Hydrogen breakthrough could be a game-changer for the future
Discussion
Hydrogen breakthrough could be a game-changer for the future of car fuels
Marion O'sullivan
UK researchers today announced what they believe to be a game changer in the use of hydrogen as a "green" fuel.
A new discovery by scientists at the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), offers a viable solution to the challenges of storage and cost by using ammonia as a clean and secure hydrogen-containing energy source to produce hydrogen on-demand in situ.
Hydrogen is considered by many to be the best alternative fuel for automotive purposes but there are complications with its safe and efficient storage and very significant concerns surrounding the costs of a hydrogen infrastructure for transportation. This new discovery may well have found the answers to both these challenges.
When the components of ammonia are separated (a technique known as cracking) they form one part nitrogen and three parts hydrogen. Many catalysts can effectively crack ammonia to release the hydrogen, but the best ones are very expensive precious metals. This new method is different and involves two simultaneous chemical processes rather than using a catalyst, and can achieve the same result at a fraction of the cost.
Ammonia can be stored on-board in vehicles at low pressures in conformable plastic tanks. Meanwhile on the forecourts, the infrastructure technology for ammonia is as straightforward as that for liquid petroleum gas (LPG).
Professor Bill David, who led the STFC research team at the ISIS Neutron Source, said "Our approach is as effective as the best current catalysts but the active material, sodium amide, costs pennies to produce. We can produce hydrogen from ammonia 'on demand' effectively and affordably.
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Hydrogen breakthrough could be a game-changer for the future of car fuels
Prof. Bill David (right) and Dr Martin Jones with the ammonia decomposition reactor. Credit: STFC
Few people think of ammonia as a fuel but we believe that it is the natural alternative to fossil fuels. For cars, we don't even need to go to the complications of a fuel-cell vehicle. A small amount of hydrogen mixed with ammonia is sufficient to provide combustion in a conventional car engine. While our process is not yet optimised, we estimate that an ammonia decomposition reactor no bigger than a 2-litre bottle will provide enough hydrogen to run a mid-range family car."
"We've even thought about how we can make ammonia as safe as possible and stop the release of NOx gases," added Professor David. "This fundamental science therefore has immense potential to change the use of hydrogen as a fuel."
Dr. Martin Jones, also from STFC and who with Professor David invented this new process, said "Having developed this new approach to decompose ammonia, we are now in the process of creating a first low-power static demonstrator system. Our technology will no doubt evolve, but our research invites scientists and technologists to address a different set of questions."
David Willetts, the UK Minister for Universities and Science, said "This is exactly the sort of innovation we need UK researchers and engineers to develop to secure our role as a global leader in this field, putting Britain at the forefront of solving modern day transportation problems. This breakthrough could also hugely contribute to our efforts to reduce our greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050."
Ammonia is already one of the most transported bulk chemicals worldwide. It is ammonia that is the feedstock for the fertilisers that enable the production of almost half the world's food. Increasing ammonia production is technologically straightforward and there is no obvious reason why this existing infrastructure cannot be extended so that ammonia not only feeds but powers the planet.
2015 will be a significant year in the development of the car. While there is currently substantial interest and excitement in all-electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S, next year car manufacturers will begin to roll out a new generation of fuel-cell electric vehicles. Batteries play a significant role in these cars but the vehicle range, which will be equivalent to conventional cars, will be provided by a fuel cell powered by hydrogen.
These hybrid vehicles are touted to be the way ahead but while all-battery cars have issues with driving range, hydrogen provision is a major headache both on-board for the fuel cells and on the forecourt for refuelling. The hydrogen in these 2015 cars will be stored on-board in very high pressure tanks, and at even higher pressures at the forecourts. The safety issues of storing hydrogen on-board at these pressures are substantial while the cost issues of installing a new high-pressure infrastructure at the forecourts across the nation are currently massively prohibitive.
Speaking about this new development from the team at STFC, Professor David MacKay FRS, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said "We believe that there is no single solution to the challenges we face in decarbonising the fuel chain, but this research suggests that ammonia based technologies are worth further consideration and may well play an important part in the future energy landscape."
