Nonetheless, there are some who speculate that hydrogen is simply too dangerous to ever be safely used for cars. Peter Voyentzie of Danbury, Connecticut’s Energy Research Corporation, which makes large stationary fuel cell power plants, is skeptical about automotive applications. “Hydrogen is a strange beast,” he says. “It’s the smallest molecule, and it leaks out of everything. You also can’t see it burn. In a car, it has to remain stable through collisions and constant agitation.
That’s a lot to expect.” But hydrogen may still be safer than gasoline. When spilled, it simply escapes upward instead of puddling and presenting an ignition hazard. It’s odorless, its flame is invisible, and it emits very little radiant heat. People standing next to a hydrogen fire might not even be aware it’s there. Even in diluted form, hydrogen will burn easily, but unless you’re in physical contact with the fire, it won’t hurt you. Remember, too, that fuel cell cars don’t burn the fuel, though a spark generated in a crash could set it off.
The safety of hydrogen storage tanks for cars is also a concern, with regard to auto accidents. Hydrogen’s safety problems shouldn’t be minimized, but they shouldn’t disqualify the fuel from consideration. Like gasoline, hydrogen can be dangerous. And, also like gasoline, we can learn to use it as safely as possible. (Rifkin)
H2 is being explored for use in both combustion engines and fuel-cell electric vehicles. It is a gas at normal temperatures and pressures, making it more difficult to address transportation and storage issues when compared to liquid fuels. Storage systems being developed include compressed hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, and chemical bonding between hydrogen and a storage material (for example, metal hydrides). Hythane, a combination of 15 percent hydrogen and 85 percent natural gas, is being tested in........
