Industrialization of coast lines
The Hindenburg a hydrogen filled airship explodes in New Jersey in 1937
Understanding the Basics of Hydrogen Combustion
2H2 + O2 → 2H2O + energy
The combustion reaction of hydrogen can be represented by the equation shown above. In this equation, two molecules of hydrogen (H2) combine with one molecule of oxygen (O2) to form two molecules of water (H2O). As the reaction occurs, a significant amount of energy is released in the form of heat and light.
Hydrogen combustion has several important characteristics that make it a valuable fuel source. First, hydrogen is a highly efficient fuel, offering a high energy-to-mass ratio. This means that a small amount of hydrogen can release a large amount of energy during combustion.
However we seldomly have laboratory environment to do this combustion. When air is used instead of pure oxygen in the combustion of hydrogen, the combustion process is not considered completely “clean” because air is a mixture of gases that contains nitrogen in addition to oxygen. As a result, nitrogen from the air can react with hydrogen during combustion, leading to the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) as additional byproducts.
Therefore, in practical applications where air is used as the oxidizer for hydrogen combustion, the resulting byproducts include water vapor as the primary product and nitrogen oxides as secondary byproducts. These nitrogen oxides can be harmful and need to be controlled or minimized through various combustion optimization techniques and emission control systems to ensure environmentally friendly hydrogen combustion.
It is fair to say, that a hydrogen combustions, without taking into account the sourcing or production of hydrogen, is cleaner than the combustion of any other fossil fuel.
The energy released during hydrogen combustion can be harnessed for various applications. It can be used to generate heat for industrial processes, provide energy for transportation through hydrogen-powered vehicles, and produce electricity through hydrogen fuel cells.
It is important to note that hydrogen combustion requires proper safety measures due to its high flammability. Handling and storing hydrogen safely are essential to prevent accidents and ensure its effective use as a fuel.
