| Hydrogen, as a vector of energy, represents a viable alternative to fossil fuel which is still widely used today. Although virtually non polluting and available from a huge and simple primary source, water, its use as a substitute to petroleum is still not economically efficient. Production costs are greater than costs of fossil fuel extraction from petroleum found beneath the Earth's crust.; Regardless the numerous advantages which favor the use of hydrogen as an "energy source", such as the simplicity of its production process, environmental considerations and storage management, its economical viability cannot overcome the energy cost of fossil fuel. However, at least one production method to generate hydrogen may have a certain future: water electrolysis.; This technique has the unique advantage of having water as a primary source of hydrogen. Among all the parameters associated to the the production costs inherent to that method, electricity consumption is an important one, since it is necessary to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gases. By selecting the proper electrode materials, it is possible to reduce the overall electricity costs. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
