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Three ways to produce hydrogen, the possible and unexpected ally of the diesel car

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Three ways to produce hydrogen, the possible and unexpected ally of the diesel car

The use of hydrogen may be key to prolonging the life of the diesel car in the coming years. There are three ways to produce this element and we are going to explain it to you.

In recent weeks, we have learned about some solutions that can extend the life of internal combustion engines, such as the use of hydrogen, which, unexpectedly, can become an ally of diesel cars. We are going to see three ways to produce this element that can be the salvation for this type of engine in the future.

While Europe bans the sale of combustion cars in 2035 and the automobile industry takes the highway towards total electrification, some solutions appear along the way that can help continue using fossil fuels, but in a much “cleaner” way. .

Recently, we told you about a revolutionary invention that converted a diesel engine into clean hydrogen engines, using this element to reduce consumption and, above all, emissions.

This drew attention, because, until total electrification arrives (and it remains to be seen if it occurs in 2035, as the European Union has decided and other countries in the world have stated), CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced.

Hydrogen, the possible and unexpected ally of the diesel car

Three ways to produce hydrogen

Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element on the planet. It is present in 75% of matter. However, we never find it alone, but rather it is usually linked to other elements.

The most common association is with carbon, forming methane gas or other compounds, and with oxygen, to give rise to the most abundant liquid on the planet, water.

Hydrogen is not a primary energy source but rather an energy vector, that is, it requires a chemical process for its production. It cannot be taken directly from nature in its pure state. It must be produced and, depending on the method used to do so, we can talk about a clean and sustainable fuel or not.

It is a light element, it can be stored and it does not generate polluting emissions by itself. These characteristics make it an ideal candidate to be used as fuel.

Hydrogen, key to reducing CO2 emissions

Three ways to produce hydrogen

As with electricity, hydrogen is an excellent energy carrier, since it can be obtained from different precursors, such as natural gas, coal, water and renewable energies.

Particularly in the transport sector, the use of hydrogen in fuel cells will make it possible in the future to diversify the energy supply and reduce dependence on oil.

Hydrogen is considered a very attractive energy for the future, because its combustion does not release polluting emissions. When combined with oxygen from the air, it releases chemical energy, generating only water vapor as a result of combustion.

For this reason, hydrogen can be key to reducing CO2 emissions. It can be stored as a gas under pressure and as a liquid or distributed through gas pipelines, so it is considered that it can replace natural gas in the medium or long term.

Three ways to produce hydrogen

Three ways to produce hydrogen

It is often said that hydrogen is a renewable fuel and zero emissions, but this is not always true. It is true that, when used, it does not emit harmful particles, for example, in a hydrogen vehicle. But it does issue them during production.

We can only talk about renewable hydrogen if it is produced by means of energies such as wind or solar energy to produce the electrolysis that releases the hydrogen molecules. Although, on this, we will delve further below.

There are three ways to produce hydrogen: molecular transformation, gasification and electrolysis of water.

molecular transformation

It consists of different techniques, through which chemical reactions are produced to obtain hydrogen. The most common is the one carried out from the reforming of natural gas from oil fields: high-temperature water vapor is used to dissociate the carbon from the hydrogen that makes up the natural gas.

In two successive reactions, dihydrogen is obtained on the one hand and carbon dioxide on the other. This is the most widely used method today.

Gasification

Gasification with water vapor and pure oxygen is carried out from coal or biomass. Through a reactor, coal or biomass is burned at very high temperatures.

Combustion releases gases that give rise, on the one hand, to dihydrogen and, on the other, to carbon monoxide.

electrolysis of water

Finally, the electrolysis of water consists of the breaking of the water molecule into oxygen and hydrogen by the action of a continuous electric current that is connected to the water by means of electrodes.

When electrolysis is done with renewable energy, this is the most sustainable method of production. This gives rise to the so-called green or renewable hydrogen.

types of hydrogen

Three ways to produce hydrogen

Gray hydrogen is obtained by reforming fossil fuels and the most common is natural gas. It is currently the cheapest hydrogen to produce and the most widely used. During the process, a large amount of CO2 emissions are emitted into the atmosphere.

Blue hydrogen is also made from fossil fuels, but using techniques that can capture and store the CO2 emissions that are produced during the process. It is less polluting than gray hydrogen, but it only reduces emissions during the production process, it does not eliminate them.

Finally, green or renewable hydrogen is the one that is obtained by electrolysis of water, as we have mentioned before. This process is powered entirely by renewable energy, which is why it does not generate any type of polluting particle into the atmosphere and is the cleanest and most sustainable hydrogen.

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