Closing the hydrogen economic loopJuly 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 |
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| Related Hydrogen Economy Current Events and Hydrogen Economy News Articles Computer predicts reactions between molecules and surfaces, with 'chemical precision' Good news for heterogeneous catalysis and the hydrogen economy: computers can now be used to make accurate predictions of the reactions of (hydrogen) molecules with surfaces. An international team of researchers, headed by Leiden theoretical chemist Geert-Jan Kroes, published on this subject this week in the journal Science. Researchers demonstrate reversible generation of a high capacity hydrogen storage material Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River National Laboratory have created a reversible route to generate aluminum hydride, a high capacity hydrogen storage material. Synthetic catalyst mimics nature's 'hydrogen economy' By creating a model of the active site found in a naturally occurring enzyme, chemists at the University of Illinois have described a catalyst that acts like nature's most pervasive hydrogen processor. 1 sponge-like material, 3 different applications A new sponge-like material that is black, brittle and freeze-dried (just like the ice cream astronauts eat) can pull off some pretty impressive feats. Revealing new applications for carbon nanomaterials in hydrogen storage An international research team, involving Professor Rajeev Ahuja at Uppsala University and researchers in the USA, set out to understand the mechanism behind the catalytic effects of carbon nanomaterials. Iowa 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. More Hydrogen Economy Current Events and Hydrogen Economy News Articles |
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