Hydrogen Storage – Holds Promise for Greenhouse Gas-Free Fuel
So lets tell you how to make Hydrogen Storage safer… Hydrogen has been called the ‘fuel of the future’ by some energy experts because when burned in oxygen the gas does not produce carbon dioxide or other harmful greenhouse gases. It produces only water as a byproduct of combustion. Currently, many metropolitan buses and local trash-hauling trucks are hydrogen powered. Engineers also envision ships as well as airplanes that one day may run on hydrogen. While hydrogen could solve a lot of environmental problems, it has a major drawback: storage.
The lighter-than-air gas is highly volatile at ambient temperatures and must be stored at extremely low temperature or high pressure, which limits its widespread use. Silver, gold and copper may offer an answer, according to Cristina Trujillo, PhD., Trinity College, Dublin Ireland, who, working with researchers from the Instituto de Química Médica in Spain, discovered that compounds of the three metals were able to react with hydrogen atoms during its production in a manner that kept the end product from being dangerously volatile.
In a prepared statement, Trujillo said: “For decades now many research groups across the world have put their efforts into this issue [lowering greenhouse gases]. One of the most studied alternatives has been hydrogen as a clean and carbon dioxide-free energy source, but it presents multiple problems due to its reactivity, low density and stability. Our contribution here — made via quantum chemistry techniques — has been to show that gold, silver and copper hydride complexes are very likely to effectively retain hydrogen in a stable manner. We hope that this work will have multiple applications in times to come.” Toyota is one of several truck makers developing hydrogenpowered long-haul trucks. To download a copy of the report, please click here
Here is more information on Hydrogen Storage:
Hydrogen may be kept as either a gas or a liquid, depending on the use. High-pressure tanks are often required for hydrogen storage in gas form (tank pressures of 350–700 bar [5,000–10,000 psi]). Because hydrogen has a boiling point of 252.8°C at one atmosphere of pressure, it can only be stored as a liquid at very low temperatures. In addition to adsorption, hydrogen may also be held inside solids (by absorption).
Goals for scientific research and advancement.
Research and development efforts are carried out by HFTO in order to enhance the technology of hydrogen storage systems and to create new materials for hydrogen storage. Hydrogen storage aboard light-duty vehicles, material-handling equipment, and portable power applications must be enough to achieve DOE requirements for hydrogen storage.
On-board automobile hydrogen storage systems will be developed by 2020 by HFTO to match consumer expectations for range, passenger and cargo capacity, refueling time, and overall vehicle performance. For permanent and portable applications, high-density hydrogen storage remains a considerable barrier, as does transportation.
Hydrogen gas storage devices in high volumes are the only currently accessible storage solutions. For stationary applications, the footprint of compressed gas tanks may not be as crucial, therefore this is less of a concern. In order for fuel-cell cars to have a driving range of more than 300 miles and the ability to recharge the vehicle fast and inexpensively, they need a significant amount of hydrogen.
Despite the fact that certain light-duty hydrogen fuel cell electric cars (FCEVs) are capable of this range, these vehicles will depend on compressed gas onboard storage utilizing large-volume, high-pressure composite containers.
It may not be as much of an issue for bigger cars, but storing enough hydrogen on all light-duty platforms remains a problem. A glance at this page’s sales distribution by range chart reveals that most cars sold now are capable of surpassing the 300-mile-range minimum. Hydrogen has a mass-based energy content that is approximately three times that of gasoline: 120 MJ/kg against 44 MJ/kg.
Liquid hydrogen has a density of 8 MJ/L, but gasoline has a density of 32 MJ/L, as seen in the picture comparing energy densities of fuels based on lower heating values. However, on a volumetric basis, the situation is inverted. The driving range of all light-duty vehicle platforms will need onboard hydrogen storage capacity of 5–13 kg.
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Silvers Role in Global Connectivity
Spencer Campbell
Director SE Asia Consulting - Precious Metals Consultant
