TOWARD ZERO EMISSIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION USING FOSSIL FUELS

This paper presents the case for the hydrogen (H2) fuel cell as the fuel and engine option of choice for the automobile in the long term. A transition to H2 as a major energy carrier alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel and the fuel cell as an alternative to the internal combustion engine would be very costly and would require many decades. These technologies therefore must offer benefits that exceed the huge costs involved. Yet the societal costs of a business-as-usual future in which the automobile continues to be dominated by hydrocarbon-fueled internal combustion engines are also arguably huge. Concerns about oil supply insecurity, air pollution damages, and climate change motivate serious consideration of introducing H2 as a transport fuel. The paper examines three options for H2 production with zero or near-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions: (1) H2 derived from fossil fuels with CO2 capture/sequestration; (2) H2 derived electrolytically from water using non-carbon-based electricity supplies; and (3) H2 derived from water via complex thermochemical cycles using non-carbon heat sources. This is followed by a discussion of the outlook for CO2 disposal.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/conf/asilomar.pdf
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
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  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • Williams, R H
• Conference:
  • Transportation, Energy, and Environmental Policy: Managing Transitions
  • Location: Monterey, California
  • Date: 2001-9-11 to 2001-9-12
• Publication Date: 2003

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 63-103

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefits; Carbon dioxide; Costs; Fuel cells; Fuel processing; Hydrogen fuels
• Subject Areas: Energy; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00962787
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309085713
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 4 2003 12:00AM