Design of Formed Heads and Transition Sections

Inexhaustible and nonpolluting hydrogen is considered by many as the fuel of choice for future energy needs. This chapter discusses some examples of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). Compared with other fossil fuels, natural gas is the most suitable feedstock for hydrogen production because of its wide availability andease of handling. Considering greenhouse gas emissions, well-to-wheel (WTW) analysis shows that hydrogen FCVs offer only a slight advantage over hydrocarbon-based hybrid vehicles if the hydrogen used in the fuel cell is derived from fossil sources. Hydrogen storage is a key factor for the successful introduction of hydrogen as a transportation fuel, the presently considered major application for the Hydrogen Economy. One of the goals of the envisioned Hydrogen Economy is the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, but this mitigation would imply capture and sequestration of CO2 on a very large scale if fossil fuels are the source material.