Hydrogen Overview
Hydrogen Overview
Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It is an energy carrier, not an energy source, meaning that it stores and delivers energy in a usable form. In its pure form (H2), it is a colorless and odorless gas. However, since it combines easily with other elements, hydrogen is rarely found by itself in nature and is usually found as a part of other compounds, including fossil fuels, plant material, and water. Hydrogen Production
Hydrogen can be produced using a variety of domestic energy resources - fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, with carbon capture and sequestration; renewables, such as biomass, and renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower; and nuclear power. Specific technologies and processes are described below. Thermochemical Processes
* Steam methane reforming: In this process, high-temperature steam is used to extract hydrogen from a methane source such as natural gas. This is the most common method of producing hydrogen; about 95 percent of the hydrogen we use today in the United States is produced using this process.
* Partial oxidation: Scientists are exploring a process that produces hydrogen by simultaneously separating oxygen from air and partially oxidizing methane.
* Other thermal processes: Other processes include (1) splitting water using heat from a solar concentrator, and (2) gasifying or burning biomass (i.e., biological material, such as plants or agricultural waste) to generate a bio-oil or gas, which is then reformed to produce hydrogen.
Electrolytic Processes
* Electrolysis: In electrolysis, electricity is used to separate water (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen. Current electrolysis systems are very energy intensive. The challenge is to develop low cost and more energy efficient electrolysis technologies.
Photolytic Processes
* Photolytic methods: In photolysis, sunlight is used to split water. Two photolytic processes are being explored: (1) photobiological methods, in which microbes, when exposed to sunlight, split water to produce hydrogen, and (2) photoelectrolysis, in which semi-conductors, when exposed to sunlight and submersed in water, generate enough electricity to produce hydrogen by splitting the water.
Success in Hamilton helps algae-for-biodiesel project in funding effort (Ravalli Republic)
Laws have been passed that require oil companies to sell a certain amount of biofuel each year, beginning on October 1. In the first year biofuels will have to make up 0.5 per cent of an oil company's sales, rising by 0.5 per cent increments to reach 2.5 per cent in 2012.'Read more
Biofuel push may backfire says official (The New Zealand Herald)
The rising cost of corn has caused the biofuel industry to look elsewhere for alternative energy sources.'Read more
Could Stinkweed Be The Next Biofuel? (KCTV 5 Kansas City)
ALBANY, N.Y. -- An Albany-based biodiesel company hopes cultivating stinkweed brings the sweet smell of success. Innovation Fuels has convinced a handful of upstate farmers to plant field pennycress -- also known as stinkweed -- under a pilot program being launched later this month.'Read more
Does Stinkweed Have Biofuel Potential? (Fox 12 Oregon)
An Albany-based biodiesel company hopes cultivating stinkweed brings the sweet smell of success. 'Read more
Biofuel researchers look for the good in stinkweed (Capital News 9)
The request caught dairy farmer Brian Ziehm off guard: Would he devote an acre of his fields near the Vermont line this fall to grow stinkweed?'Read more
Weed Power? Plant may hold promise as biofuel, plus it's never grown as a food source (Winston-Salem Journal)
CINCINNATI----There’s a new player fueling the alternative energy market and it’s picking up speed as fossil fuels continue to fall short. Camelina, an oilseed crop in the same family as mustard, is currently being grown throughout the United States and Canada and crushed to produce biodiesel by Great Plains – The Camelina Company.'Read more
Great Plains - The Camelina Company Makes Camelina Biodiesel a Reality (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
ALBANY - The request caught dairy farmer Brian Ziehm off guard: Would he devote an acre of his fields near the Vermont border this fall to grow stinkweed?'Read more
Biofuel researchers look for the good in stinkweed (The Journal News)
There's a new player fueling the alternative energy market and it's picking up speed as fossil fuels continue to fall short.'Read more
Great Plains - The Camelina Company Makes Camelina Biodiesel a Reality (CattleNetwork.com)
The request caught dairy farmer Brian Ziehm off guard: Would he devote an acre of his fields near the Vermont line this fall to grow stinkweed? "It was like, 'What the heck? I've been trying to get rid of these things for 30 years. Now you want me to plant... 'Read more