Five years ago, Professor Steven Chu, Nobel Prize winner and, at that time, the US Secretary of State for Energy in the Obama administration, sounded a death knell for the hydrogen economy with his statement that, while it takes only three miracles to be declared a saint, it would take four miracles to achieve a hydrogen-based energy economy. This work from STFC researchers could well be a turning point.
Kate Ronayne, Head of Innovation at STFC said: "This exciting research has the potential to dramatically influence the static and mobile energy solutions of the future. While still at an early stage, this innovative work offers a very elegant solution to some of the major challenges in harnessing the power of hydrogen as a fuel source."
phys.org
http://www.silverbearcafe.com/privat...4/ammonia.h...
Marion O'sullivan
UK researchers today announced what they believe to be a game changer in the use of hydrogen as a "green" fuel.
A new discovery by scientists at the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), offers a viable solution to the challenges of storage and cost by using ammonia as a clean and secure hydrogen-containing energy source to produce hydrogen on-demand in situ.
Hydrogen is considered by many to be the best alternative fuel for automotive purposes but there are complications with its safe and efficient storage and very significant concerns surrounding the costs of a hydrogen infrastructure for transportation. This new discovery may well have found the answers to both these challenges.
When the components of ammonia are separated (a technique known as cracking) they form one part nitrogen and three parts hydrogen. Many catalysts can effectively crack ammonia to release the hydrogen, but the best ones are very expensive precious metals. This new method is different and involves two simultaneous chemical processes rather than using a catalyst, and can achieve the same result at a fraction of the cost.
Ammonia can be stored on-board in vehicles at low pressures in conformable plastic tanks. Meanwhile on the forecourts, the infrastructure technology for ammonia is as straightforward as that for liquid petroleum gas (LPG).
Professor Bill David, who led the STFC research team at the ISIS Neutron Source, said "Our approach is as effective as the best current catalysts but the active material, sodium amide, costs pennies to produce. We can produce hydrogen from ammonia 'on demand' effectively and affordably.
Click image for larger version.
Name: hydrogenbrea.jpg
Views: 89
Size: 31.3 KB
ID: 62517
Hydrogen breakthrough could be a game-changer for the future of car fuels
Prof. Bill David (right) and Dr Martin Jones with the ammonia decomposition reactor. Credit: STFC
Few people think of ammonia as a fuel but we believe that it is the natural alternative to fossil fuels. For cars, we don't even need to go to the complications of a fuel-cell vehicle. A small amount of hydrogen mixed with ammonia is sufficient to provide combustion in a conventional car engine. While our process is not yet optimised, we estimate that an ammonia decomposition reactor no bigger than a 2-litre bottle will provide enough hydrogen to run a mid-range family car."
"We've even thought about how we can make ammonia as safe as possible and stop the release of NOx gases," added Professor David. "This fundamental science therefore has immense potential to change the use of hydrogen as a fuel."
Dr. Martin Jones, also from STFC and who with Professor David invented this new process, said "Having developed this new approach to decompose ammonia, we are now in the process of creating a first low-power static demonstrator system. Our technology will no doubt evolve, but our research invites scientists and technologists to address a different set of questions."
David Willetts, the UK Minister for Universities and Science, said "This is exactly the sort of innovation we need UK researchers and engineers to develop to secure our role as a global leader in this field, putting Britain at the forefront of solving modern day transportation problems. This breakthrough could also hugely contribute to our efforts to reduce our greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050."
Ammonia is already one of the most transported bulk chemicals worldwide. It is ammonia that is the feedstock for the fertilisers that enable the production of almost half the world's food. Increasing ammonia production is technologically straightforward and there is no obvious reason why this existing infrastructure cannot be extended so that ammonia not only feeds but powers the planet.
2015 will be a significant year in the development of the car. While there is currently substantial interest and excitement in all-electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S, next year car manufacturers will begin to roll out a new generation of fuel-cell electric vehicles. Batteries play a significant role in these cars but the vehicle range, which will be equivalent to conventional cars, will be provided by a fuel cell powered by hydrogen.
