4. Conclusion
There is a tremendous amount of research being pursued in
the development of hydrogen generation systems. Currently, the
most developed and most used technology is the reforming of
hydrocarbon fuels. In order to decrease the dependence on fossil
fuels, significant development in other hydrogen generation
technologies from renewable resources such as biomass and
water is being done. Table 6 summarizes the technologies, along
with their feedstocks and efficiencies. How the efficiency is
calculated depends on the technology. The most mature
technologies are reforming and gasification. Electrolysis coupled
with renewable energy is near term low emission technology.
Longer term technologies include biohydrogen, thermochemical
water splitting, and photoelectrolysis. While significant progress
has been made in development of these alternative hydrogen
production systems, more technical progress and cost reduction
needs to occur for them to compete with traditional large scale
reforming technologies at this time. However, for smaller scale
hydrogen production at distributed facilities the technologies,
particularly electrolysis, may be cost competitive. In addition, it
is important to note that hydrogen can be produced from a
wide variety of feed stocks available almost anywhere. There are
many processes under development which will have a minimal
environmental impact. Development of these technologies may
decrease the world’s dependence on fuels that come primarily
from unstable regions. An often over-looked impact is that by
producing and using hydrogen internal to one’s country keeps
money and jobs from being exported. The ‘‘in house’’ hydrogen
production may increase both national energy and economic
security. The ability of hydrogen to be produced from a wide
variety of feedstocks and using a wide variety of processes makes
it so that every region of the world may be able to produce much
of their own energy. It is clear that as the technologies develop
and mature, hydrogen may prove to be the most ubiquitous fuel
4. Conclusion
There is a tremendous amount of research being pursued in
the development of hydrogen generation systems. Currently, the
most developed and most used technology is the reforming of
hydrocarbon fuels. In order to decrease the dependence on fossil
fuels, significant development in other hydrogen generation
technologies from renewable resources such as biomass and
water is being done. Table 6 summarizes the technologies, along
with their feedstocks and efficiencies. How the efficiency is
calculated depends on the technology. The most mature
technologies are reforming and gasification. Electrolysis coupled
with renewable energy is near term low emission technology.
Longer term technologies include biohydrogen, thermochemical
water splitting, and photoelectrolysis. While significant progress
has been made in development of these alternative hydrogen
production systems, more technical progress and cost reduction
needs to occur for them to compete with traditional large scale
reforming technologies at this time. However, for smaller scale
hydrogen production at distributed facilities the technologies,
particularly electrolysis, may be cost competitive. In addition, it
is important to note that hydrogen can be produced from a
wide variety of feed stocks available almost anywhere. There are
many processes under development which will have a minimal
environmental impact. Development of these technologies may
decrease the world’s dependence on fuels that come primarily
from unstable regions. An often over-looked impact is that by
producing and using hydrogen internal to one’s country keeps
money and jobs from being exported. The ‘‘in house’’ hydrogen
production may increase both national energy and economic
security. The ability of hydrogen to be produced from a wide
variety of feedstocks and using a wide variety of processes makes
it so that every region of the world may be able to produce much
of their own energy. It is clear that as the technologies develop
and mature, hydrogen may prove to be the most ubiquitous fuel
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