New possible source of Green energy:

[sayak83]

I heard we're totally infected with it.

Yes. I also heard that it is an extremely addictive substance. I heard of many many people who cannot live without consuming it day in and day out!!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Yes, it can be safely drained onto the street. It is just water after all. It will end back in the oceans and become part of the water cycle again.

The volume of water. Like how much water is consumed overall compared to how is created?

 

[Subduction Zone]

The volume of water. Like how much water is consumed overall compared to how is created?

It is going to net out to just as much created as destroyed. The hydrogen is only the "carrier" of energy. It does not destroy any. Aside from the manufacturing of the parts and what happens to them after they eventually wear out and fail it is very very green. I am sure that there is some pollution in the process. In the making of, perhaps the hydrogen generating plants disrupt some local life, but it is far far greener than the energy from the petrochemical industry.

 

[crossfire]

Sunlight, under the right conditions, can be use to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Unfortunately that has been a rather inefficient process so far making it uneconomical. Now a new technology may solve that problem:

Science | AAAS

This new process can currently almost work at the 10% efficiency commonly set as a benchmark to make the process economically viable. There are a few minor problems. One is that it produces a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. The Hindenburg incident was not a mixture. It was a much safer concentration of almost pure hydrogen. This video has a two to one mixture of hydrogen and oxygen: Jump forward to 4:20 to see just that reaction:

So a small problem, but they think that can be worked out too.

I remember an article from Discover magazine from the spring of 1981 or 1982 that featured the invention of an artificial chloroplast that used sunlight to split water molecules into hydrogen and atomic oxygen (not O2.) I don't know how safe atomic oxygen is, and I don't know why no one funded this invention. It would be perfect for sunny and hot locations--the hydrogen can be used as fuel for a generator, with the added bonus of free air conditioning as hydrogen implodes and creates cold (instead of exploding and creating heat) when it combusts. No need to worry about carbon monoxide.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I remember an article from Discover magazine from the spring of 1981 or 1982 that featured the invention of an artificial chloroplast that used sunlight to split water molecules into hydrogen and atomic oxygen (not O2.) I don't know how safe atomic oxygen is, and I don't know why no one funded this invention. It would be perfect for sunny and hot locations--the hydrogen can be used as fuel for a generator, with the added bonus of free air conditioning as hydrogen implodes and creates cold (instead of exploding and creating heat) when it combusts. No need to worry about carbon monoxide.

Technically this probably makes atomic oxygen also. But atomic oxygen is extremely reactive. It will grab onto the first thing that it hits. and since this would occur around the anode the first thing that it would likely run into would be another atom of oxygen forming O2. And your article may have gotten some facts wrong. atomic oxygen on its own just will not build up. It is going to hit something and it will react.

As to ICU's yes, hydrogen can be burned in them but you might want to look up the concept of hydrogen embrittlement. That is why cars that are powered by hydrogen tend to be powered by fuel cells. Pretty much the reverse of what is going on with this. It is almost like a battery, but the material that reacts is continually renewed.