Metals-To-Hydrogen | Green Energy News

September 11, 2005 – Vol.10 No.25

METALS -TO - HYDROGEN.

There’s growing evidence that pure metals might be a good way to generate hydrogen for fuel cells.

A major stumbling block to fuel cell commercialization is in hydrogen generation, storage, distribution and fueling. On-board hydrogen reformers add complexity and cost. Hydrogen in cylinders compressed to 10,000 psi would be scary in the hands of consumers. The same is true for hydrogen super-chilled and liquified. Hydrogen stored in metal hydrides seems possible but expensive.

However, ordinary metals immersed in a bath of electrolyte (like salt water) will release some hydrogen that could be captured and fed into a fuel cell. The process is the simple galvanic reaction that takes place in typical batteries, like lead-acid car batteries. In the reaction one of the metals (the anode) decays, corrodes, oxidizes or is sacrificed (all the same, call it what you like). The other metal (the cathode) remains untouched. Wired together in a circuit the two will produce a small electric current, but also some hydrogen will be released from the breakdown of the water/electrolyte.

The trick would be to develop a device that is similar to a battery cell, but is more efficient at generating hydrogen than electricity. And, to design a device where the anode (only one perhaps) can be removed and replaced.

At least one company has caught on to this simple process, Hydrogen Power of Seattle, Washington. The company has patented a technology it calls Hydrogen Now where hydrogen is generated in a split-water reaction using aluminum, water and sea water. The company, recently bought by investment company Equitex, says it is planning technologies that will deliver hydrogen at low, medium and high pressures for use in anything from low-voltage fuel cells to portable fuel cells to hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines.

The company does say in a statement that the technology could be used to generate hydrogen at fuel cell vehicle filling stations. The company mentions using the technology as a back-up supply of hydrogen in a vehicle, not the primary on-board supply.

Visit Hydrogen Power at http://www.hydrogenpowerinc.com/

Note: ENERGIES from the week of 8/14/05 featured a story about Weizmann Institute of Science that has been experimenting with a process where concentrated solar energy would be used to purify and recycle zinc that would then be used to generate hydrogen. Visit Weizmann http://www.weizmann.ac.il/ and their Solar Research Facilities and the SolarTower of Power at http://www.weizmann.ac.il/ESER/solar_page.html