These hybrid vehicles are touted to be the way ahead but while all-battery cars have issues with driving range, hydrogen provision is a major headache both on-board for the fuel cells and on the forecourt for refuelling. The hydrogen in these 2015 cars will be stored on-board in very high pressure tanks, and at even higher pressures at the forecourts. The safety issues of storing hydrogen on-board at these pressures are substantial while the cost issues of installing a new high-pressure infrastructure at the forecourts across the nation are currently massively prohibitive.
Speaking about this new development from the team at STFC, Professor David MacKay FRS, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said "We believe that there is no single solution to the challenges we face in decarbonising the fuel chain, but this research suggests that ammonia based technologies are worth further consideration and may well play an important part in the future energy landscape."
Five years ago, Professor Steven Chu, Nobel Prize winner and, at that time, the US Secretary of State for Energy in the Obama administration, sounded a death knell for the hydrogen economy with his statement that, while it takes only three miracles to be declared a saint, it would take four miracles to achieve a hydrogen-based energy economy. This work from STFC researchers could well be a turning point.
Kate Ronayne, Head of Innovation at STFC said: "This exciting research has the potential to dramatically influence the static and mobile energy solutions of the future. While still at an early stage, this innovative work offers a very elegant solution to some of the major challenges in harnessing the power of hydrogen as a fuel source."
phys.org
http://www.silverbearcafe.com/privat...4/ammonia.h...
LOW4LYFE said:
So, you are still driving around on a huge bomb and the government can whack a great big tax on it at the pumps.
No thanks.
The way I read it was that the fuel tank contains ammonia, which is cracked on demand into hydrogen and nitrogen - so no, you're not driving round sitting on a bomb, you're sitting on a vat of poison No thanks.
Tax comment still stands though
Definitely a step forward in Hydrogen as a fuel IMO - my main issue with H2 as fuel is the cost of producing the H2 in the first place (either using lots of electricity so why not just have electric cars or precious metals that are rare, expensive and dirty to produce, or both!). If this makes that cheaper and easier then that's good. The NOx exhausts are a worry though, so it's a little disappointing to see the article says "We've even looked at..." suggesting that's an extra rather than an integral part of the process.
Will be interesting to see if it goes anywhere.
Will be interesting to see if it goes anywhere.
What I don't understand is why they're using ammonia to get the hydrogen. Most ammonia is produced by the Haber process, which uses 'raw' hydrogen and nitrogen to produce the NH3, and this requires massive heat and pressure, about 300 degrees Celsius and 100 ATMs, which of course uses huge quantities of fossil fuels to produce the energy required, so 'green energy' is a push to far IMO.
Wouldn't it just be better to use the hydrogen from the cracking of the fossil fuels such as butane or methane?
Wouldn't it just be better to use the hydrogen from the cracking of the fossil fuels such as butane or methane?
ConorE said:
What I don't understand is why they're using ammonia to get the hydrogen. Most ammonia is produced by the Haber process, which uses 'raw' hydrogen and nitrogen to produce the NH3, and this requires massive heat and pressure, about 300 degrees Celsius and 100 ATMs, which of course uses huge quantities of fossil fuels to produce the energy required, so 'green energy' is a push to far IMO.
Wouldn't it just be better to use the hydrogen from the cracking of the fossil fuels such as butane or methane?
Which also takes energy but at least the H2 is a by-product. This is why I still think electric cars powered by nuclear powerstation generated electricity are the most environmentally friendly solution to urban transport (and no local noxious emissions).Wouldn't it just be better to use the hydrogen from the cracking of the fossil fuels such as butane or methane?
ewenm said:
Which also takes energy but at least the H2 is a by-product. This is why I still think electric cars powered by nuclear powerstation generated electricity are the most environmentally friendly solution to urban transport (and no local noxious emissions).
