What is the specifications of liquid nitrogen and what would be the first choice if all our resources like coal,petroleum,diesel came to extinct?
Liquid nitrogen was experimented with way back in the 1900's to power cars, and it does work. But it is not an energy source, just a way of storing energy. Just like a battery. You must get energy from somewhere (fossil fuels, hydroelectricity or whatever) to pressurise air to create liquid nitrogen, then you release that energy to run a car. The same goes for hydrogen powered cars - it works, but it's really just a different sort of battery, not an energy source, because you need energy to produce the hydrogen.
In other words, it cannot replace fossil fuels unless you come up with some other way of generating vast quantities of energy to produce vast quantities of liquid nitrogen. Nor can hydrogen. Personally I think we should be focussing on pure electric vehicles and improved battery technologies, as good efficiencies are possible there - but again we need to generate the electricity somewhere.
Liquid Nitrogen is a pressurized form. When you expose it to ambient atmosphere the pressurized Nitrogen gets released that can be used to rotate the piston. While water can not exert that much pressure at ambient atmosphere.
In my opinion, It does not have any technology to support nitrogen, yet. But, changing some fossil fuel is not viable for petroleum companies in the some countries. Imagine, each person will can fill their own cars ou motocycles with water collected in own house. All companies will be collapsed!
Liquid nitrogen was experimented with way back in the 1900's to power cars, and it does work. But it is not an energy source, just a way of storing energy. Just like a battery. You must get energy from somewhere (fossil fuels, hydroelectricity or whatever) to pressurise air to create liquid nitrogen, then you release that energy to run a car. The same goes for hydrogen powered cars - it works, but it's really just a different sort of battery, not an energy source, because you need energy to produce the hydrogen.
In other words, it cannot replace fossil fuels unless you come up with some other way of generating vast quantities of energy to produce vast quantities of liquid nitrogen. Nor can hydrogen. Personally I think we should be focussing on pure electric vehicles and improved battery technologies, as good efficiencies are possible there - but again we need to generate the electricity somewhere.
Liquid Nitrogen is frozen and compressed nitrogen ; which makes it go further but requires large strong fuel tanks to contain the extremely cold pressurized liquid.
The freezing and compression process uses a lot of energy in the process so as long as the energy/electricity generated is generated by green energy such as solar, wind, or hydro power - it remains a good source of fuel and should be cheaper than petrol or diesel.
Liquid nitrogen goes through a heat exchanger where it expands from the cold liquid presurised state to expanded nitrogen gas, this is similar to how a steam engine works and has enough force to power a turbine or to pump the pistons of a car engine.
Water could be used by heating the water up to create steam but the co2, nox, and co created by burning fossil fuels would be harmful to the environment and to peoples health - and as we know they are running out so liquid nitrogen could soon be an Alternative Fuel on the roads.
I did my University Dissertation about alternative fuels and Hydrogen triple hybrid engines will probably be the best - they use liquid hydrogen, also petrol or diesel, and a large lithium battery. The battery drives the car up to about 30mph and the fuel takes over for faster speeds, the car also charges the battery whilst it is running at higher speeds and using fuel - these cars will be very economical and you do not have to always to up with petrol or diesel you can save money and the environment by using hydrogen.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and powers most stars and makes up water, it is highly flammable and is almost as efficient as petrol and diesel. Hydrogen is the best choice for an alternative fuel.
To directly answer the original question, yes, water can be used as a substitute, if:
- you heat it to boil it (as in a steam engine, usually running on fossil fuels but not necessarily),
or of course (although the example is ridiculous)
- the ambient temperature and pressure are such that water will boil from ambient heat just like in a liquid nitrogen powered vehicle (ie on the moon (low pressure) or in a volcano (high temperature)).
This again illustrates that neither liquid nitrogen or water are an energy source, just a means to take energy from a source and make it turn an engine. I hope that clarifies it for you Chandu Gcr.
Using Liquid nitrogen as a source of fuel is not commercially available , It works on the principle of simple heat exchanger. The liquid nitrogen evaporate ( Boil;ing temperature at atmospheric pressure is -196 degree centrigrade) quickly by adsorbing heat from the air. The resulting pressurized gas used to move the piston of the engine.
