Hydrogen: Can it save our planet? By Ishita Nadipalli Year 9 With the rising demand for clean energy due to
water to split it into oxygen and positively
climate change, people are searching for a new
charged hydrogen ions with the electrons
fuel that can be sustainably produced and burnt
flowing
without polluting. Hydrogen amounts to 75% of
hydrogen ions pass through the membrane to
matter in the universe and when produced
the negative cathode, leaving the oxygen at the
correctly, it can be used as a versatile energy
anode and joining with the electrons in the
source with the only byproduct being water.
external circuit to form pure hydrogen. While it
This could stop the production of the biggest
is not perfect, the technology being used for
contributor to climate change: greenhouse
these
gases. But how does it work and how effective
rainbow of hydrogen extraction methods is very
will it be?
promising because if hydrogen is truly the key
Hydrogen poses a unique challenge when
to powering our future, we will need as much of
compared to fossil fuels which can simply be
it as possible.
dug from the ground: it must be separated from
Due to its simplicity, there are infinite uses for
another molecule before it can be of any use.
this clean fuel and it can be an effective
Thankfully, there are many ways of doing this
substitute for other energy sources which are
and these methods are categorised using
currently
colours. Most hydrogen produced nowadays is
example,
grey hydrogen which uses natural gas and
household which are probably fueled by natural
releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but
gases can easily be replaced by burning
if you use carbon capture to bury the carbon
hydrogen instead. Adapting power stations to
dioxide underground it is classified as blue. Grey
run on hydrogen is not a significant problem
hydrogen is produced by reacting methane with
either as they will not need much modification
steam, using nickel as a catalyst. Other methods
and since the technology is very similar to the
are dark green, pink and turquoise but ideally,
engines of a plane, it is not unlikely that the
most of it would be produced sustainably using
abundant atmospheric gas could fuel journeys
electrolysis to split the hydrogen molecules
across the world. However, burning hydrogen is
from water and create green hydrogen, which
not the only way to obtain energy: it can also be
makes up only 1% of hydrogen produced.
converted into electricity using fuel cells. This
Electrolysis works by using two electrodes
versatility is unique to hydrogen and broadens
separated by a thin membrane called PEM. At
all the possibilities for its usage. It can replace
the positive anode, a current is sent through the
batteries and also has an advantage over them
through
processes
an
are
polluting the
external circuit. The
ever-advancing.
our
heating
atmosphere.
and
hobs
This
For
in your
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