehicle. Instead of a huge electric battery in the EV, hydrogen cars use fuel cells. Hydrogen is used in rockets as a fuel source and it is in liquid form.
How hydrogen production is done?
Hydrogen is not taken from any natural deposit or a reservoir, so this energy source is created from biomass or natural gas. Hydrogen can also be created by electrolysis from water. The major advantage of hydrogen power is that there won’t be any greenhouse gas emissions if it is produced from renewable energy sources. If hydrogen is created from natural gas, then it will lead to greenhouse gas emissions. In certain countries wind energy and geothermal energy are used to create hydrogen.
How does a hydrogen car or hydrogen vehicle work?
A hydrogen car or a vehicle that uses hydrogen as an energy source and these cars have electric motors to provide the power. A fuel cell is the major component of the hydrogen vehicle.
The fuel cell will operate by converting the chemical energy to electrical energy. This process is carried out by a proton exchange membrane and this membrane will use hydrogen and oxygen. So for the operation of the vehicle, the fuel cell only needs to create hydrogen, and the oxygen will be taken from the atmosphere. The electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen is utilized to operate the hydrogen vehicles. This generated electricity will be used to power the motor in the vehicle.
Is a hydrogen car dangerous will a hydrogen car explode and is a hydrogen car safe?
Many safety factors must be considered while developing a hydrogen car. High-pressure tanks are used in hydrogen cars and these tanks are capable of handling crashes, this is another reason for the increase in the price of hydrogen cars. Hydrogen is a highly combustible fuel source, and so is the diesel and petrol. If there is a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen then it will be a huge problem so to prevent this hydrogen is stored in a secured manner.
What is the major difference between hydrogen cars and electric cars?
Hydrogen cars vs. electric Cars
| Hydrogen Cars | Electric Cars |
| Charging stations are really less | Requires raw materials more than hydrogen cars |
| Creates electric power on its own | Power comes from a battery |
| Power is created by chemical reactions | Power will be stored in a battery |
| Refueling time is short | Refueling will take time |
| Expensive | Less expensive when compared to the hydrogen cars |
| Less raw materials is used | Heavier than hydrogen cars |
| Not heavy because of fuel cell | Heavier than the hydrogen cars |
| More range | Less range when compared to the hydrogen cars |
| Charging stations will be costlier than that of the electric vehicle | Charging stations won’t be costlier when compared to the hydrogen cars |
The major advantage of hydrogen cars compared to electric cars is that they are easy to refuel and have a good range.
Is hydrogen cars or vehicles the future of the automobile sector?
Due to the current environmental problems, the use of hydrogen cars will reduce pollution and this is only possible if the hydrogen is created by a renewable energy source. As of now, there are hybrid cars, electric cars, hydrogen cars, etc. Right now, we won’t be able to say that the future of the automobile sector will be hydrogen cars.
Will hydrogen cars replace electric cars?
The infrastructure which is required for the hydrogen vehicle is really complex and this stands as a barrier for the hydrogen car. We can see a wide range of petrol stations for fossil cars but this is not the case for electric and hydrogen cars.
However there are certain predictions that hydrogen will be used as a fuel source in heavy vehicles such as trucks, ships, trains, etc. In the future we can expect hydrogen cars will be used a lot for transportation purposes. We can’t say anything regarding hydrogen cars replacing electric cars as of now. If hydrogen cars can be developed at the same price as that of an electric car then they will replace electric cars.
Are hydrogen cars good for the environment?
There is very little emission for hydrogen cars compared to petrol or diesel cars. The production of hydrogen plays a major part in determining how much the hydrogen car is environmentally friendly. If hydrogen is produced by using a renewable energy source, then we can say that hydrogen cars or vehicles are environmentally friendly.
Is it possible to run hydrogen cars by using water as a source?
We can use the electrolysis process to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen. Electricity can split the water into hydrogen and oxygen. Electricity can be taken from the electrical system of the cars to create hydrogen.
How do hydrogen cars store and refuel hydrogen?
We can use hydrogen-storing stations to refuel hydrogen cars but there is a lack of hydrogen-storing stations all around the world. Hydrogen storage is carried either in gaseous form or in liquid form.
What are the advantages of Hydrogen cars?
- Good driving range
- Easy filling
- No emission
- Silent Operation
- No carbon emission
- Reduction of cost
- Clean energy
- No need to use fossil fuel
- Low tax
- More reliable because of fewer moving parts
- Hydrogen fuel cells have a longer life
What are the disadvantages of hydrogen cars?
- Refueling will be the central issue that will be faced by the hydrogen car because there are very few refueling stations
- Hydrogen costs more than petrol
- It requires a lot of safety standards because it is highly combustible
- The production cost of hydrogen cars and high
- The hydrogen fuel transportation issue is another problem
- Fuel tanks must be manufactured by considering several safety standards and this will cost more
Author – Ashlin AJ