In a flame of pure hydrogen gas, burning in air, the hydrogen (H2) reacts with oxygen (O2) to form water (H2O) and heat. It does not produce other chemical by-products, except for a small amount of nitrogen oxides.
Hence a key feature of hydrogen as a fuel is that it is relatively non-polluting (since water is not a pollutant). Pure hydrogen does not occur naturally; it takes energy to manufacture it.
The heat in a hydrogen flame is very radiant. When burning in air, the temperature is roughly 2000°C. Hydrogen fuel can provide motive power for cars, boats and aeroplanes, portable fuel cell applications or stationary fuel cell applications, which can power an electric motor.
Production of hydrogen
Steam reforming – it's currently the leading technology for producing hydrogen in large quantities, which of methane or natural gas to produce hydrogen .
From water
Electrolysis and thermolysis
Hydrogen is produced on an industrial scale by the electrolysis of water. While this can be done with a few volts in a simple apparatus like a Hoffmann voltameter,[11] larger scale production usually relies on high-pressure and high-temperature systems to improve the energy efficiency of electrolysis. Experimental processes include electrolysis at very high temperatures (800 C), so that much of the energy required to release hydrogen is supplied as heat instead of electricity. Various catalytic agents are being studied to improve the efficiency of high-temperature electrolysis.
Water spontaneously dissociates at around 2500 C, but this thermolysis occurs at temperatures too high for usual process piping and equipment. Catalysts are required to reduce the dissociation temperature.
From urine
Hydrogen can also be made from urine. Using urine, hydrogen production is 332% more energy efficient than using water.
Fermentation
It's the use raw material like livestock waste which are in turn broken down by natural occurring bacteria and enzymes to produce hydrogen.
