Abstract
Today hydrogen is recognized as a non-polluting energy carrier because it does not contribute to global warming if it is produced from renewable energy resources. Hydrogen is the only secondary energy carrier that is suitable for wide applications. At the center of attention is the fact that hydrogen can be obtained from a wide range of primary energies. It can be used advantageously for a wide range of applications. Hydrogen can be used in decentralized systems without emitting CO2. Hydrogen is already a part of today's chemical industry, but as an energy resource, its rare benefits can only be achieved through fuel cell technology. The next generations of energy systems for mobile applications based on hydrogen fuel cells have the potential of using and implementing clean energy in the mobility domain, as well as in the tertiary and industrial sector, thus having a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions decreasing, specific characteristics of hydrogen technology having an important role in the decarbonization of transport sector.
TopGeneral Aspects
Unconventional energy sources have gained and will continue to gain an increasing share in energy systems around the world, both due to the research effort and political will involved in their development and due to the rising price of energy obtained through the traditional methods. Primary energy sources, generally called renewable, are those sources in the natural environment, available in virtually unlimited quantities or that are regenerated by natural processes, at a faster rate than the one in which they are consumed. (Badea, G., et al., 2015; Felseghi, R.A., et al., 2019, a; Noor, M., et al., 2023; Stennikov, V., 2023). Officially recognized renewable energies originate from the sun's rays, the earth's internal temperature, or the gravitational interactions of the sun and moon with the oceans (Felseghi, R.A., et al., 2019 a; Li, Y., et al.,2020; Filote, C., et al.,2020;Hagen, M., et al., 2022; Shadman, M., et al., 2023).
Processes and procedures for the production or capture of these types of alternative energies under development, high investment costs and low returns on conversion processes have made renewable energy sources a small part of the needs on a global scale. Optimistic forecasts estimate renewable energy production to account for 30-50% of the total energy market around 2050, but this depends on reducing production costs and finding opportunities for massive storage of electricity. In addition, all these forms of energy cannot provide fuels in satisfactory quantities for various industrial uses. (Atems, B., et al. 2023; Colbertaldo, P., et al., 2019; Felseghi, R.A., et al., 2019, a)
In this context, alternatives are currently being sought to obtain electricity by using technologies that provide maximum efficiency, high reliability and minimum pollution. Such a technology, currently considered the cleanest, through which sustainable energy can be obtained, is based on fuel cells. With the development of fuel cells, the production of hydrogen-based energy is becoming a reality, hydrogen being one of the safest energy alternatives for mankind. The future hydrogen-based economy presents hydrogen as an energy carrier in a safe and sustainable energy system. (Felseghi, R.A., et al., 2019, b; Ren, X., et al., 2020; Cloete, S., Ruhnau, O., & Hirth, L., 2021; Scheller, F., et al., 2023; Genovese, M., et al., 2023)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Electric Vehicle (EV): A vehicle uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion. An electric vehicle can be powered by a collection system with electricity from extra-vehicle sources, or it can be self-powered with a battery, solar panels, or an electric generator or fuel cell to convert fuel into electricity. EVs include, but are not limited to, road and rail vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft, and electric spacecraft.
Sustainable Development: Economic development that is conducted without depletion of natural resources.
Circular Economy: In the linear economy, raw natural resources are taken, transformed into products and get disposed of. On the opposite, a circular economy model aims to close the gap between the production and the natural ecosystems’ cycles – on which humans ultimately depend upon. This means, on one hand, eliminating waste – composting biodegradable waste or, if it’s a transformed and non-biodegradable waste, reusing, remanufacturing and finally recycling it. On the other hand, it also means cutting off the use of chemical substances (a way to help regenerate natural systems) and betting on renewable energy.
Hydrogen Economy: An envisioned future in which hydrogen is used as an energy vector for power systems, fuel for heat production, fuel for hydrogen vehicles, medium for energy storage, and for long-distance transport of energy. In order to phase out fossil fuels and limit global warming, hydrogen can be created from water using intermittent renewal sources such as wind and solar, and its combustion only releases water vapor to the atmosphere.
Energy System: A system primarily designed to supply energy services to end-users.
Hydrogen fuel: This refers to hydrogen that is burned as a fuel with oxygen. It can be a zero-carbon fuel, provided it is created in a process that does not involve carbon.
Fuel Cell: A device that continuously changes the chemical energy of a fuel (such as hydrogen) and an oxidant directly into electrical energy.
Fuel cell vehicles: A type of electric vehicle that uses fuel cells to power an internal electric motor. Fuel cells produce electricity, usually using oxygen from the air and hydrogen from a tank located in the car.
Hydrogen: A nonmetallic gaseous chemical element with atomic number 1 that is the simplest and lightest of the elements.
Alternative fuel: Also known as non-conventional fuel, means any chemical substance that can be used as a fuel, other than conventional fuels, derived from fossil fuels, i.e. from crude oil, coal and natural gas.