Huge hydrogen stores found below Earth's crust (1 Viewer)

[Max Leung]

Discovery suggests near limitless supply of clean fuel.
Too bad extracting the fuel from the rock would likely be impractical. But supposedly there are hydrogen reservoirs kicking around.
Would this stuff work in fuel cells?

 

[Jack Briggs]

"Huge hydrogen stores found below Earth's crust..."

How much does the hydrogen cost at these stores? Also, do the stores receive much foot traffic, what with them being below ground?

 

[RobertR]

Here we go again. "Near limitless"? How much of a little bit more does it need to be limitless? :rolleyes

 

[Colin Dunn]

RobertR:

Here we go again. "Near limitless"? How much of a little bit more does it need to be limitless?

More than just a little bit - infinitely more. As you've already implied: infinity is infinitely larger than ANY known finite quantity - be it zero, two, or some very big number...

 

[Jack Briggs]

Are any of these hydrogen stores found in more convenient locations, as in above-ground? Also, are they all huge? I don't mind a smaller, more convenient hydrogen marketplace. As long as I can get good prices on hydrogen, I'm happy.

 

[RobertR]

I'm afraid you might get lost if you went into a "near limitless" hydrogen store, Jack. You might wind up someplace near Jupiter, and beyond the infinite. Then we'd all be wondering what the heck happened to you (Wait a minute! What's that coming out of the hydrogen store? It looks like a foetus in a bubble!).

 

[Dennis Reno]

Why do I have the feeling that certain people will view drilling for hydrogen with the same disdain as drilling for oil? If it might possibly disturb a sleeping grasshopper someone will try to stop it

 

[MikeAlletto]

Do they have a 24 hour drive thru?

 

[Jeremy-P]

Can I sell it too? I've got too much just sitting around in molecules doing nothing.

 

[Travis Olson]

"Everyone thinks of gas and oil as the main sources, and it's very difficult to get anyone to take alternatives seriously," said Dr. David Elliott, the professor of technology policy at the Open University in London. "The possibility of vast reserves of hydrogen in the Earth's crust could change that mind set."

My sediments exactly. There have been many alternate ways to satisfy our energy needs in the past, but have either not come to light due to the powers that be or the public could not be sold to them. I think it is a shame, but who am I? You guessed it, a consumer just like everyone else. So what comes to a consumer mind when it hears they have an alternate source of energy? Bah, it I'll never work or it's too far fetched. I think the only way that we will ever get a new norm when it comes to energy is when the old norm runs out. But I am open minded to new sources if it means a cost savings, but I don't get my hopes up. I don't think I will ever live to see the day when we have something other than the current sources powering our cars and homes. Although I may live to see a massive price increase.

 

[Max Leung]

I'm willing to bet that these new hydrogen stores will have no-smoking signs plastered all over them!

At least burning hyrodgen doesn't pollute, unlike oil/gas. I think the main reason why we're still using oil and gas is because it is extremely cheap and convenient. A nuclear reactor is much more costly to maintain than a simple gas electric plant!

Burning hydrocarbons is very cost effective, and will likely be so for many decades to come.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Travis,
I laughed out loud at your first sentence. I think you meant sentiments not sediments. I was thinking "are they going to have to dredge for hydrogen???"...

 

[Bill Catherall]

There have been many alternate ways to satisfy our energy needs in the past, but have either not come to light due to the powers that be or the public could not be sold to them.

Actually, this article nails the reason...it's just too costly to produce hydrogen. Getting it from the earth's crust is too costly as well.

 

[Philip_G]

just out of curiousity, when you breathe hydrogen does it make your voice funny like helium? I assume it would because of its density, so that would make it more fun to travel to the hydrogen stores..

 

[ChrisMatson]

How about that awful Chain Reaction movie with Keanu "I am an F.B.I. agent" Reeves. When will we be able to get Hydrogen from water in safe, and economical fashion? The ocean is about 2/3 Hydrogen...

 

[Scott Dill]

hold on there buster, Hydrogen has an atomic weight of ~1 and oxygen has an atomic weight of ~16 so even if the ocean was pure water, it would only be 1/8 hydrogen by mass

 

[Max Leung]

Boy this thead has gone downhill! In a vain effort to stay on-topic, I'll say this:

Hey, this could explain how hell keeps those fires burning all the time! And with limitless stores of hydrogen, hell won't ever freeze over! Uh, unless their cash registers crash when Satan's minions visit the store to buy more bags of hydrogen, of course.

 

[ChrisMatson]

hold on there buster, Hydrogen has an atomic weight of ~1 and oxygen has an atomic weight of ~16 so even if the ocean was pure water, it would only be 1/8 hydrogen by mass

Clearly...

On a molar ratio however, there would be two moles of hydrogen for every mole of oxygen. I am ignoring all of the other elements from minerals, and living organisms that contribute to the content of sea water.

 

[Kevin P]

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe (followed closely by stupidity, haha ).
It could provide virtually limitless energy, either by "burning" it (combining w/oxygen to make water + heat), or someday through fusion (making helium, like the sun does). The trick is gathering up enough of it. Its density is so low that you need a HUGE tank to house it.
I wonder how much energy you can get from say, a pound of hydrogen (by burning it) compared to a pound of oil or gasoline.
KJP

 

[Andrew 'Ange Hamm' Hamm]

This thread can't decide if it's a scientific discussion or a pun factory.