{"id":6442,"date":"2022-08-05T06:50:06","date_gmt":"2022-08-05T06:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.normagroup.com\/wasserstoff-der-wunderstoff-fuer-nachhaltige-mobilitaet\/"},"modified":"2022-08-11T05:18:06","modified_gmt":"2022-08-11T05:18:06","slug":"hydrogen-a-panacea-to-realize-sustainable-mobility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.normagroup.com\/en\/hydrogen-a-panacea-to-realize-sustainable-mobility\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogen \u2013 a panacea to realize sustainable mobility?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In the context of the energy transition, hydrogen is all the rage. Can this energy source turn the dream of clean, environmentally-friendly, readily-available fuel into reality? Two NORMA Group experts discuss the opportunities for the use of hydrogen to power fuel cells.<\/em><\/p>

\u201cWe depend on hydrogen to live: The sun shines because it converts hundreds of millions of tons of hydrogen into helium every second. And water is created by bonding two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen atom\u201d, says Jean-Fran\u00e7ois-Surl\u00e8ve, Global Product Manager Fuel Systems at NORMA Group. \u201cLight and water are the two basic necessities that make our planet habitable.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Inside the sun, hydrogen atoms are combined through nuclear fusion. Part of the mass is converted into heat and light energy.<\/em><\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Fuel cell in the vehicle<\/strong><\/p>

\u201cHydrogen-powered vehicles are a subspecies of electric vehicles\u201d, explains Dr. Daniel Koch, Senior Strategy and Innovation Manager at NORMA Group. Unlike the battery electric vehicle (BEV), the fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is powered by hydrogen. A fuel cell mixes the bonded hydrogen with oxygen and converts the resulting energy into electricity. Anyone who remembers the oxyhydrogen test in chemistry class knows that Hydrogen is explosive when it is combined with oxygen. In 1937, the zeppelin \u201cHindenburg\u201d burned as it was landing in the city of Lakehurst, New Jersey<\/a>, because the hydrogen in the airship had ignited. But the hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell never come into direct contact: They are separated by a material that acts as an electrolyte. Because of this structure, the energy is not released explosively, but in a controlled manner in the form of electric current. When hydrogen and oxygen are combined, only water is produced, and not climate-damaging exhaust gases.<\/p>

What is hydrogen?<\/strong><\/p>

Hydrogen is the lightest of all elements, its mass is much less than that of air. In the periodic table, it has the symbol H. In its gaseous state, hydrogen is transparent and colorless, it has no odor, dissipates quickly and burns without leaving any residue. Hydrogen is becoming increasingly popular and has been credited with solving many of our problems, from urban air pollution to climate change and energy security.<\/p>

It is actually misleading that hydrogen is often counted as part of the \u201cnew energy\u201d sector; after all, it has been produced and used commercially since the 19th century. The basis for the process is water electrolysis: In this process, water (H2<\/sub>O) is divided into the two elements hydrogen and oxygen with the help of electrical energy. The hydrogen then serves as an energy source and can be converted back into electricity as needed. It promises to be the perfect source of energy: an unlimited resource and clean.<\/p>

Gray, blue, green<\/strong><\/p>

Is the operation of fuel cell electric vehicles sustainable? \u201cThat depends, among other things, on where the hydrogen comes from, because production can be extremely energy-intensive,\u201d explains Dr. Daniel Koch. A distinction is made between different types, depending on how they are produced:<\/p>