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Are hydrogen trains the way forward?
Former Community Member
Last year a hydrogen-powered train travelled on Britain’s rail network with the aim to start carrying passengers by the end of 2021. What are your thoughts on hydrogen technology, key considerations, or risks? Comment below to share your thoughts!
Ammonia is not a good choice as a fuel - the molar heat of combustion is about 1/3 of methane, and it is hard to light in air without catalyst or a pilot flame of something else. It is also both poisonous and corrosive
Hydrazine N2H4 is more promising Nitrogen hydrogen compound for fuels, as it actually has a reasonably energy of combustion. The penalty is you have to put that energy in to make it in the first place.
H2O2 is a great oxidant, but really you need some kind of fuel to oxidise with it,. and unless you are in space, the oxygen is not normally the hard part.
Over along time H2O2 naturally decomposes into water and oxygen if it is not in dilute solution,and to use as the oxidant for rocket fuel you need it concentrated, so hard to store. You can make a mono-propellant for a rocket by adding a catalyst to speed the decomposition to create the oxygen and water vapour fast enough to create some thrust, but this is much weaker than using it as the oxidant with a conventional hydrocarbon fuel.
Ammonia is not a good choice as a fuel - the molar heat of combustion is about 1/3 of methane, and it is hard to light in air without catalyst or a pilot flame of something else. It is also both poisonous and corrosive
Hydrazine N2H4 is more promising Nitrogen hydrogen compound for fuels, as it actually has a reasonably energy of combustion. The penalty is you have to put that energy in to make it in the first place.
H2O2 is a great oxidant, but really you need some kind of fuel to oxidise with it,. and unless you are in space, the oxygen is not normally the hard part.
Over along time H2O2 naturally decomposes into water and oxygen if it is not in dilute solution,and to use as the oxidant for rocket fuel you need it concentrated, so hard to store. You can make a mono-propellant for a rocket by adding a catalyst to speed the decomposition to create the oxygen and water vapour fast enough to create some thrust, but this is much weaker than using it as the oxidant with a conventional hydrocarbon fuel.
