A
Brief History of Hydrogen
1766 – Renowned English chemist and physicist Henry Cavendish
is the first to recognize hydrogen gas as a distinct substance.
He also described the composition of water as a combination of
hydrogen and oxygen.
Early 1800’s
to mid 1900’s – Town gas, a gaseous product manufactured from
coal, supplies lighting and heating for America and Europe. Town
gas is 50% hydrogen, with the rest comprised of mostly methane
and carbon dioxide, with 3% to 6% carbon monoxide. Town gas is
celebrated as a wonder, bringing light and heat to the civilized
world. Then, large natural gas fields are discovered, and networks
of natural gas pipelines displace town gas. (Town gas is still
found in limited use today in Europe and Asia.)
1911
– Chemist Carl Bosch directs the development for ammonia and fertilizer
to be manufactured from hydrogen and nitrogen gases. This innovation
leads eventually to synthetic fertilizers, making it possible
for agriculture to feed a rapidly increasing world population.
1937
– After several years of safe and elegant passenger travel by
many airships, the zeppelin Hindenburg, landing at Lakehurst,
New Jersey, is ignited by electrical discharge after its flight
across the Atlantic from Germany. Within seconds, the airship
burns and crashes to the ground, with a death toll of 35 of the
97 people on board and one on the ground. Although
the Hindenburg was filled with seven million cubic feet of hydrogen
for buoyancy, the fire spread because of the coating, which contained
rocket propellant components. Thirty-four of the deaths were attributed
to people jumping or falling from the airship, and two from burns
from the flammable skin and on-board diesel. Even though the hydrogen
burned safely above the passengers and didn’t cause a single death,
hydrogen was stigmatized by association with the Hindenburg disaster
for decades afterward.
1959
– Francis Bacon, engineer and descendent of the famous scientist,
produced a 5-kW fuel cell system. Later that year, Harry Karl Ihrig
demonstrated the first fuel cell-powered vehicle, a 20-horsepower
tractor.
20th Century – Hydrogen is used extensively as a key component
in the manufacture of ammonia, methanol, gasoline, and heating
oil. It is also used to make fertilizers, glass, refined metals,
vitamins, cosmetics, semiconductor circuits, soaps, lubricants,
cleaners, margarine, peanut butter and rocket fuel.
1958 to
Present – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) is formed, continuing work by the National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics (NACA) and several universities and businesses
on using hydrogen as a rocket fuel and electricity source via
fuel cells. NASA becomes the worldwide largest user of liquid
hydrogen and is renowned for its safe handling of hydrogen.
Late 20th Century/Dawn of 21st Century – Many industries worldwide
begin producing hydrogen, hydrogen-powered vehicles, hydrogen
fuel cells, and other hydrogen products. From Japan’s hydrogen
delivery trucks to BMW’s liquid hydrogen passenger cars, to Ballard’s
fuel cell transit buses in Chicago and Vancouver, BC, to Palm
Desert’s Renewable Transportation Project, to Iceland’s commitment
to be the first hydrogen economy by 2030, to the forward-thinking
work of many hydrogen organizations worldwide, to Hydrogen Now!’s
public education work, the dynamic progress in Germany, Europe,
Japan, Canada, the US, Australia, Iceland, and several other countries
launch hydrogen onto the main stage of the world’s energy scene.
References:
--Dr. Werner
Zittel, Reinhold Wurster, Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH,
Hydrogen in the Energy Sector, 8/7/96.
--BASF website:
http://www.basf.com/businesses/consumer/agproducts/our_group/history.html
--John L.
Sloop, Liquid Hydrogren As A Propulsion Fuel, 1945-1959, The NASA
History Series, Scientific and Technical Information Office 1978,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C.
--Assorted
other sources.