Petrol, diesel and other fossil fuels used to operate an engine after buring them as their boiling points are high (>60 degree centrigrade) , even water can be used which have a boiling point 100 degree centrigrade , therefore we have to arrange an instrument which can boil them but for liquid nitrogen we dont have to arrange any additional instrument to boil the liquid. Though there are technical problems exists which retards to use liquid nitrogen as a source of fuel.
liquid nitrogen vehicle is powered by liquid nitrogen, which is stored in a tank. The engine works by heating the liquid nitrogen in a heat exchanger, extracting heat from the ambient air and using the resulting pressurized gas to operate a piston or rotary engine. Vehicles propelled by liquid nitrogen have been demonstrated, but are not used commercially.
I understand Mr. Chandu has wrongly mentioned Nitrogen, instead of Hydrogen.
Since, Nitrogen is an inert gas and is not a candidate as fuel. However, it can be used with Hydrogen to form Ammonia as energy carrier, since producing, storing and combustion of pure hydrogen has many limitations, which can be solved with Ammonia. Another way to use Hydrogen is with Oxygen. Produce Hydrogen and Oxygen with electrolysis (advanced electrolysis technologies promise much higher efficiency than Faraday/ conventional technologies in use currently) of water and then use the mixture as fuel in IC engine. Pure Hydrogen stored in a cylinder when burned using oxygen from air, produces emission gases COx and NOx although much reduced proportion, which again is a problem.
Hydorgen has 123 offers Megajoules per kilogram, whereas Gasoline/ petrol has only 47 megajoules per kilogram and Ammonia has only 18.6 MegaJoules/ Kg.
Hence, the water is the most promising green fuel to replace fossil fuel. Currently it can be used to increase the efficiency of an ICE by upto 35%, by using hydrogen / oxygen from water on board without doing much changes in the vehicles.
We are yet to understand water which is one of the basic five elements (Panch Mahabhoot in Sanskrit - water, earth, air, fire and void, ). I have a short documentary film on water broken in six smaller videos. I will post the links here later today.
Nitin Raulji
Nitogen is an inert gas, so it don't become hot when exposed to high pressure instead of air.
You can use it as a booster like Hydrostatic Regenerative Braking system of Bosh Rexroth. So you can save fuel. But it's a very expensive system.
KERS is on the way to become the a solution for fuel and batteries. There's a very interting solution in micro-springs made of carbon nanotubes.
Water need energy more to be broken for hydrogen production, so it couldn't be a good solution. BUT this is not going to become true very soon, so actually, only time will tell us what is the best solution.
Jonas Gozdecki
If any idea is conceived for using liquid nitrogen as fuel then it would serve as pressure energy source (not oxidation/burning) for driving piston or turbine when allowed to vaporize. Water is not inert and it wouldn't produce pressure without phase change to vapour form and then we will need enegy for it . On the other way, if water is splitted in H2 and O2 (as is being done electrochemically and photo-electrochemically now a days) then hydrogen can serve as energy source of oxidation reaction.
" Pure Hydrogen stored in a cylinder when burned using oxygen from air, produces emission gases COx and NOx although much reduced proportion, which again is a problem."
May I ask where comes the C to form COx.
As far as I know, but I may be wrong since I do not know last discoveries, H is an element and as such can only lead to water vapor if it combines with O. Please make such informations clear.
It could be possible if burning of H in the air comes to the necessary temperature that N and O could combine but C ?
I see many people here are predisposed to assume "fuel" involves "combustion". LN2 could work quite the same way as a steam engine, however instead of a flame source, the ambient air (however cold nature could create) would be warm enough to cause it to boil and generate the pressure needed to power a vehicle. LN2 needs immense energy to create..and isn't very efficient in the long run. Water has been used this way..but needs a heat source...which creates the same problem trying to heat it that we are trying to overcome. Electrolytic separation into hydrogen and oxygen also requires a fuel source or energy form conversion for the electricity generation.
