2,359 kWh per liter of liquid hydrogen

The tank is a main problem with the hydrogen. Hydrogen boils with -252,76 degrees Celsius and in a liter contains only 2359 Wh chemical energy.

Modern diesel engines get out of a liter of tank volume about 4.5 kWh of mechanical energy. However, only about 1.2 kWh can be taken from a liter of tank with liquid hydrogen. In addition still there comes the thermal insulation of the tank, so that the liquid hydrogen remains chill.

Reach on VW beetle level
My first car was a used VW beetle 1500. A quite gruesome guzzler. In a long holiday journey all 2.5 hours of compulsory break in an expensive highway gas station. 40 liters of tank and 11 liters/100km for always top speed on the highway. Ridiculous 125 km/h according to the car papers. My Seat Alhambra TDI has with cruise control on 125 km/h about 6 liters of consumption and with the tank trick which fill in the air bubble in the tank, about 1,400 kms of reach.

Tank trucks
But it is not only the tank in the car. To transport the same amount of mobility to the gasoline stations are 4 times more tank trucks necessary. The limiting factor is the volume of the hydrogen and the thermal insulation.

Hydrogen stations with emergency electricity supply
Compared to diesel or gasoline, a fuel station needs 4 times bigger tanks for the same amount of mobility delivered to the cars. No more simple double-walled steel tanks. Super heat insulated tanks to take up the liquid hydrogen. The chill engines which hold the stored fuel on less than-253 degrees, so that he does not evaporate. An emergency electricity supply for every gas station, so that with an electric power failure, the evaporating fuel must not be burned off, but again liquefied comes back into the tank .

Hydrogen
	Where will hydrogen as a storage medium determine our energy future and where will the hydrogen technology fail by more suitable methods?

The hype about hydrogen
	The author of our recommendet book Joseph J. Romm was advisor in the hydrogen and fuel-cells program during the term of office from President Clinton

Battery technology electrolysis and fuel cell
	Hydrogen with electrolysis and fuel cell must be seen as a battery technology. Electric power is used with the electrolysis and is taken from the fuel cell.

Self discharge: 100% in 14 days
	Another quality criterion for batteries is the self discharge. This determines how long a battery can be stored and how much power is necessary to hold the charge.

False investment hydrogen research for fuel cell cars
	If all the billions for the hydrogen research would have been invested for better a lithium battery technology, we would already have hybrid cars to go 80% by electric power.