MODERN TECHNOLOGIES OF HYDROGEN GENERATION AND ACCUMULATION. ANALYTIC OVERVIEW OF THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Abstract

The article discusses the competitiveness of alternative fuels and technologies in the rapidly growing segment of passenger vehicles and aviation, which globally consumes more than 70% of the fuel spent on passenger transportation and about 45% in total on transport. The emergence of new technologies in personal vehicles (electric vehicles, hydrogen cars with fuel cell, biofuels, natural gas, etc.) makes us look at the prospects for the development of this segment in a new way. On the basis of this approach, an assessment of the methods of hydrogen production was carried out. Hydrogen production by steam conversion of methane, water electrolysis and biochemical production methods were compared in this article.              Hydrogen is not a source of energy, but it is a mean  of converting other energy sources into chemical energy in the form of accumulative pure hydrogen, which can be used subsequently during its oxigenation. In fact, a tank or other hydrogen storage device is technically similar to a battery or gas tank, and therefore it is necessary to compare not only the efficiency, but also other parameters. Hydrogen needs to be produced and converted to produce final energy, and both require energy.              The advantages of hydrogen as a universal energy carrier are determined by environmental purity, flexibility and efficiency of energy conversion processes with its participation. Technologies of large-scale hydrogen production are quite well mastered and have an almost unlimited raw material base.              The importance of hydrogen production technologies is determined by the high calority of hydrogen combustion and the possibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, since ordinary water is the combustion product.              The article provides a comparative analysis of methods of hydrogen storage in liquid and gaseous states, carbon structures and hydride of metals