SPACE TECHNOLOGY APPLIED TO THE AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO MITIGATE THE GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSIONS: A HYDROGEN LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT IN FUEL CELLS

Abstract

This article analyzes the introduction of vehicles moved by hydrogen fuel cells and its impact in the reduction of the carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere, comparing these results to vehicles moved by gasoline in internal combustion engines. One of the results reveals that the reduction of the carbon dioxide is balanced by the emissions during the phase of generation of electricity for hydrogen production by water electrolysis, where it could affect directly the global carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. In this article the hydrogen is presented as an excellent alternative in countries like Brazil, who has a clean energy production of electricity, due to his hydraulic potential, and could reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from the use of automobiles in 79%, however unviable of the point of view of mitigating the greenhouse effect in countries which has a fossil based generation of electricity, like the USA, that it could increase the emissions in 47%. In spite of not emitting carbon dioxide during the phase of use of the vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells, the emissions of CO2 in the phase of electric power generation for production of the hydrogen by electrolysis can overcome the emissions of gasoline in conventional vehicles.