I couldn't agree more. Not to mention to huge reduction in COx emissions, it's just the storage of the waste that needs to be sorted out really, before it becomes a viable, large scale solution.Good news, as it overcomes a lot of the transportation/distribution issues.
However, as a green fuel, hydrogen's credentials are a little undermined by the electricity required to produce the hydrogen - e.g: from electrolysis of water - in the first place. Given the state of our generating capacity in the UK currently, more power stations would probably be required to power the mass production of hydrogen.
Tailpipe emissions are water vapour though so the reduction in toxic exhaust emissions in urban areas could reduce a lot of premature deaths thus caused.
However, as a green fuel, hydrogen's credentials are a little undermined by the electricity required to produce the hydrogen - e.g: from electrolysis of water - in the first place. Given the state of our generating capacity in the UK currently, more power stations would probably be required to power the mass production of hydrogen.
Tailpipe emissions are water vapour though so the reduction in toxic exhaust emissions in urban areas could reduce a lot of premature deaths thus caused.
conkerman said:
What do you do with the Carbon monoxide/dioxide mix you get from cracking.
It'll still have crap energy density.
Pastry encased meat in the troposphere.
No doubt that's a problem, but you could ask the same question about the COx emissions when producing ammonia, it's just a step is taken out of the process, so to speak, as the ammonia would have to be cracked anyway, using further fossil fuels until a viable alternative arrives. It is basically just moving the pollution from one place to another at this moment in time, in an attempt to improve the efficiency.It'll still have crap energy density.
Pastry encased meat in the troposphere.
If you are going to use magic cheap green electricity to make hydrogen, then why not scrub some CO2 from the atmosphere and use it to make synthetic methanol? Then you just pour it in to our current tanker/service station system and then let drivers fill up their current cars with it and drive as normal.
No one likes change, but if we have to have one then lets have as small a change as possible, and one that doesn't involve the scrapping of the entire current vehicle fleet.
No one likes change, but if we have to have one then lets have as small a change as possible, and one that doesn't involve the scrapping of the entire current vehicle fleet.
Captain Muppet said:
If you are going to use magic cheap green electricity to make hydrogen, then why not scrub some CO2 from the atmosphere and use it to make synthetic methanol? Then you just pour it in to our current tanker/service station system and then let drivers fill up their current cars with it and drive as normal.
No one likes change, but if we have to have one then lets have as small a change as possible, and one that doesn't involve the scrapping of the entire current vehicle fleet.
I think the existing internal combustion engine can run on hydrogen, though obviously cars would need retro-fitting with ammonia tanks and a small ammonia 'cracking' unit (which the article states would be about the size of a 2 litre bottle), so no need to scrap everything...No one likes change, but if we have to have one then lets have as small a change as possible, and one that doesn't involve the scrapping of the entire current vehicle fleet.
ewenm said:
ConorE said:
What I don't understand is why they're using ammonia to get the hydrogen. Most ammonia is produced by the Haber process, which uses 'raw' hydrogen and nitrogen to produce the NH3, and this requires massive heat and pressure, about 300 degrees Celsius and 100 ATMs, which of course uses huge quantities of fossil fuels to produce the energy required, so 'green energy' is a push to far IMO.
Wouldn't it just be better to use the hydrogen from the cracking of the fossil fuels such as butane or methane?
Which also takes energy but at least the H2 is a by-product. This is why I still think electric cars powered by nuclear powerstation generated electricity are the most environmentally friendly solution to urban transport (and no local noxious emissions).Wouldn't it just be better to use the hydrogen from the cracking of the fossil fuels such as butane or methane?
It's an improvement in the handling and transport of hydrogen, but doesn't get round the fundamental problem of producing it in an energy efficient manner. We already produce enormous quantities of ammonia for agriculture, and in doing so consume a lot of energy which generates a substantial chunk of agricultural carbon emissions.
otolith said:
It's an improvement in the handling and transport of hydrogen, but doesn't get round the fundamental problem of producing it in an energy efficient manner. We already produce enormous quantities of ammonia for agriculture, and in doing so consume a lot of energy which generates a substantial chunk of agricultural carbon emissions.
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