How to Use Hydrogen as a Fuel Hydrogen is a clean alternative fuel because it makes no air pollution. What comes out as exhaust is water vapor and nothing else. The water is continually recycled, so it is an inexhaustible source of Hydrogen.

Hydrogen can be burned directly, the same as gasoline.

Hydrogen can also be used in a fuel cell to make electricity.

A Hydrogen Fuel Cell uses a PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANE (PEM) to create electricity. A PEM is permeable to protons, but NOT electrons. The electrons need to flow AROUND the membrane, making an electrical circuit. The Protons (H+) flow THROUGH the membrane, drawn by the attraction of H+ for Oxygen.

1) Hydrogen gas flows over the anode. 2) Electrons are stripped from the hydrogen and flow through the anode to the external circuit. 3) Hydrogen ions move through the PEM to cathode. Oxygen is present on the other side of the cathode. 4) Hydrogen ions, electrons, and oxygen combine to form water vapor.

Hydrogen is not MADE, it is REMOVED from other molecules. Methane (natural Gas) has 4 hydrogen atoms in each molecule. In a process called STEAM METHANE REFORMING, methane is stripped of its hydrogen using high temperature steam. This process is expensive, uses a fossil fuel to make hydrogen, and releases carbon dioxide as a product.

In ELECTROLYSIS, electricity is used to pull water molecules apart into Hydrogen and Oxygen. Electrolysis does not release any pollutants, but uses a large amount of electricity to do the work. If a clean source of power could be used for electrolysis, Hydrogen could be used to power everything, from cars to houses.