[Gasification] Hydrogen

[MMBTUPR at aol.com]

          to    Gasification List                    from   Lewis L Smith

I did not mean to imply that hydrogen is always a renewable source of energy 
or that it is always obtained from renewable source. Of course, it isn't. 
Sorry for the careless language. My intention was to request that people not write 
off hydrogen obtained from renewable sources. 

To be sure, hydrogen is seldom found " flying around loose " on its own on 
our planet, so it almost always it has to be separated from some associated 
material. So in this sense, H2 is not original " source " of energy, but one of 
several " transport mechanisms " [" carriers "]. In an analogous fashion, we 
could argue that in the chain between the oil well and a reading lamp, the only " 
source " is the crude oil in the reservoir and everything else is a " carrier 
" !   [This is not very helpful to me, but if it is helpful to any of the 
List participants, be my guest.]

However, once the H2 is separated, it has the potential to bond with oxygen 
in the type of fast exothermic reaction which we call combustion and may be 
considered a source of energy in its own right. If the H2 was obtained by " 
stripping " hydrogen atoms from aromatic molecules in a refinery platformer, it is 
in effect a fossil source of energy. If it was obtained by wind-powered 
electrolysis, it is in effect a renewable source.

Harmon Seaver's way of thinking about " sources " of energy and " transport 
mechanisms " once caused some people to argue that most energy was solar, 
because of the chains of consequence leading from the sun to hydro power, 
petroleum, wind et cetera. But this turned out to be rather confusing to the general 
public and was dropped. So today wind is considered a separate form of energy 
from solar thermal and so on, even though they and other " sources " ultimately 
depend on solar radiation.

It is simpler and more comprehensible to say that if I have a tank of butane, 
hyrdogen or propane, I have a source of energy, wherever the material in the 
tank came from and leave " energy genealogy " to private conversations among 
technical experts. 

What people should understand very clearly is whether or not the " original " 
source of this energy is fossil or renewable.

Cordially. End of message.