5 ms·

Partially in reply to Accujack but to frame the question in general: Is hydrogen a reasonable power source for non-mobile applications? I know its volatility

Partially in reply to Accujack but to frame the question in general: Is hydrogen a reasonable power source for non-mobile applications? I know its volatility makes it dangerous for household use, but are there controlled industrial/outdoor/other uses that it would be suitable for?

theandrewbailey 7y ago
An immediate application would be to replace steam reforming processes. (methane (natural gas) in, hydrogen out) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_reforming https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_reforming
jeffreyrogers 7y ago
I haven't done the calculations, but my gut reaction is that you're better off using electricity for non-mobile applications. Hydrogen production looks like: electricity -> electrolysis -> hydrogen. And then you use the hydrogen in a fuel cell to generate electricity. Since you already need electricity to produce the hydrogen it seems to make more sense just to use it directly for whatever non-mobile application you have. There are other (cheaper) ways to produce hydrogen but they require hydrocarbon feedstocks.
- m_eiman 7y ago
  Storing hydrogen for seasonal use could be neat. Split water using summer sun, use hydrogen to generate electricity in winter.
  - jeffreyrogers 7y ago
    I hadn't thought of that. One potential problem is long-term storage of hydrogen. Hydrogen is so small that it will eventually escape from whatever container you put it in. This diffusion is faster at higher pressures, and depends a lot on the materials involved. So I think it could work, but you'd have to be careful about what materials you used for your storage container.
    - m_eiman 7y ago
      Yes, it's not uncomplicated. There's a guy somewhere in Sweden running his house in this way - he's got a bunch of hydrogen tubes in the basement that get filled up during summer. He's obviously an enthusiast and has paid a lot of money to build this, but at least it's somewhat practically possible. Edit: found an article about him (in Swedish, but the images are interesting and I think Translate would do a decent job): https://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/fri-fran-elnatet-med-egen-vatgas-6344197 https://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/fri-fran-elnatet-med-egen-va...

theandrewbailey 7y ago

An immediate application would be to replace steam reforming processes. (methane (natural gas) in, hydrogen out) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_reforming https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_reforming

jeffreyrogers 7y ago

I haven't done the calculations, but my gut reaction is that you're better off using electricity for non-mobile applications. Hydrogen production looks like: electricity -> electrolysis -> hydrogen. And then you use the hydrogen in a fuel cell to generate electricity. Since you already need electricity to produce the hydrogen it seems to make more sense just to use it directly for whatever non-mobile application you have. There are other (cheaper) ways to produce hydrogen but they require hydrocarbon feedstocks.

m_eiman 7y ago
Storing hydrogen for seasonal use could be neat. Split water using summer sun, use hydrogen to generate electricity in winter.
- jeffreyrogers 7y ago
  I hadn't thought of that. One potential problem is long-term storage of hydrogen. Hydrogen is so small that it will eventually escape from whatever container you put it in. This diffusion is faster at higher pressures, and depends a lot on the materials involved. So I think it could work, but you'd have to be careful about what materials you used for your storage container.
  - m_eiman 7y ago
    Yes, it's not uncomplicated. There's a guy somewhere in Sweden running his house in this way - he's got a bunch of hydrogen tubes in the basement that get filled up during summer. He's obviously an enthusiast and has paid a lot of money to build this, but at least it's somewhat practically possible. Edit: found an article about him (in Swedish, but the images are interesting and I think Translate would do a decent job): https://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/fri-fran-elnatet-med-egen-vatgas-6344197 https://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/fri-fran-elnatet-med-egen-va...