Hydrogen as a source of energy
Many scientists call hydrogen the fuel of the future. It is the lightest of all gases and contains two times as many thermal calories as the same amount of gasoline. It is an excellent, ecologically clean fuel. But unlike the conventional fuels — firewood, coal, oil and natural gas — it is practically non-existent in its pure forms oil Earth.
Scientists have developed a highly-effective technological,method of obtaining hydrogen from gas. Before gas reaches the burners in the boilers of power'stations, valuable components such as acetylene, carbon black, graphit and hydrogen are extracted from it.
Hydrogen can also be obtained from water. For this water has to be split.
Hydrogen can very effectively be used as a fuel by power stations. It is widely used in the petrochemical and metallurgical industries. Extensive tests have been made with motor vehicles using hydrogen as fuel. The engines worked perfectly, more efficiently than on petrol, and they did not heat up as much. Drivers in the Arctic were very enthusiastic, because liquid hydrogen is not affected by harsh frost, and so engines start easily. Hydrogen also seems very promising as a fuel in aviation. All the engines furnaces, heating systems, as well as a mass of other devices, now operating on oil, oil products, natural gas or coal can be adapted to hydrogen fuel.
Hydrogen as a source of energy is becoming increasingly important. It offers advantages not only in terms of ecological cleanliness and high-heating power, but also in terms of ease of transportation. Even if hydrogen were the only component extracted from natural gas, it would still be economically worthwhile to process gas. The advantages are two fold — economic and environmental.
Experts say that in the 21st century hydrogen will be obtained by thermochcmical decomposition of water.
At present, here there are such problems as how to obtain cheap, commercially profitable hydrogen from water, or how to store hydrogen in a frozen, i. e. liquid state. But present-day technology, and even more so, the technology of the future, ar capable of coping with these problems. 1
Sources of power. Engineering today
Power in its perfect form - electric power - determines the pace of the technological advance of mankind.
The numerous machines, mechanisms and automatic devices functioning in industry, agriculture, transport and everyday life depend upon power production. In the twentieth century, mankind’s progress depends not only on electricity output, but also on the efficiency of application of electricity in all spheres of the national economy.
The extensive consumption of electricity and its key role in developing the productive forces is accounted for by its high efficiency and huge advantages over other types of energy. It is the cleanest, most universal and efficient. Electricity may be transmitted over long distances. It is easily distributed among numerous consumers, or on the contrary, can be concentrated into gigantic capacities. Electricity has a revolutionizing effect on machinery and technology in all spheres of economy. This accounts for the priority given to the accelerated development of electricity all over the world.
For quite a long time man has been using wind, water and other conventional sources for producing electric power.
Beginning with the taming of the fire man has been continually looking for new sources of energy. First, there was firewood; then came coal. In the 20th century oil and natural gas began to be used on a large scale. Now man has discovered a source of heat and light millions of times more effective: one gram of nuclear fuel is equivalent to several tons of coal or gas. World reserves of nuclear fuel (including lean ores) exceed manifold the reserves of mineral fuels. Therefore we often say that our time is the beginning of the age of the atomic power. Today the application of the atomic power to generate electricity is becoming increasingly broader. It is the greatest potential capable of meeting mankind’s growing requirements in electricity. Natural fuels like coal, gas, oil are being drained rapidly. Nuclear and later thermonuclear energy will be decisive in energy supply.
That’s why the problem of using atomic power for production of electricity is of great interest, and scientists in different countries give much attention to it.
The world’s first experimental atomic power station was put into operation in 1954. Its capacity was nothing extraordinary (five thousand kilowatts), but it started a new stage in the peaceful use of atomic power.
With time going on, specialists’ experience is growing and reactors are becoming more specialized, bigger and more efficient. The atomic power plants and nuclear reactors of various types, which have been built and are being built, may differ considerably from one another. Power generated by atomic stations may be cheaper than that generated by stations burning oil or coal from the Donbass, if only we pay attention to the problem of reliability and safety as regards people and environment. Otherwise, as the Chernobyl catastrophe shows, the nuclear energy may be too expensive.
Atomic power stations are ecologically cleaner than the traditional fu '-burning stations, if technical and technological requirements are strictly observed.
The successful development of atomic power engineering is a key fa or in further raising power production.
The prospects of atomic power generation become virtually unlimiti lL with the creation of thermonuclear power stations, fast-breeder reactors and direct transit (nation of atomic power into electricity.
However, after the Chernobyl catastrophe it became necessary to re isider and reduce the programmes of the development of atomic power engineering in U!'1 >ine.