LN2 would have the very dangerous risk of the formation of LO2.
28g of LN2 would give you 22.4 L of N2 gas at STP
If you stay in warmer climates, I'd love to see someone research some of Tesla's water engines, which have gone largely unnoticed.
Your first choices (at this time) if petrols became unreasonably scares would be organic fats and oils, ethanol, methanol, methane, methane/hydrogen mixtures, or bio-diesel .
http://www.interesting-products.com/faq.html
It is amazing how many people still believe in Tesla's miracles their story is permanently repeated again and again without any proof that any thing was really as it is told. He was a great man no doubt but against laws of physics even a great man cannot do anything.
Liquid nitrogen can not be used as a fuel. People have tried to use water as fuel. but it was not found not useful. Liquid hydrogen is possible. In the rocket liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen has been used.
@Nick, Thank you for pointing out the mistake of COx. In air, trace gases including CO2 account for only 0.038%. I think more about using Hydrogen and oxygen as efficiency enhancer for ICE applications running on Gasoline/ diesel, where COx is still produced but at substantially reduced proportion.
@ Nick, I'd just like to see them tested. These inventions may have been tested years ago, but we don't get to see the results of those studies today.
Liquid nitrogen can be used as a fuel as I have explained above it does not combust in the engine but expands at ambient temperatures - it is the expansion that drives the pistons in an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE).
There have been tests because my university dissertation was about alternative fuels for vehicles and I looked it up - some tutors also guided me in the right direction in regards to literature and web study and as part of my lessons - so I have seen proof - please check my publications as I have uploaded my own paper and you can check the reference links for the information.
These inventions have been proved and tested but require mass production, planning, and not only the vehicles to be produced but a lot of liquid nitrogen fuel stations would need to be planned and built which all costs money and time to make.
The main problem with liquid nitrogen is the energy required to freeze and compress it. It is better for the environment but does require a lot in the way of production - and if the electricity made to freeze and compress it comes from fossil fuels it will still be a hazard to the environment.
I researched Liquid nitrogen and Its uses would be better suited for places where combustion is a hazard such as near flammable liquids or fires because it does not combust.
However if the tank does burst the passengers could be killed by the extreme cold temperatures of the liquid Nitrogen.
You can also look up the information on google by typing in "liquid Nitrogen as a fuel" - there is already tones of information on the web about these fuels.
Liquid petroleum gas, Liquid compressed gas, and Liquid Natural Gas are already starting to be available in some fuel stations along with charging points in cities for hybrid vehicles.
Many more new fuels will hit the streets soon including Algae fuels, Bio fuels - mainly used as blends that are mixed into petrol or diesel, Corn ethanol fules, Hydrogen anlong with hydrogen fuel cells, synthetic fuels, methane, LPG, LNG, and LNG, gribbles - (tiny sea creatures that are used to brake wood down into sugars and make alcohol), bio-ethanol, hybrid engines, and tripple power hybrids, plus many more new fuels to come.
Petrol, and Diesel reserves might be getting low but fuel will never run out - especially water which if used to make hydrogen ; goes straight back into the eco-system by being turned back into rain clouds as water in the atmosphere - As my results show in my publication; hydrogen will be the main fuel of the future.
I hope that this answers some questions ;-)
i dont believe LN2 can be used as a fuel,so you are saying you will burn nitrogen??? nitrogen donot support combustion beside, nitrogen boil at -196 degree so at ambient condition its in GAN form so i belive for car to move yo need combustion. to answer IJAZ KAZMI: we use process called distillation column were we filter air form the atmosphere compress and cool, then this air will be cooled to a temperature where nitrogen vapoirize and oxygen and argon condense the we take the gas nitrogen and liquiefy it in the turbine.
Water can be used for electrolysis process to produce hydrogen which is a very flamable gas, and lightest gas in the atmosphere which cab then burned to produce energy required to move a vehicle
We can use water in the place of fuels and the research is going on that. surf for Water Powered Vehicles in google and you will get so many links on that. The thing why they are not using water is the process of electrolysis. The water powered vehicle is nothing but a vehicle running in hydrogen. seperating hydrogen from oxygen requires enegry to break it. The energy required to break is very high. In addition to it, hydrogen is easily ignitable. This issue is also there with nitrogen. Don't confuse with its self ignition temperature.
