Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, making up 75% of all matter. It also contains the most energy of all fuels—55,000 Btu/lb.
| Fuel Type (1lb) |
BTU’s
|
| Hydrogen |
55,000
|
| Natural Gas |
21,148
|
| Gasoline |
20,700
|
| Diesel |
19,800
|
| Coal |
15,000
|
However, this can be misleading because large amounts of energy must be spent to separate, store and transport elemental hydrogen (H2). Hydrogen in this elemental form is rare on Earth and must be separated from other compounds in order to be used for energy. There are several methods for breaking down hydrogen. Among them, using coal is one of the cheapest.
