What are all the cheep methods to extract Hydrogen from water?

Question

To day I read in the news paper that hydrogen is going to be used for power source in future battery cells. Can we use sea water to get Hydrogen? Also tell me what is the simple method to generate hydrogen and convert hydrogen into liquid. Can I use the wind power available at my roof top to get liquid hydrogen?.

Answer 1

The easiest way I know to get hydrogen out of water is to mix the water with Lye (Draino is a good source) and add aluminum foil. The combination is very hot and very toxic, but it does produce lots of Hydrogen which you can catch in a balloon. (make sure you do this outside and away from flames)

As far as making liquid hydrogen...well, just like the gas we know and love, steam, can be turned into liquid water by cooling it, hydrogen turns to liquid at a cold temperature too. (like 400 degrees below zero!) You can also make it liquid with extreme pressures.... a windmill won't do the trick.

Answer 2

The cheapest way to extract hydrogen from water is to use carbon (e.g. coal):

C + 2 H2O -> CO2 + 2 H2

This is neither renewable nor greenhouse-neutral, however.

Electrolysis is often touted, but the price of non-fossil energy to power the electrolysis plus the cost and losses of the process lead to rather expensive hydrogen.  As a consequence, nobody does it that way except for the occasional demonstration.

Liquid hydrogen requires even more energy for cooling and liquefaction.  In theory, you can do this with wind power; in practice, forget it!

Answer 3

Well first of all I don't think garyhome55's solution is what you had in mind for your production of hydrogen.
If we are to move to a hydrogen based economy away from the fossil fuel economy we currently use we will need the cooperation of big industry and a political will to make the switch in a way that does not mimic our current use of fossil fuel. We must see that the resulting hydrogen economy doesn't depend on unrenewable resources (such as fossil fuel) and is as environmentally neutral as possible.
Having said that we are left with only a handful of ways to achieve this objective. Personally I believe our future lies in the use of solar, wind power, water powered hydroelectric and geothermal production of electricity. This electricity can be used to break down water into oxygen and hydrogen through the use of electrolysis. The hydrogen then can be pressurized and stored as hydrogen gas. Hydrogen can be recombined with the oxygen in air to produce electrical potential within a fuel cell using a catalyst (I believe platinum is used). This electricity then can be used to drive electrical motors in an electrical vehicle, power your house or even your laptop. The result of combining the oxygen in air and hydrogen produces water as a byproduct.
One of the Japanese auto makers is currently testing an experimental electrical powered car which has a carport fitted with solar panels is used to produce the electricity to charge it's batteries when plugged in at home. Why couldn't this technology be used to produce hydrogen instead?
As I eluded to at the beginning of this answer we must get big business and big government involved in switching us to a hydrogen economy. We will never achieve this by putting politicians like Bush and Harper in office as their political fortunes are tied to the big oil business and have no incentive to change.
The only drawback that I can see to moving to a hydrogen based economy is the fact that if I remember right any electrical motor that uses brushes to transfer electrical energy to the armature produces a byproduct called ozone. While you might at first glance think that this is a good way to repair the ozone layer think again. Ozone is a nasty pollutant when it is produced in quantity near the surface of our planet. Ozone pollutants can damage your lungs and defoliate plants. One bright note is that brush less electrical motors have been invented but I am not sure if they posses the power to be used in large enough sizes to propel vehicles, but then research always goes ahead.

Ps. I just realized you also asked the question about sea water. The answer is yes, but it is better to use fresh water because sea water contains salts and minerals which will be left over during the proccess of electrolysis. These contaniments will be hard on equipment used to produce your hydrogen and I believe will also require the use of more electrical input to your apparatus.

Answer 4

There is no cheap way. And good luck making it a liquid. Extreme pressures and 20K above absolute zero (-423F) boiling point, there is no EASY way to make it a liquid. Especially with wind power.

Answer 5

you go Garyhorne55...