Natural
gas, at first, might be regarded as an uninteresting gas - it
is a colourless non-toxic gas that is lighter than air.
However, natural gas is in fact a combustible fossil fuel that
generates energy when burned. When lit natural gas burns
completely and does not release any particles such as soot or
Sulphur Dioxide into the air. Natural gas is over 99% pure
Methane. The energy created by natural gas can be used in a
large number of ways including: drying; heating; freezing;
welding; baking; cutting - in fact almost any process you can
think of. Our growing need for energy and the heightened
awareness of our environmental responsibilities has elevated
the significance of natural gas in our lives today.
Fuel cells run on hydrogen, the
simplest element and most plentiful gas in the universe.
Hydrogen is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Each hydrogen
molecule has two atoms of hydrogen, which accounts for the H 2
we often see. Hydrogen is the lightest element, with a density
of 0.08988 grams per liter at standard pressure, yet it has
the highest energy content per unit weight of all the fuels
– 52,000 Btu/lb, or three times the energy of a pound of
gasoline.
Hydrogen is never found alone
on earth — it is always combined with other elements such as
oxygen and carbon. Hydrogen can be extracted from virtually
any hydrogen compound and is the ultimate clean energy
carrier. It is safe to manufacture. And hydrogen's chemical
energy can be harnessed in pollution-free ways.
