 |
|
Closing the hydrogen economic loop
July 21, 2008The inventor of the nickel metal hydride (NiMH) technology used for building batteries for countless portable electronic gadgets and now hybrid gas-electric cars believes the hydrogen economy is already upon us.
In a paper published in the current issue of the International Journal of Nuclear Hydrogen Production and Applications, Stanford Ovshinsky, Chairman and CEO of Ovshinsky Innovation LLC, based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, explains that we already have the means for making the hydrogen economy realistic.
Hydrogen is considered the "ultimate" fuel alternative to fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. As such, research is focusing on how to produce hydrogen from renewable resources in a sustainable way and finding ways to store it effectively and safely so that it can be released on demand for powering vehicles and producing electricity.
The global economy is based upon energy but society needs now, more than ever, a non-polluting fuel that requires no strategic military defense unlike oil. "The transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen is of revolutionary import not only for its societal impact but also for the new materials science that it absolutely requires in all of its aspects," explains Ovshinsky, "New science and new technologies build much needed new industries, which provide not only jobs but also feedback into the educational system."
According to Ovshinsky, the hydrogen economy, which will emerge from such technology, was kick-started with the introduction of the Ovonic nickel metal hydride battery used in hybrid vehicles. Reversible storage of hydrogen in a solid hydride permits the entire loop of hydrogen generation, storage and use, to be carried out now, rather than at some distant point in the future. Ovshinsky suggests that that despite the observations of some critics of the notion of a hydrogen economy, the creation of a fuel economy based on hydrogen, is not only practical and realistic but is available to our global society in the near-term.
He points out that by storing hydrogen reversibly in disordered solids, this solves the problems of storage, kinetics (speed of uptake and release) and cycle life. To this end, Ovshinsky and his colleagues have created a family of hydride compounds capable of real-world applications. Underpinning this is the vast catalytic surface area found in these materials, which means that when fabricated into thin film, continuous web, multi-junction devices, they can use the entire spectrum of sunlight to break up water to generate hydrogen, which is stored within the material ready for later use.
Inderscience Publishers
The global economy is based upon energy but society needs now, more than ever, a non-polluting fuel that requires no strategic military defense unlike oil. "The transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen is of revolutionary import not only for its societal impact but also for the new materials science that it absolutely requires in all of its aspects," explains Ovshinsky, "New science and new technologies build much needed new industries, which provide not only jobs but also feedback into the educational system."
According to Ovshinsky, the hydrogen economy, which will emerge from such technology, was kick-started with the introduction of the Ovonic nickel metal hydride battery used in hybrid vehicles. Reversible storage of hydrogen in a solid hydride permits the entire loop of hydrogen generation, storage and use, to be carried out now, rather than at some distant point in the future. Ovshinsky suggests that that despite the observations of some critics of the notion of a hydrogen economy, the creation of a fuel economy based on hydrogen, is not only practical and realistic but is available to our global society in the near-term.
He points out that by storing hydrogen reversibly in disordered solids, this solves the problems of storage, kinetics (speed of uptake and release) and cycle life. To this end, Ovshinsky and his colleagues have created a family of hydride compounds capable of real-world applications. Underpinning this is the vast catalytic surface area found in these materials, which means that when fabricated into thin film, continuous web, multi-junction devices, they can use the entire spectrum of sunlight to break up water to generate hydrogen, which is stored within the material ready for later use.
Inderscience Publishers
Hydrogen Economy Current Events and Hydrogen Economy News RSSIowa State engineer works to clean and improve engine performance
The five engines in Song-Charng Kong's Iowa State University laboratory have come a long way since Karl Benz patented a two-stroke internal combustion engine in 1879.
New aluminum-rich alloy produces hydrogen on-demand for large-scale uses
Purdue University engineers have developed a new aluminum-rich alloy that produces hydrogen by splitting water and is economically competitive with conventional fuels for transportation and power generation.
NIST building facility for hydrogen pipeline testing
Efforts to create a "hydrogen economy" to reduce U.S. oil imports will get a boost from a new laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that will evaluate tests, materials, mechanical properties and standards for hydrogen pipelines.
Leeds researchers fuelling the 'hydrogen economy'
Scientists at the University of Leeds are turning low-grade sludge into high-value gas in a process which could make eco-friendly biodiesel even greener and more economical to produce.
Engineered eggshells to help make hydrogen fuel
Engineers at Ohio State University have found a way to turn discarded chicken eggshells into an alternative energy resource. The patented process uses eggshells to soak up carbon dioxide from a reaction that produces hydrogen fuel. It also includes a unique method for peeling the collagen-containing membrane from the inside of the shells, so that the collagen can be used commercially.
Engineers perfecting hydrogen-generating technology
Researchers at Purdue University have further developed a technology that could represent a pollution-free energy source for a range of potential applications, from golf carts to submarines and cars to emergency portable generators.
