underground but not a fossil

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Can you say hydrogen embrittlement?

It's one of the reasons why I still consider ethanol and natural gas more realistic for the average Joe.

[freebeard]

"I can say:
Don't pressurise it.
Don't store it."

Science | AAAS
Chemical cages could store hydrogen, expand use of clean ... - Science
Sep 28, 2023Some researchers are exploring storing hydrogen in underground caverns carved out of salt formations—but that geology is rare, and subterranean microbes might eat up the hydrogen. Compounds such as metal hydrides or ammonia can store hydrogen chemically.

[Piotrsko]

Chemically storing it AFAIK, is the answer, mostly except for the process is slow both ways, and mass quantities take up relatively massive space.

You do still have the embrittlement issue in your transport hardware. Not sure if silicone has that issue

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Most likely, silicone will still have the embrittlement issue.

[Piotrsko]

Most of the silicone we had for space use 50 years ago was one off expensive stuff but generally RTV that you can now buy commercially. Glued the solar cells to the skin of the satellite which was an exotic binder but still fiberglass. Expected life was unknown but longer than sattelite

Problems we had with silicon was no structural strength, couldn't use it to build things just stick them together or seal stuff.

[Logic]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Can you say hydrogen embrittlement? Issue that I see mostly with hydrogen fuel is that it escapes whatever container/ transport system you store it in by either embrittlement fractures or escaping past the seals.

i checked: You're correct:
Hydrogen Embrittlement is an issue in engines at the concentrations we're speaking about here.
Especially the intake valve apparently.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

Problems we had with silicon was no structural strength, couldn't use it to build things just stick them together or seal stuff.

I thought you were either talking about coating storage tanks with silicone in order to make some sort of barrier to prevent Hydrogen to escape, or to make something analogue to those gas bags which were used in Europe during WWII as a fuel storage for vehicles running on coal gas.

[Piotrsko]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I thought you were either talking about coating storage tanks with silicone in order to make some sort of barrier to prevent Hydrogen to escape, or to make something analogue to those gas bags which were used in Europe during WWII as a fuel storage for vehicles running on coal gas.

All that and more: silicone tubing for transfer, control pucks, what have you.

[Logic]

Ok so here's Mr Oil Well Driller, newly Mr Hydrogen Well Driller.
He drills and hits a huge hydrogen cavern.
Waaay!!!

But where to store it?
Um... how about exactly where it is atm? It seems to have worked pretty well so far...
All we need to do is put in a big plastic pipe with a tap in the top.

Ok, but how to transport it?
Send it through a fuel cell to turn it into electricity. Put the electricity into the grid. That way everyone has insti transport as soon as they plug things in.
Things like EVs

ie: As much as it'd be nice to drive around on it like gasolene, if we want to use it right now, is there a better way..?