Hydrogen From Sugar Might Power FCVs
April 14, 2008
Drivers don’t usually want to think about pouring sugar in their gas tanks, but if Percival Zhang, a research scientist at Virginia Tech University, has his way, you might be doing just that in the not-too-distant future. Zhang is developing a new process that converts plant sugars into hydrogen. The process is inexpensive and could lead to a cheap, abundant source of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles. Using a similar process, cellulose may also serve as a ready source of hydrogen.
The research team used 13 common enzymes and combined them with water and various starches in a special low-temperature reactor. The result was hydrogen and carbon, with no undesirable leftovers. The reactor brew produced three times as much as anaerobic fermentation, currently used to produce hydrogen from biomass.
Zhang’s team acknowledges that the process does not yet produce sufficient hydrogen, and the reaction time is not particularly fast. To remedy this, they are looking for enzymes that operate at a higher temperature, which would improve the rate at which hydrogen is produced. The team believes that by substituting different enzymes, cellulose could be used to produce hydrogen, since its chemical composition is similar to that of starch.
Zhang believes that his research may increase the hydrogen yield of the process sufficiently to power an automobile in eight to ten years. At that time, consumers could buy starch from the grocery store and add it to their FCV. The technology might also be used to supply hydrogen filling stations or home-base filling stations. In the interim, the technology may be modified to power smaller devices like cell phones or portable electronics.
Photo Credit: sanja gjenero
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[...] admin wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptZhang believes that his research may increase the hydrogen yield of the process sufficiently to power an automobile in eight to ten years. At that time, consumers could buy starch from the grocery store and add it to their FCV. … [...]