Pure hydrogen has appeared in the automotive world to be the ideal fuel. The huge potential of hydrogen energy and abundant renewable sources meet many of the requirements of today's consumer. Hydrogen, however, has its drawbacks. Science and technology experts continue to make efforts to overcome these shortcomings, and eventually hydrogen may become a long-awaited replacement for oil and gas. In the meantime, consider the advantages and disadvantages of hydrogen cars at the current time.
Wednesday
The use of hydrogen fuel in an internal combustion engine does not lead to exhaust pollution. The car can still produce pollution from other sources (such as burning lube oil), but hydrogen as fuel does not pollute the environment. When hydrogen combines with air, oxygen and hydrogen are burned to produce water.
Renewability
Hydrogen is a renewable fuel source. When it is burned, water is formed. It can be broken down into its constituent parts (hydrogen and oxygen), producing more hydrogen atoms. The cycle cannot be broken, as there are no chemical changes in the process that would eliminate the production of hydrogen. Unlike petrochemicals, hydrogen can be used efficiently and repeatedly as a source of automotive fuel.
Availability
Hydrogen cars have become more affordable, but the infrastructure to service them is lagging far behind. The hydrogen is not pumped into the machine as a gas, but as a cryogenic (very cold) liquid. Finding hydrogen filling stations requires planning and trickery to cover relatively long distances. In many regions of Russia there are no sufficient conditions for hydrogen cars, filling stations are located far from each other.
Hydrogen production is not free. The distillation of hydrogen requires significant energy consumption. An electric current flows through the water, producing free hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen rises above oxygen and is collected and liquefied. Electrolysis and liquefaction of hydrogen is an energy-intensive process. This affects the availability of hydrogen on the free market.
Corrosion
Hydrogen is a volatile element that combines easily with most other elements. This combining process leads to various effects when interacting with metals and other materials. Pure hydrogen can corrode metals very quickly, and engineering solutions to this problem increase the cost of hydrogen cars. Simply replacing gasoline with hydrogen does not solve the problem. Engines, fuel tanks and systems must be designed and built exclusively for hydrogen fuel.
