In order to adjust the peak load, it is often necessary to start fast and flexible power stations in the power grid, and hydrogen power generation is most suitable to play this role. Hydrogen and oxygen are combusted to form a hydrogen-oxygen generator set. The unit is a rocket-type internal combustion engine equipped with a generator, which has the advantages of simple structure, convenient maintenance, quick start and stop, and no need of complicated steam boiler system. When the power grid is under low load, it can also absorb excess electricity to electrolyze water and produce hydrogen and oxygen for power generation during peak hours. This regulation is very beneficial to the operation of power grid.
In addition, hydrogen and oxygen can directly change the operation of conventional thermal power generating units and improve the power generation capacity of power stations. For example, hydrogen and oxygen combustion constitute magnetic fluid power generation, and liquid hydrogen is used to cool the power generation device, thus improving the power of the unit. A relatively new way of hydrogen power generation is hydrogen fuel cell, which is a device that uses hydrogen and oxygen (entering the air) to directly generate electric energy through electrochemical reaction. In other words, it is the reverse reaction of hydrogen and oxygen produced by water electrolyzer.
This new type of power generation has attracted the attention of the whole world. Since 1970s, Japan and the United States have stepped up their research on various fuel cells, and now they have entered the stage of commercial development. Japan has built a 10,000-kilowatt fuel cell power station, while more than 30 manufacturers in the United States are developing fuel cells. More than 20 companies from Germany, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Austria have also invested in fuel cell research.
The ideal fuel of fuel cell is hydrogen, because it is the reverse reaction of hydrogen production by electrolysis. The main purpose of fuel cell is not only to establish a fixed power station, but also to be especially suitable for mobile power supply and vehicle and boat power supply, so it is also the twin brother of hydrogen energy utilization in the future.
In addition, hydrogen energy also plays an important role in people's production and life. The combustion of hydrogen in oxygen gives off a lot of heat, and the temperature of its flame-hydrogen-oxygen flame is as high as 3000℃, which can be used for welding or cutting metals. Hydrogen is also widely used in metallurgical and chemical industries.
Hydrogen energy is also widely used in civil life. The civil use of fuel cell power generation system mainly includes hydrogen power generation, hydrogen medium energy storage and transportation, hydrogen air conditioning, refrigerators and so on. Some have been applied in practice, some are being developed, and some are still being explored. At present, a small number of households in the United States, Japan and Germany have used proton exchange membrane fuel cells to provide energy. The fuel cell used in households is generally below 50 kW, and the current fuel cell technology can fully meet the energy supply needs of households. Hydrogen can be used as heating fuel after entering the home. This is mainly due to the high calorific value of hydrogen energy, which is much higher than other fuels. Hydrogen can give off more heat after combustion, which is an ideal heating fuel. In the cold winter, all parts of our country, especially in the north, basically rely on burning coal to keep warm. Large-scale burning of coal will cause a sudden increase in the content of sulfur dioxide in the air, leading to environmental pollution and endangering human health. In addition, the combination of sulfur dioxide and water may also form acid rain. If heated by hydrogen energy, the product of hydrogen combustion is only water, which is very clean and will not damage the environment. In this way, people can get rid of air pollution caused by sulfur dioxide.
Besides being used for home heating, hydrogen energy can also be used as fuel for cooking. At present, urban residents mainly cook with natural gas. Although natural gas is a good energy source, its main component is methane, which will produce greenhouse gas carbon dioxide after combustion. Using hydrogen as fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
After hydrogen can enter the family, it can also solve the problem of domestic sewage treatment. The wastewater from washing clothes and washing hands in our life can be used as fuel to produce hydrogen after some ions are properly treated. This not only saves water resources, but also reduces the pollution after wastewater discharge. In the future, people can make hydrogen at home. As long as people turn on tap water and the water flows through a special machine, it can be decomposed into hydrogen, so that clean hydrogen energy can be used at any time. Hydrogen will not affect the environment in many aspects such as preparation, combustion and treatment, which means that hydrogen can not only improve air quality, but also solve a series of environmental problems, so it is a real clean energy.
The latest data show that hydrogen energy also plays a great role in the continuation of human life. Professor Naruto Ota of Japan Medical University found that hydrogen can remove hydroxyl ions, which is a kind of active oxygen with strong oxidation ability and harmful to the body, when analyzing the influence of hydrogen on cultured cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is considered to be one of the causes of cell aging. The researchers experimented with mice. In the experiment, people inhaled 2% hydrogen to one group of experimental mice that caused cerebral infarction, while the other group did not take any measures to study whether hydrogen could prevent the aging and death of brain cells caused by reactive oxygen species. The results showed that the number of brain cell deaths in experimental mice inhaled hydrogen was less than half of that in the control group. This discovery provides people with an idea that hydrogen can be used to make a special "drug" to prevent human cells from aging, thus delaying aging. Learning point