Since the beginning of the scientific revolution in the early nineties the mankind looks for an energy source that is clean and renewable; solution of this problem would be probably the most common thing in our life - WATER.

Water consists of two chemical elements, hydrogen and oxygen. Each molecule of water consists of two hydrogen (H2) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. Chemical binding between these three atoms is very stable and strong. Therefore, the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen is under normal circumstances very intense and generates a lot of energy.

Both, hydrogen and oxygen are gases at normal temperatures and pressures and the product of this reaction is pure water, usually in its gaseous form - steam.

Now it may look like hydrogen is the ideal power source that mankind is ever since looking for. More than 70 % of the Earth surface is covered by water, therefore hydrogen is renewable and unlimited. Reaction of hydrogen with oxygen generates a lot of energy and it does not have any negative output, only water. But, the respectable power hidden in water is known for more than 200 hundred years and as long scientists are trying to find a way to e

There sure is a lot of misinformation about hydrogen gone to public, so here are the basic facts about hydrogen as a power source according to the Nuts & Volts Magazine (May 1999, WWW).

Hydrogen creates severe and largely unresolved safety issues. This is one of the main problems of hydrogen as a power source, it forms a high explosive mixture with air and has to be handled with extreme care, special and expensive materials should to be used to avoid potential explosion.

Hydrogen improperly burned in air creates polluting nitrogen oxides. University of Stanford (May 2000, WWW) argues that although some nitrogen compounds may also be produced and may have to be controlled the main problem of global warming – carbon dioxide is not produced in any quantity.

Whereas world petroleum reserves could not last forever it is very important to research other possible non-petroleum based fuels that are better for the nature and at least as good as gasoline to us. U.S. senator Harry Reid office (2000, WWW) Germany, Japan, Belgium, United States and Saudi Arabia are further researching and expanding the possibilities of hydrogen as a fuel that can replace gasoline one time. Relying on the Middle East petroleum resources weakens national strength of all the countries that do not have any important petroleum resources and every country could be self-sufficient with hydrogen. For example U. S. trade balance sheets show that oil imports drain 1 billion dollars from the U. S. economy every week. Important is also the “clean transport effect”, thanks to an engine that does not produces any carbon dioxide or other environmentally dangerous emissions. Hydrogen could be considered to be more safe than gasoline, if safety prescriptions are not violated, in case of an accident hydrogen would quickly evaporate and ascend in the atmosphere, while gasoline would stay spilled on the ground. Hydrogen caries much more energy than gasoline, is more engine saving and also the fuel cell technology promises further development and increasing reliability of hydrogen powered cars. Following United States Department of Energy we can expect regular hydrogen-powered traffic in 20 maybe 30 years (2000, WWW). Although, until now no hydrogen-powered cars are in production and hydrogen-powered engine is only under development hydrogen stays the main alternative fuel of the future.

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