Hydrogen – a chemical element, which is not inferior calorific heat value of natural gas, but the combustion of formed distilled water. This is probably only the cleanest fuel of all known. To use hydrogen do not need any special equipment, are suitable for this gas-fired boilers for space heating or gasoline internal combustion engines.
The highest content of hydrogen is concentrated in the World Water (oceans, seas, rivers). However, the problem is that it virtually pure form not found in nature. A negligible amount of it is contained in biogas, but the highlight of his time-consuming and expensive, so it is burned along with the methane.
To date, there are technologies in which pure hydrogen is released. Budding considered most hydrogen production technology, by hydrolysis, and as a raw material used here plain water.
The most widely used hydrogen generators in the automotive industry. Japan has already launched production of cars on hydrogen, and in 2008, the airline made a test flight of Airbus aircraft, abandoning replacing kerosene with hydrogen. But in the global energy sector, the share of hydrogen – is negligible, and the reason for that is the lack of low-cost pure hydrogen.
The device of electrolytic hydrogen generator
The basis of this generator put the hydrolysis process. During hydrolysis water is split into hydrogen and oxygen. Thus it is necessary to provide a large surface area electrodes. For this purpose, plates are combined, they form a cell. The main caveat is that the device can not be heated more than 65º, because spoilage begins plates. These gases (hydrogen and oxygen) do not share, because it is possible if necessary to pay this process, if the heat generator to send them back and they are joined to form water.
As can be seen gas production is not complicated, the problem lies elsewhere, it is necessary to get as many as possible and in a short period of time. For this purpose, the electrodes are not used in copper and alloys of complex expensive structure. Also there is an electronic unit which provides a change of current during the reaction. Today generators with automatic water make-up water, as water consumed during the reaction, it should be replenished. We also need tanks for cooking water, because of the intensive course of the process water need to be rich in salts. To ensure smooth operation of the heat generator, it is necessary to drain the hydrogen first, then upload to the repository, which will maintain the desired pressure with the help of modern automation.
There are a number of certain factors that hinder the development of hydrogen energy:
1. The amount of energy is spent for hydrogen production in more than two times, the subsequent combustion. Hence, the high cost.
2. Hydrogen is highly explosive, so no one can guarantee adequate security when working with hydrogen.
3. To use the hydrogen needs a lot of conditions to the boiler that runs on hydrogen began to space heating. This is required to maintain a constant pressure, and getting rid of the pair, and preliminary water preparation.
But, despite all the difficulties of obtaining and using the hydrogen generator, none exist today can not be compared with hydrogen as high ecological. To move to the heating with hydrogen, almost do not need to redo boilers fueled by natural gas. And hydrogen is the most abundant element on the planet, and the world’s reserves of water, which is extracted from the hydrogen – inexhaustible.
According to some scientists hydrogen power can compete with conventional fuels not earlier than in 20-30 years, and some experts are inclined to believe that hydrogen power is a highly specialized, and its main use is in rocketry.
