Some car companies are betting that 2015 will be the year that Hydrogen fuel becomes a viable option for powering our vehicles, and the DNews team has been taking a look at the various implications of this.
Trace explained what hydrogen fuel is and how it’s made earlier this week, and in this episode, he explains the dangers of hydrogen fuel cells exploding (or lack thereof).
Hydrogen is abundant, easily produced and burns cleanly. So what’s the problem? People have some bad associations hydrogen gas (they tend to think of the Hindenburg, which was filled with hydrogen gas when it turned into a spectacular ball of fire back in 1937), or the H-bomb, or even the Sun.
Although Hydrogen gas is an extremely explosive substance, scientists have learned a lot about handling it safely: Hydrogen fuel has been used industrially for years and has been a huge component of sending rockets into space.
Hydrogen fuel cells store the gas under so much pressure that it turns into a liquid -- 10,000 PSI (by comparison, the average tire pressure is only 40 PSI). If a cell were punctured in a crash, the liquid hydrogen would most likely dissipate instead of combust, making the chances of an explosion seriously small.
Do you have any concerns about hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road? Do you already drive one? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
