What is hydrogen energy and how does it work

1. What is hydrogen energy

Hydrogen, the number one element in the periodic table, has the lowest number of protons, just one. The hydrogen atom is also the smallest and lightest of all atoms. Hydrogen appears on Earth mainly in its combined form, the most prominent of which is water, which is the most widely distributed substance in the universe.

Hydrogen has a very high combustion value. Compare the amount of heat given off by burning the same mass of natural gas, gasoline and hydrogen:

Under the same conditions,

Burning 1 gram of natural gas, according to the measurement, about 55.81 kilojoules of heat;

Burning 1 gram of gasoline gives off about 48.4 kilojoules of heat;

Burning 1 gram of hydrogen gives off about 142.9 kilojoules of heat.

Burning hydrogen gives off 2.56 times as much heat as natural gas and 2.95 times as much heat as gasoline. It is not difficult to see from these data that hydrogen does have the basic properties of ideal fuel - high combustion value!

Hydrogen energy mainly belongs to secondary energy, the key lies in whether its logic, technology and economy have the significance and value of ecological balance, environmental governance and climate change. Secondary energy belongs to the intermediate link between primary energy and energy users, and can be divided into two categories: one is "process performance source", the other is "energy containing body energy". There is no doubt that electric energy is the most widely used "process performance source", while gasoline, diesel and kerosene are the most widely used "energetic energy source".

From a logical point of view, since "process performance sources" are difficult to be directly stored in large quantities, modern transportation vehicles with strong mobility, such as cars, ships and aircraft, cannot use a large amount of electric energy from power plants. Instead, they can only use a large amount of "energy containing energy" such as gasoline, diesel, aviation kerosene and liquefied natural gas.

However, tradition may not always last, and tradition may not always be logical. With the rise and development of electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, "process performance source" can also replace "energy containing energy". According to logical reasoning, with the continuous consumption of fossil energy, resources will eventually be exhausted, and new "energy containing energy" will inevitably appear, among which hydrogen energy is the main representative.

Hydrogen is abundant in nature, making up an estimated 75 percent of the mass of the universe. It is widely present in air, water, fossil fuels and all types of carbohydrates.

Hydrogen has good combustion performance, high ignition point, wide combustible range, and fast combustion speed. From the perspective of calorific value and combustion, hydrogen is definitely a high-quality and efficient energy. In addition, hydrogen itself is non-toxic. In addition to generating water and a small amount of hydrogen nitride after combustion, it will not produce harmful pollutants to the ecology and environment, and there is no carbon dioxide emission. Therefore, hydrogen energy belongs to clean energy, which is of great significance for ecological environment governance and reducing carbon dioxide emission.

2. The role of hydrogen energy

Hydrogen energy has a huge industrial chain covering hydrogen preparation, storage, transportation and refueling, fuel cells and terminal applications.

In power generation, hydrogen energy can be used for clean power generation to balance power demand and solve the shortage of power supply during peak hours.

In heating, hydrogen energy can be mixed with natural gas, which is one of the few low-carbon energy sources that can compete with natural gas in the future.

In the aviation sector, which emits more than 900 million tons of carbon dioxide every year, hydrogen energy is the main way to develop low-carbon aviation.

In the military field, hydrogen fuel cell can be used in the military field has the advantages of quiet, can produce continuous current, high energy conversion, is an important condition of submarine stealth.

Hydrogen energy vehicles, hydrogen energy vehicles have good combustion performance, fast ignition, high calorific value, abundant reserves and other advantages. Hydrogen energy has a wide range of sources and applications, which can effectively reduce the proportion of fossil energy.

Improving the level of clean development and developing hydrogen energy is an important carrier for building a "multi-energy complementary" energy supply system, and a major driving force for energy transformation and upgrading.