New aerogels could clean contaminated water, purify hydrogen for fuel cells
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have identified a new technique for cleansing contaminated water and potentially purifying hydrogen for use in fuel cells, thanks to the discovery of a innovative type of porous material.
Novel sugar-to-hydrogen technology promises transportation fuel independence
The hydrogen economy is not a futuristic concept. The U.S. Department of Energy's 2006 Advance Energy Initiative calls for competitive ethanol from plant sources by 2012 and a good selection of hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles by 2020.
Platinum nanocrystals boost catalytic activity for fuel oxidation, hydrogen production
A research team composed of electrochemists and materials scientists from two continents has produced a new form of the industrially-important metal platinum: 24-facet nanocrystals whose catalytic activity per unit area can be as much as four times higher than existing commercial platinum catalysts.
Invention could solve "bottleneck" in developing pollution-free cars
Hydrogen-powered cars that do not pollute the environment are a step closer thanks to a new discovery which promises to solve the main problem holding back the technology.
More Hydrogen Economy Current Events and Hydrogen Economy News Articles
 | The Hydrogen Economy by Jeremy Rifkin The road to global security," writes Jeremy Rifkin, "lies in lessening our dependence on Middle East oil and making sure that all people on Earth have access to the energy they need to sustain life. Weaning the world off oil and turning it toward hydrogen is a promissory note for a safer world." Rifkin's international bestseller The Hydrogen Economy presents the clearest, most comprehensive case... |
 | The Hydrogen Economy: Opportunities, Costs, Barriers, and R&D Needs by Committee on Alternatives and Strategies for Future Hydrogen Production and Use, National Research Council, National Academy of Engineering The announcement of a hydrogen fuel initiative in the President’s 2003 State of the Union speech substantially increased interest in the potential for hydrogen to play a major role in the nation’s long-term energy future. Prior to that event, DOE asked the National Research Council to examine key technical issues about the hydrogen economy to assist in the development of its hydrogen R&D... |
 | The Hydrogen Economy by Jeremy Rifkin The message of The Hydrogen Economy is resoundingly simple: The earth is depleting its oil reserves and even the most generous estimates show oil reserves peaking in about forty years. The specter of global warming and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the oil-rich regions of the earth worsen the problem considerably. The answer, asserts Rifkin, is to embrace a new energy source that is just... |
 | Materials for the Hydrogen Economy Hydrogen offers a promising alternative for supplying clean and sustainable energy to meet increasing demands worldwide. However, materials are key to transforming the technology into a viable industry. Materials for the Hydrogen Economy describes the technical challenges and the current efforts in developing materials possessing the properties required for handling each stage of the hydrogen... |
 | Light, Water, Hydrogen: The Solar Generation of Hydrogen by Water Photoelectrolysis by Craig A. Grimes, Oomman K. Varghese, Sudhir Ranjan The development of a direct, inexpensive, and efficient method for converting solar energy into a portable, clean fuel would allow elimination of the growing problems associated with the ever increasing use of fossil fuels and the reality of their rapid depletion. As the title suggests, Light, Water, Hydrogen: The Solar Generation of Hydrogen by Water Photoelectrolysis, considers the... |
 | The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy by Darryl McMahon The perfect storm is approaching for energy in North America.World peak oil production has arrived. North American peak natural gas production is knocking on the door. The electrical generation and transmission system is suffering from years of under-investment in the wake of deregulation, corporate mergers, market gaming and cost cutting to boost short-term share values. Demand continues to... |
 | Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius by Gavin D J Harper FUEL YOUR EVIL URGES WHILE YOU BUILD GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS! Go green as you amass power! Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius broadens your knowledge of this important, rapidly developing technology and shows you how to build practical, environmentally conscious projects using the three most popular and widely accessible fuel cells! In Fuel Cell Projects for the Evil Genius, high-tech... |
 | Stan Ovshinsky and the Hydrogen Economy: Creating a Better World by Ph.D. George S. Howard Almost five decades ago, Stan and Iris Ovshinsky proposed a radical idea, the hydrogen loop, to fully utilize the benefits of hydrogen, the universes ultimate energy source. What started as this couples inspiring commitment to make the world a better place is now realized in the products and technologies offered by the company they founded Energy Conversion Devices. Stan Ovshinsky is likely to... |
| La economia del hidrogeno/ The Hydrogen Economy: La Creacion De La Red Energetica Mundial Y La Redistribucion Del Poder En La Tierra/ The Creation of the ... and the Redistribution o (Bolsillo/ Pocket) by Jeremy Rifkin | |
 | Our Future Is Hydrogen: Energy, Environment, and Economy by Robert Siblerud Our Future is Hydrogen!' is a book that gives our planet Earth hope by providing a solution to global warming and dwindling fossil fuels. Both the automobile and oil industries have realized that hydrogen will be the energy of the future, beliefs held by many politicians and world governments. The book describes the need for alternative energy and explains hydrogen's history, properties, safety,... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |