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thetechies - Technologists of the future
Hydrogen - Fuel of
the Future !
Automobile is the machine that has made the
individual mobility real and possible. It has changed the way we
are leaving. But as the vehicle population continue to
proliferate, so do the problems. Choking pollution, permanent
environmental damage, rising fuel costs and limited fuel reserves
are obstacles we have been aware of since decades. Though mere
irritants initially, these factors have today cumulatively
assumed the gigantic proportions that cannot be shrugged off. And
though experiments like the first solar powered cars have been
making news since early 70’s, any prospect of them ending up
in the driveway or carrying you to the work place is remote at
the best.
What we are looking today is for a better
system one that is sustainable and non-polluting. A personal
transportation system that works the same way what we have today
but one that is cleaner and not ultimately dependent on fossil
fuels.
Faced with the gas chamber, the Indian
Government has been forced to awaken from its deep slumber,
having finally been dragged kicking and passing legislation on
emissions. But while the introduction of the EURO-II norms and
the use of CNG and LPG powered vehicles will go some way in
reducing pollution, these are merely interim solutions.
More critical actions such as demanding much
cleaner fuel from the oil companies, investing seriously in
research on sustainable fuels like ethanol and getting rid of the
real problem- polluting commercial transport vehicles and two
wheelers- still remains on the backburner.
While work on the hydrogen-powered vehicles
gathers pace in the developed world, India sit twiddling our
thumbs—bemoaning budgets, time or ignorance. And the nation
will be the real loser. Though the investment and infrastructure
required will be considerable but the chance to get in start
something big will, in all possibility be missed.
Why is Hydrogen so promising?
Why is it so that Hydrogen is the perfect
fuel? For starters, literally existence of hydrogen is considered.
It is the fuel used by heat source of our solar system, with the
sun processing approximately 5 million of hydrogen every second.
No wonder we can feel the heat even at this distance!
Hydrogen has the highest octane rating of
any fuel, producing almost thrice the energy than an
equivalent amount of petrol. It’s also whiny clean as well,
with only traces of nitrogen oxides released when burnt in air.
Hydrogen, depending how to produce it, is also an infinitely
renewable resource, with a staggering 90 percent of solar system
being comprised of this element.
But it isn’t roses all the way. A
number of hurdles exist—the storage problem of such a
volatile fuel poses many questions, as does the lack of a
fuelling network.
While multinational companies in the
developed world obviously look at producing hydrogen-powered
cars, a small laboratory at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU),
supported by MNES, has been successful in pioneering
a hydrogen fuelled motorcycle running an almost stock internal
combustion engine.
One of the biggest hurdles in harnessing
hydrogen is effective, efficient and safe storage. Because high-pressure
gaseous storage is very risky, Prof O N Srivastava’s
team at BHU stores hydrogen in solid hydrides placed
under the seat. These hydrides release hydrogen when heated and
add significantly to the safety of the entire vehicle. As a
result only the five litres of fluid hydrogen, present between
the hydride tank and the head of the engine, can be ignited. And
since the hydrogen is the lightest element, any leak should not
prove costly.
The induction system of the stock of HONDA
CD100 has been modified and fuel is supplied by the injection
system at 5-10 atmospheres. Engine life actually increases
because of the high calorific value, low density and low boiling
point.
Though the bike uses a safer hydride storage
tank, BHU is looking at an even better option: graphitic
nanofibres. They can store much more hydrogen, with 1gm
capable of storing up to 20 litres of hydrogen. The BHU bike also
has a bi-fuel capability and can be switched to run on petrol.
Resources to implement hydrogen-based
infrastructure at a competitive cost can be obtained from sugar
industry. Sugar mills in India use otherwise wasted bagasse to
create electricity that power their own mills.
They however have a huge excess of supply,
with almost 60% not being gainfully utilised. These sugar mils
could substantially add to their bottom line by producing
hydrogen or allowing an electrolyser on their premises. Hydrogen
could also be obtained from the chlor-alkali and ‘ghee’
industries where it is produced as a bi-product.
Large
conglomerates in association with the government could then run
an ‘electrolyser’ and hydrogen distribution business,
similar to that run by petroleum industry today. The hydrogen can
be transported in the cylinders (similar to those used to
transport CNG but stronger) as it is widely done today or in
safer, solid form in hydrides. It is estimated that 1MW of excess
capacity can produce 162 tonnes of hydrogen per year.
LATEST
DEVELOPMENT AND COMPANIES ASSOCIATED
Though hydrogen
may eventually be used to power fuel cell vehicles in the future,
companies like BMW and Ford are making huge investments towards
the use of hydrogen in conventional piston engines currently
manufactured and in used in the cars of today.
A fuel that
promises to deliver spectacular performance, we just might be
pumping hydrogen into our gas tanks as early as 2005. While
theoretically, fuel cells would be cleaner and more efficient,
continuous advances in the piston engines today are narrowing the
gap. It’s also important to remember that running more
conventional piston and thermal engines would also involve fewer
additional costs associated with fuel cell systems.
contact : a161@indiatimes.com