Oil Prices Fuel Hydrogen
Given the current situation with world oil prices, what source of energy has the best chance of replacing or at least reducing the demand for oil?
The recent rise in world oil prices has changed the perception of many, with regards to alternate fuels and their use. While there are several alternative projects under development, the use of hydrogen as a renewable energy source shows tremendous promise.
Hydrogen is readily available as one of the more common elements on the planet, and promises to be both environmentally and economically friendly once it is in wide-spread use. Heavy water or H3O is subjected to internal combustion, releasing one of the Hydrogen atoms from the molecule. The Hydrogen is burned and water is the by product. The hydrogen powered car has zero environmental impact.
Of the several automobile manufacturers in the world, BMW of Germany is the undisputed leader in hydrogen technology. For years, their engineers have worked on this process and as a result, in the near future, the hydrogen version of their 7 Series sedans will go into production. The hydrogen engine they produce in not noticeably different from the gasoline engines that we use every day.
One of the major problems restricting the use of hydrogen as a fuel is the absence of infrastructure to fuel hydrogen powered cars. BMW is bridging this gap by producing an engine that can operate with both gasoline and hydrogen. When a hydrogen fueling station is not readily available, the car can revert to gasoline by a simple flip of a switch.
Presently, California plans to deal with the infrastructure problem by establishing the first hydrogen highway with hydrogen fueling stations along its interstates. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that promises to make California the leader in this technology. Germany currently has several hydrogen fueling stations in and around its major cities, which will be an incentive to Germans to purchase the environmentally friendly cars.
Another problem with Hydrogen is the fueling process and containment of the fuel within the vehicle. BMW has developed both a fueling process and holding tanks that solve both problems. In fact, the fear of hydrogen exploding during an impact has been reduced to zero.
So, what about the immediate future? BMW has joined with other automakers to further develop a gasoline-hydrogen hybrid engine that will run on two fuels to reduce dependence on gasoline, while other technologies and infrastructure are being developed.
A hybrid vehicle, as developed by Toyota and Honda, uses an electric fuel cell to operate the vehicle when in an idling or slow moving state, saving gasoline. The Toyota Prius, which was the first hybrid to be mass marketed, currently gets up to 50 miles per gallon and has met with great demand. Toyota and Honda currently market several of their most popular models with a hybrid option. Toyota has also developed the first hybrid truck and SUV. These will be but the beginning of a long line of new models of very fuel efficient vehicles.
Most car manufacturers agree that hybrids are simply a bridge to the hydrogen technology. As oil prices rise, hopefully, car owners will be weaned from their gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks and the demand for more efficient means of travel will grow. Car makers in-the-know intend to be at the forefront of the next major trend, but that trend will depend largely on market forces and demand.
