Dihydrogen as Fuel - Class XI

Hydrogen blow torch is based on high calorific value of  $H _2$.

The electronic configuration of the Hydrogen atom is $1s^1$.

Dalda (Vanaspathi) is prepared by hydrogenation of triolien.

The transportation of hydrogen gas is done in heavy metal cylinders and it can also be transported in liquid form. In order to transport large amounts of hydrogen it must be either pressurized and delivered as a compressed gas, or liquefied.

$H _2$ is best alternative to fossil fuels but use of hydrogen as a fuel is dangerous because the storage of $H _2$ is very risky and causes explosion because of low ignition energy.

In hydrogen economy, energy required for automobiles or electrical
energy is obtained from the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
This
eliminates the use of carbon based fossil fuels. It reduces emission of
carbon dioxide gas. Hydrogen acts as energy carrier as a substitute for
petroleum reserves that are in short supply.

Mixture of $CO$ and ${ H } _{ 2 }$ is called water gas. As the mixture of $CO$, $CO _2$ and ${ H } _{ 2 }$ is used for the synthesis of methanol and a no. of hydrocarbon, it is also called synthesis gas or 'syngas'.

Hydrogen is attractive because whether it is burned to produce heat or reacted with air in a fuel cell to produce electricity, the only byproduct is water.

In the fuel cell, Chemical energy is converted to Electrical energy.Hydrogen and oxygen gases are used in fuel cell along with water, heat.

$H _2$ gas is environmentally clean gas and gives off water on combustion. It causes no harm to the environment and hence the best alternative for fossil fuels.

Animal fat: 38kJ/g
Coal: 29.3kJ/g
Hydrogen gas: 142kJ/g
Gasoline: 48kJ/g

Dihydrogen fuel is a zero-emission fuel when burned with oxygen (if one considers water not as an emission) or used in a contained cell. The energy released enables hydrogen to act as a fuel. In an electrochemical cell, that energy can be used with relatively high efficiency.

Hydrogen is not found in pure form on Earth, however, so it must be produced from other compounds such as natural gas, biomass, alcohols or water. In all cases it takes energy to convert these into pure hydrogen. For that reason, hydrogen is really an energy carrier or storage medium rather than an energy source in itself.

The usage of hydrogen as a low-carbon energy source, such as gasoline as a transport fuel, it is referred to as "Hydrogen economy". The basic principles of Hydrogen economy are:-