The term “hydrogen economy” is the title of a recent book [Rifkin, 2002], but the concept of using hydrogen as fuel for transportation systems has been advocated by environmentalists and others for at least three decades. There is no universally accepted definition of the “hydrogen economy,” but it is generally viewed as the replacement of the vast majority of petroleum fuels used by transportation vehicles of all kinds (automobiles, trucks, trains, and aircraft) with hydrogen that is burned in internal-combustion engines, external-combustion (jet) engines, or preferably, used in fuel cells to more efficiently generate power for transportation.
Why should it take more than a quarter of a century to achieve the hydrogen economy? One can postulate many reasons – such as the difficulty of the technologies involved, the high costs involved, and competition for public funds with other worthy programs. Before hydrogen can achieve its promise, all stakeholders must work together to overcome an array of technical, economic, and institutional challenges. This article attempts to clarify and put in perspective these challenges.
Editor’s Note: a bit technical at points, but still readable by the layperson…
Author: Robert E. Uhrig
Source: Tau Beta Pi
Subjects: IT / Technology / E-Business, Trends / Analysis
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