Science 101: Hydrogen Energy
What is hydrogen energy?
What if, our airplanes and cars could run on fuel produced from water? What if this fuel could provide backup power to the electric grid?
Scientists are working to develop an abundant fuel source produced from water by using the energy within hydrogen.
Hydrogen is the simplest chemical element, or type of atom. It consists of just one proton and one electron. It is also the most abundant element, making up around 75% of the known matter in the universe. Vast amounts of hydrogen exist in water and living things.
The hydrogen molecule, consisting of two hydrogen atoms, can be used to produce energy. Hydrogen molecules carry a lot of energy; a pound of hydrogen contains almost three times the energy of a pound of gasoline or diesel.
However, hydrogen molecules are not abundant on Earth, making up less than 0.0001% of our atmosphere. Because of this, hydrogen must be produced from other substances that contain it. The most common way to produce hydrogen is to split water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) using electricity, a process called water electrolysis. Scientists and engineers are working to improve and lower the cost of hydrogen produced by this process.
They are also developing methods that convert water directly into hydrogen by harnessing and mimicking biological processes like photosynthesis.
There are several ways to use hydrogen for energy once it is produced. The most prominent is in fuel cells, which convert the chemical energy stored in hydrogen and oxygen into electricity.
A type of hydrogen fuel cell being developed for cars, trucks, forklifts, buses, ships and trains splits hydrogen molecules into electrons and protons. The electrons are forced to flow through an electric circuit, creating a supply of usable electricity. Meanwhile, the protons are able to pass through a membrane, ultimately recombining with the electrons and reacting with oxygen molecules from the air to produce water.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are leveraging world-class facilities and expertise to advance hydrogen science and technology. Our researchers are lowering the cost of hydrogen production and developing affordable fuel cells. They’re also assessing methods of hydrogen production, transport, use and storage.