New Method For Producing Free Hydrogen
Jerry Woodall, a researcher at Purdue University has developed a new way to produce hydrogen on a large scale. The discovery could lead to systems that generate hydrogen for vehicles and eliminate the need for carrying stored hydrogen on-board. One of the major problems with using hydrogen is that it binds so easily with other elements that keeping hydrogen pure is a challenge.
The new method uses an aluminum alloy submersed in water. The alloy reacts with the oxygen in water and splits it away from the hydrogen. The result is aluminum oxide, which can be easily recycled back into aluminum, and free hydrogen. The alloy material includes a concoction of gallium-indium-tin that is inert, and is for the most part, completely recoverable.
The aluminum and gallium-indium-tin alloy is slow cooled. Woodall and his team discovered that when they quick-cooled the mixture, they were left with two independent alloys, one of which was in a liquid state. The reaction took place as desired, but the liquid gallium-indium-tin mixture seriously reduced the commercial potential of the compound. By slow cooling the mixture, the materials remained in an homogenous state, making it easier to handle and opening the possibility of transporting aluminum alloy briquettes as a fuel source.
Overall, the process could not only create a viable source of free hydrogen, it can also improve the safety of using hydrogen as fuel, and reduce the CO2 emissions generated by vehicles. The aluminum oxide recycling process does create CO2 emissions, but Woodall estimates that overall CO2 emissions could be reduced by as much as two-thirds if this process were substituted for gasoline combustion.
An added benefit of the process is a reduction in the cost of aluminum production. Aluminum is refined from bauxite ore in an expensive process that consumes a lot of energy. Recycling aluminum from aluminum oxide is much less energy intensive. According to Woodall, the cost of producing this type of energy (as both hydrogen and heat) would work out to about 10 cents per kWh if the aluminum oxide was recycled 60 times.
Bringing this process to a mass production state would require significant expansion of aluminum processing and recycling facilities, so you’re unlikely to be buying aluminum briquettes anytime soon, but the process of creating free hydrogen is attractive and creates another possibility when considering conversion to a hydrogen economy.
February 28, 2008 - by Hybrid Car Chat · Filed Under Hybrid Technology |
