Beyond The Hydrogen Highway

Beyond the so-called hydrogen highway is the hydrogen waterway and the hydrogen skyway as well. The hydrogen waterway is currently underway since hydrogen-powered submarines have been in service by the U. S. Navy since 1977. On April 7, 2003 the Germany's biggest shipbuilder, Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft, rolled out their first hydrogen fuel cell submarine.

Hydrogen Waterway

In the future, the hydrogen waterway will consist of all sorts of watercraft being powered by hydrogen energy. The most likely source for the hydrogen watercraft's energy will be hydrogen fuel cells. Naval ships, commercial freight liners, fishing boats, cruise liners and any other kind of boat, ship or watercraft imaginable, will one day be powered by hydrogen - and why not, the ocean's full of it?

Imagine one day going to a lake and taking out a houseboat and a couple of Jet Ski's for a long overdue vacation. Both the houseboat and Jet Ski's will be powered by hydrogen. Trolling for bass, trout or pike? The boat and trolling motor will be powered by hydrogen. Taking a short cruise to Catalina or Staten Island? Yep, you guessed it, the boat will be powered by hydrogen.

Hydrogen Skyway

Not let's take a look skyward for a moment. What do you see? If it's daytime, you'll most likely see the sun. The sun is the largest hydrogen-powered object in our solar system of which all life depends. One day the skies will be filled with commercial jetliners powered by hydrogen. Light aircraft and Air Force fighter jets will also be powered by the most abundance element in the universe. Many aircraft may also have a solar / hydrogen power combination that will keep the craft afloat using the sun's own natural hydrogen-powered energy.

Since 1945 NASA has used liquid hydrogen as its fuel of choice to launch numerous rockets and even the space shuttles skyward.

Hydrogen is super-cooled to -253°C, compressed and stored for use in the propulsion system either inside or outside the craft or both. The second stage (S-IVB) of the Apollo 7 moon flight was a liquid hydrogen propulsion system.

Even beyond the hydrogen highway and skyway is the interstellar implications of hydrogen in space. Hydrogen fills extremely dynamic and volatile clouds in deep space. Hydrogen clouds, tens to hundreds of light years across stretch across the Milky Way.

One day in the not so distant future, when the hydrogen economy takes hold, the hydrogen highway, hydrogen waterway and hydrogen skyway will be the basic mode of travel for all of us. And you can bank on it that that's not just a lot of hot air!