Metal Fuels as Alternative Sources of Energy for Zero Carbon Emission

Abstract

Global climate change is a pressing challenge of the 21st century that has gained attention of scientists and governments. It has been proven that climate change is largely associated with human activities such as burning fossil fuels to produce electricity, which emits excessive amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses. To combat this concern, carbon free alternative energy sources have been proposed. Current renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are expensive and limited. However, metal fuels could prove to be one of the solutions for those limitations. Since fossil fuels are the most common source of energy production, to be viable on a global scale, any new form of carbon-free energy must be economically competitive with fossil fuels. This work will determine the theoretical economic costs of several different metals which have comparable energy densities with fossil fuels. Furthermore, this work will evaluate the viability of these metals on a global scale based on their economic costs compared to fossil fuels including natural gas, petroleum, and coal. Additionally, further economic comparisons will be conducted with other forms of renewable energies, such as solar power, wind power, and hydropower.