Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a chemical element composed of one proton and one electron. It is the most common fuel source used by vehicles and other portable devices on Tetro due to its high energy density when in metallic form. The energy of metallic hydrogen is harnessed by vaporization followed by combustion with oxygen.

Commercial Production
Most hydrogen fuel sold on Tetro is produced by the Dramilian Federation at factories located along the coastline of Gamiala. At these facilities, sea water is electrolyzed into molecular oxygen and hydrogen, after which the hydrogen is compressed in cylinders at millions of pounds per square inch, transforming it into its metallic form. The resulting cylindrical blocks are then carved into spherical pellets on a lathe. Several standardized sizes of pellets are available, the most common being about half an inch in diameter.

Usage As A Power Source
Vehicles with large fuel tanks are usually designed to work with any size of pellet, while many smaller vehicles and handheld devices have one or more spherical compartments that each hold a single pellet of a particular size. To produce mechanical energy, the pellets are heated in a chamber known as the vaporizer, causing the atoms on the surface to recombine into molecular hydrogen. The energy of recombination pressurizes the released gas, which is then piped through hoses to a turbine where the flow of gas over the blades causes them to turn. In many vehicles the hydrogen is ignited as it enters the turbine to provide slightly more energy. Rotation of the turbine shaft is harnessed by converting it into electricity with a generator, or simply used to move other mechanical parts. The flow of exhaust out of the turbine is used in some aircraft and spacecraft to provide propulsion for the vehicle.