Using Alternative Fuels

When it comes to powering our automobiles, there are actually many other alternative fuel sources available rather than gasoline. Technology has come a long way since Henry Ford first developed ways to process oil to make gasoline so it could power his new combustion engine for cars. If you own an automobile of any type, you may want to seriously explore alternative fuel sources – and for many reason!

First, burning fossil fuels – like gasoline – damages the environment. The emissions that are released into the air by burning oil-based products – like gasoline and coal – damage the air and the ozone as well. Using an alternative fuel source to power your automobile helps to reduce harmful emissions. In fact, many alternative fuels – such as fuel cells and electricity – release no emissions at all. So when you use alternative fuel sources for your automobile, you are helping the environment in a big way.

Eighty-five percent of all harmful carbon dioxide that is released into the air comes from the burning of gasoline from car engines. The carbon dioxide that is released into the air damages the ozone and contributes significantly to global warming. When we can reduce that carbon dioxide emission by using alternative fuel sources for our automobiles, we can make a huge difference in the world – not just in our own little part of it!

It’s a truth that we are dependent on foreign oil that we use to produce gasoline. Although the United States does have a certain amount of oil that we can use, the fact is that we can’t produce enough to meet the needs of the people. As alternative fuel sources are being discovered and developed, it’s being proven that using these types of fuels in our automobiles make us a self-sufficient nation.

Gas prices are high – there’s no doubt about that! One of the reasons is that we need to burn fossil fuels to power our automobiles as they are built right now – at least most of them! But when we start to use alternative fuel sources for our automobiles, we are drawing on resources that are right here in the United States. And those resources are renewable – like propane, ethanol, and even electricity!

The fact is that using alternative fuel sources to power automobiles is a good choice all-around. Not only are we reducing our dependence on foreign oil, but we are helping the environment as well. Something as serious as helping improve the world we live in should be taken seriously. So explore alternative fuel sources for your own automobile. We’re willing to bet that you’ll find out it’s a good choice no matter which way you look at it!

When talking about alternative fuel technology, it doesn’t often occur to people that they might actually be able to make homemade hydrogen fuel cells as part of their choice to switch to an alternative fuel. Hydrogen fuel-cell cars eventually will eliminate U.S. dependence on foreign oil. With a fuel cell, hydrogen produces electricity to propel vehicles. No gasoline, no emissions.

But automakers say it could be 10 years or more before they can produce hydrogen-powered vehicles for the masses. A company called United Nuclear says it can speed the process. It sent an e-mail stating that it will produce hydrogen conversion kits for “individual owners to adapt their gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles to burn hydrogen.”

So are they living a pipe dream by promoting a kit that can help you make homemade hydrogen fuel cells? That’s hard to say. However, what we can say is that it has taken years and years for experts to perfect the process of producing hydrogen fuel cells, so making a homemade product probably isn’t going to be as good as a professionally produced version. However, as disturbing as it might be, it certainly is possible.

The purpose of this article isn’t meant to teach you how to make a homemade hydrogen fuel cell. That would take much more space than what we have available. The thing is that while you might be able to manufacture your own fuel cell, finding hydrogen to power it could be a real problem. After all, the everyday Joe probably can’t extract hydrogen from water by him (or her) self. And right now, there aren’t an abundance of hydrogen filling stations around.

The funny part about homemade hydrogen fuel cell kits such as those trying to be marketed by United Nuclear is that they really aren’t available yet. They are being advertised as being available, but the CEO of the company says that there really are no kits available for sale as yet.

If you want to convert your vehicle to run on hydrogen fuel cells, you really should depend on a licensed mechanic rather than trying to make a homemade unit. It is definitely a great move to switch to a hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicle. After all, it has zero chemical emissions giving out only water vapor which is environmentally friendly. But trying to make a homemade hydrogen fuel cell should really be best left up to the experts.

However, if you want to try, our only advice is to do so only after doing extensive research. Know what you are doing when making a homemade hydrogen fuel cell and then proceed with caution. If you get hung up, leave it to the experts.

The alternative fuel lobby will say that using hydrogen fuel cells to power your vehicle is definitely the way to go, but what about the disadvantages? They give us all the information about the advantages to switching to hydrogen fuel cells, but they gloss over the disadvantages. The truth is that while hydrogen fuel cells are highly advantageous, but they also have some significant disadvantages.

People who have studied hydrogen fuel cells say that there are three main disadvantages to using hydrogen as a fuel source.

1. The low density. A hydrogen fuel tank will have three times the size of a gasoline tank. Also it must be insulated, and this will add to its bulk. This seems entirely bearable.

2. Safety problems. Liquid hydrogen is cold enough to freeze air, and accidents have occurred from pressure build-up following plugged valves. Some say these problems can’t be overcome, but many side with those who think they can be overcome.

In a collision the hydrogen tank may rupture, as can a gasoline tank. Limited accident experience suggests that the danger is somewhat less with hydrogen than with gasoline, because the hydrogen dissipates rapidly. The release of hydrogen into a confined space like a garage risks an explosion.

3. Since the insulation can’t be perfect, the hydrogen will gradually evaporate, typically 1.7 percent per day. This is too fast for a car to sit for months between uses. A tank of compressed hydrogen holding enough to get to a hydrogen station would solve this.

If the engine is flexible enough to burn gasoline as well as hydrogen, a half gallon gasoline tank would suffice. Some automobile companies like BMW, have experimented with vehicles powered by liquid hydrogen. However, hydrogen cannot come into common use until the political obstacles to nuclear expansion are overcome or the technological obstacles to large scale solar energy are overcome.

It is unlikely to be used as long as gasoline remains so cheap – in other words as long as oil remains cheap and fear of global warming does not prevent its use. Hydrogen enthusiasts will just have to wait if this persists.

There’s really no doubt that using hydrogen fuel cells as an alternative fuel can be very advantageous both for the environment as well as for America in general by reducing our dependence on foreign oil. But there still are significant disadvantages that must be overcome before we can realize the real benefits of using hydrogen fuel cells as our main source of energy to power our vehicles.