The another main reason for not using hydrogen is its density. Hydrogen has less density and hence less weight. It is its advantage but the disadvantage is that, since it has less density, it will easily rise up to the atmosphere and hence leakage possibilty is more. instead if it is stored as a liquid hydrogen, the pressure required to maintain it in that bar is very high and hence more energy. Clear? Got clarified?
Further query, pls contact me.
Liquid nitrogen as liquid air are done using an high quantity of energy (coming from some energy source). They store this energy as volume compression. Then when are expanded in a turbine they can release this energy to produce mechanical work. As for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis to do this work you need more energy than you can recover later, so your yeld is always < 1.
Compressed air cars are beginning to appear in europe (really they are on the air since the beginning of 2000's.).
Unfortunately there are problems; in fact the expansion cools the air and the humidity become ice blocking or hindering the turbine work.
Because of that up to now no commercial air car seems to be available; maybe soon it will.
Nitrogen needs to be kept cold in order to stay in liquid form. When released into a car engine, the nitrogen is then heated and expands to create energy. The expanding nitrogen powers turbines the same way combustion in a gasoline-powered engine moves pistons. Nitrogen is abundant in our atmosphere and cars powered by it don't create as many harmful emissions as gas and diesel do, but they're not really viable because there's no network of nitrogen fueling stations in America.
The conversion from liquid to gas expands the volume of the nitrogen 700 times, building sufficient pressure to turn an air motor much like pressure from burning gasoline drives an internal combustion engine.
but more energy should be provided for liquid nitrogen to undergo combustion...
what do you say about that......?@Chandrasekhar Kuppam
@all: most of the drawbacks u were telling are acceptable... but recent technologists overcame everything... high temperature, keeping in liquid state everything are minor issues... the spark plug will take care of providing higher energy... A transformer will step up the voltage required by reducing current and will supply energy...
Check out hydrgen powered vehicles... It does the same and most of the properties of it suits with the nitrogen.. fuel cell powered vehicles uses hydrogen.. check how they will store it... it will serve u the purpose for nitrogen too.. the only reason why nitrogen is used instead of hydrogen is that it is widely available in the atmosphere... nothing else...
can you tell about the defect HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT which is caused because of this hydrogen environment.......?...@Ram M S
The drawback in using hydrogen as a fuel is that hydrogen exists in combine state in nature and its separation is very costly. Now a days a new technology has been used as an alternative source of energy known as HHO TECHNOLOGY.it is commonly known as brown gas, aquygen etc. HHO carries stable clusters composed of H&O atoms, their dimers H-O and their molecules H2,O2 & H2O whose bond is not considered to be completely of valence type rather of magnecular type. for more see the website of R M Santilli. Note that HHO is not a source of energy but an energy carrier. HTA too had performed a test on FORD F250. Further details can be accessed through the papers on HHO in the "intenational journal of hydrogen energy".
Liquid Nitrogen as such does not have much potential as an alternate fuel because the process of release of energy through Nitrogen is its liquefaction and then vaporisation but the heat of vaporisation of nitrogen is not high. So if it were used as a fuel our vehicles would be too slow. I think HHO is an exploration into the use of water as a fuel and is pretty promising.
Hydrogen and hydro carbons could be produced by spliting water(hydrocarbons also utilized CO2 capture) and are green fuel that will store electricity and be utilized by transport sector; for transportation of energy etc when fossil fuells will decreased. For use of hydrogen , methanol and methane fuell cells that produce electricity without combustion must be developed too
It's possible to store magnetism by a simple coil in N2.
Also would be possible to use N2 in a Striling engine.
Best Regards.
Additive gasses into liquid nitrogen can enhance the heat and flash power to overcome this problem.
Can you answer this question on this forum?
https://mechanicalsite.com/72/can-liquid-nitrogen-be-used-for-running-small-jet-engines
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