Hydrogen and Boron as Recent Alternative Motor Fuels

Abstract

Hydrogen can be used as a motor fuel, whereas neither nuclear nor solar energy can be used directly. Hydrogen fuel is hydrogen gas with small amounts of oxygen and other materials added. Benefits include cleaner air, cleaner water, and better health. Hydrogen is also a renewable resource. Hydrogen has good properties as a fuel for internal combustion engines in automobiles. Hydrogen can be used as a fuel directly in an internal combustion engine not much different from the engines used with gasoline. Hydrogen is not a primary fuel; it must be manufactured from water with either fossil or nonfossil energy sources. Boron fuel is made up of the element boron. It is mixed with pure oxygen in the engine. Boron is very safe because it is hard to ignite. It also contains more energy than petroleum. Boron has a very high energy density, much better than that of liquid hydrogen and also a lot safer, so it seems practical as a fuel for a vehicle. Unfortunately, boron is quite a limited resource and pure oxygen is expensive.