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Hydrogen Generator Types
Hydrogen generator types come in three flavors. A hydrogen generator
can be a system that creates hydrogen. Or, a hydrogen generator
may be a system that is powered by H2. In a few cases, both are
true.
Creates H2
A hydrogen generator that creates hydrogen comes in many different
varieties. First is the hydrogen
generator for cars that creates H2 through either the electrolysis
of water or reformation or extraction of another hydrogen-rich chemical.
There is an advertiser on this website that promotes a hydrogen
generator that uses the electrolysis of water to inject hydrogen
into a vehicle's intake manifold that will increase gas mileage
and decrease emissions. Many such similar devices are also available
elsewhere.
Some vehicles will use a hydrogen-rich chemical compound such as
sodium borohydride, ammonia, methanol or even gasoline to generate
the hydrogen by reformation or extraction. The resulting H2 with
then be run through a fuel cell or internal combustion engine to
power the vehicle. These hydrogen-on-demand
systems generate the H2 gas while leaving behind other chemical
compounds that will need to be sequestered and disposed of in one
manner or another (or even recycled).
Another type of hydrogen generator is a fueling station for hydrogen
cars. Not all fueling stations are generators, however. The ones
that are will either reform natural gas such as the Honda Home Energy
Station IV or use sunlight or wind-power to electrolyze water to
create hydrogen. Besides the large commercial hydrogen fueling stations,
another type of station that is being developed is the home
hydrogen fueling station. These types of hydrogen generators
such as being developed by Honda (previously mentioned), General
Motors and perhaps even General Electric are meant to sit in one's
garage and generate fuel for one's car.
Another kind of hydrogen generator is commonly used in the industrial
marketplace. Hydrogen is generated for use for the electronics industry,
petroleum refineries, metals processing, glass manufacturing and
hydrogenation of food products.
Then there are ultra high purity hydrogen generators common in
the medical and research fields. This type of hydrogen generator
usually uses distilled or deionized water to create the high purity
H2 for gas chromatography or other medical and research applications.
Powered by H2
There are a couple of types of hydrogen generators that use this
gas to create electricity. One example of a small, portable hydrogen-powered
generator would be the HydroPak that is being manufactured by Millennium
and Horizon for emergency use or for remote areas where electricity
is not readily available. A larger hydrogen-powered generator such
as those produced by the Hydra Fuel Cell Corporation use the gas
and a stationary fuel cell to create electricity for a home. A company
such as Hydrogenics manufactures large industrial hydrogen fuel
cells to provide power to businesses that want to go off-grid or
as a backup power system. Computer data centers are primary targets
for these kinds of hydrogen generators. In 2005, the Verizon call-switching
center in Garden City, New York converted over to a UTC Power fuel
cell for its primary source of electricity.
Both Creates and Is Powered by H2
There is another kind of hydrogen generator that both creates hydrogen
and uses the gas to create power. An example would be clean coal
power plants such as the proposed FutureGen plant or those being
built in California or Italy. This type of power plant will use
coal gasification to extract the hydrogen while sequestering the
CO2. The carbon dioxide is then pumped underwater or underground
such as in abandoned oil wells for permanent storage. The hydrogen
is then used to run through a large turbine to create clean electricity.
As one can see, a hydrogen generator needs to be defined by its
function as well as whether it is powered by hydrogen or creates
the gas to generate power or for another use. One thing is for certain,
though, is that hydrogen is a versatile element that can provide
clean power coming or going. And, this is ultimately what it is
all about, now isn't it?
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