The Importance of Safety in Achieving the Widespread Use of Hydrogen as a Fuel Page: 4 of 13
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1. Introduction
Hydrogen as a portable fuel is the inevitable replacement for fossil based fuels. A more
general introduction of hydrogen fuel should begin soon for three reasons: First, it is
necessary to alleviate the continuing insult to the environment caused by present use of
fossil fuels. Second, fossil fuels will eventually be exhausted. There is general
agreement on this point, but not on the time that the supply will be exhausted.
However, fuel supply problems become difficult to accommodate long before the time
when fossil fuels are exhausted. The time of peak production capability occurs much
earlier than total exhaustion of the source. When the production capacity begins to
decrease, then the inequity of distribution of the decreasing supply and competition for
what is left become disruptive to society in several ways. Third, the longer the time
available for a change-over to a new fuel, the less disruptive and less expensive will be
the transition.
2. Barriers to the Large-scale Introduction of Hydrogen Fuel
In the past there have been two major barriers to the large-scale introduction of
hydrogen fuel. The first barrier is that of economics. Hydrogen does not naturally
occur in its free form to any significant degree. Currently, most hydrogen production
is from fossil fuel, which is not a long-term solution to the energy problem. To offer a
long-term solution the hydrogen must be produced in a different manner, which is
usually at the expense of more energy being used in its production than will be
generated in its combustion. To date most of the work on hydrogen fuel is being
expended on finding more economical ways to produce hydrogen, and this effort
continues to be useful and necessary.
The second barrier is that of safety. There is a wide-spread distrust of the
safety of hydrogen as a fuel. Probably most of the people at this meeting have personal
experiences of the existence of this distrust. I have experienced this distrust of
hydrogen on numerous occasions, and the literature continues to mention this
distrust."2
As with any fuel, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the safety
of a new and different fuel. However, by its very nature, any fuel can cause accidents,
and a strong case can be made that hydrogen is no more dangerous than any other
commonly used fuel. Much of the fear is an over-reaction to past accidents with the
consequence that the perceived fear is greater than can be justified and is therefore
somewhat irrational. In spite of that fact, the barrier still exists and the successful
introduction of the wide-spread use of hydrogen fuel will require education of the
general public, a task that can only be effective if the safe handling and use of
hydrogen as a fuel are convincingly demonstrated.
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Edeskuty, Frederick J. The Importance of Safety in Achieving the Widespread Use of Hydrogen as a Fuel, article, September 1, 1997; New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc693286/m1/4/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.