Hydrogen is a clean fuel and an energy carrier that can be used for a broad range of applications as a possible substitute to liquid and fossil fuels. Various aspects of hydrogen energy have been formalized including its production, storage and use as a fuel for generation of mechanical/thermal/electrical energy. The application of hydrogen in fuel cells for power generation has also been formalized. Hydrogen fuelled small power generating sets, two wheeler (motor cycles), three wheeler and catalytic combustion systems for residential and industrial sectors and fuel cell buses have also been developed.
Potential applications are
- Production of electricity, heat and water for various end uses
- Industrial applications
- Vehicular transportation
- Residential applications
- Commercial applications, including in telecom towers for providing back-up power
Other applications include
Petroleum and chemical industries – Large quantities of H2 are needed in the petroleum and chemical industries. The largest application of H2 is for the processing (“upgrading”) of fossil fuels, and in the production of ammonia. The key consumers of H2 in the petrochemical plant include hydrodealkylation, hydrodesulfurization, and hydrocracking. H2 has several other important uses. H2 is used as a hydrogenating agent, particularly in increasing the level of saturation of unsaturated fats and oils (found in items such as margarine), and in the production of methanol. It is similarly the source of hydrogen in the manufacture of hydrochloric acid.H2 is also used as a reducing agent of metallic ores.
Nuclear Fission – Deuterium (hydrogen-2) is used in nuclear fission applications as a moderator to slow neutrons, and in nuclear fusion reactions. Deuterium compounds have applications in chemistry and biology in studies of reaction isotope effects. Tritium (hydrogen-3), produced in nuclear reactors, is used in the production of hydrogen bombs, as an isotopic label in the biosciences, and as a radiation source in luminous paints.
Coolant: Hydrogen is commonly used in power stations as a coolant in generators due to a number of favorable properties that are a direct result of its light diatomic molecules. These include low density, low viscosity, and the highest specific heat and thermal conductivity of all gases.
Energy carrier: Hydrogen is not an energy resource, except in the hypothetical context of commercial nuclear fusion power plants using deuterium or tritium, a technology presently far from development. The Sun’s energy comes from nuclear fusion of hydrogen, but this process is difficult to achieve controllably on Earth.
Semiconductor industry: Hydrogen is employed to saturate broken (“dangling”) bonds of amorphous silicon and amorphous carbon that helps stabilizing material properties. It is also a potential electron donor in various oxide materials, including ZnO, SnO2, CdO, MgO, ZrO2, HfO2, La2O3, Y2O3, TiO2, SrTiO3, LaAlO3, SiO2, Al2O3, ZrSiO4, HfSiO4, and SrZrO3.
