Breakthrough in search for green fuels?
08/01/09 15:29 Filed in: News
Scientists at the University of Aberdeen,
in Scotland, may have made a breakthrough in
finding a truly green way to fuel zero-emission vehicles in the
future.
Many motor manufacturers have identified hydrogen as the fuel of the future. Whether used in a combustion engine, as championed by BMW, or in a fuel cell, as seen in the Honda FCX Clarity, this fuel produces nothing more noxious in the way of emissions than pure water.
The potential for hydrogen-powered cars is amply demonstrated by the fact that BMW have a fleet of 7 Series currently running on hydrogen and the Honda FCX Clarity currently running on the roads of California.
The big problem has been how to obtain the hydrogen. Although it is one of the most common elements in our environment, it has been a fuel-hungry process to isolate it. According to the university, more than 90% of hydrogen is currently generated from natural gas found in fossil fuels.
A field of barley, or is it hydrogen generation?
So the fuel may be green, but the process is not.
The University of Aberdeen breakthrough is that hydrogen can be generated from the fermentation of crops. The new method - which has the potential to be used to power homes, buildings and cars in the future - is the result of a 10 year collaboration project between scientists from the University of Aberdeen alongside international partner laboratories.
his new method is, the university say, carbon neutral, because any carbon dioxide produced is assimilated back into the environment and used by plants to grow.
"We have successfully created the first stable catalyst which can generate hydrogen using ethanol produced from crop fermentation at realistic conditions,” says Professor Hicham Idriss, Energy Futures Chair at the University of Aberdeen. "Moreover, hydrogen generated using this method is very clean and therefore suitable for fuel cells because it also converts all carbon monoxide, which is poisonous, generated in the process to carbon dioxide at the same time.”
The catalyst is made of very small nanoparticles of metals deposited on larger nanoparticles of a support called cerium oxide which is also used in catalytic converters in cars. At present the generation of hydrogen needed to power a mid size fuel cell can be achieved using 1 Kg of this catalyst.
"As with traditional methods of hydrogen production, carbon dioxide is still created during the process we have developed,” Prof Idriss confirms. “However unlike fossil fuels which are underground we are using ethanol generated from an above the ground source – plants or crops. This means that any carbon dioxide created during the process is assimilated back into the environment and is then used by plants as part of their natural cycle of growth.”
Many motor manufacturers have identified hydrogen as the fuel of the future. Whether used in a combustion engine, as championed by BMW, or in a fuel cell, as seen in the Honda FCX Clarity, this fuel produces nothing more noxious in the way of emissions than pure water.
The potential for hydrogen-powered cars is amply demonstrated by the fact that BMW have a fleet of 7 Series currently running on hydrogen and the Honda FCX Clarity currently running on the roads of California.
The big problem has been how to obtain the hydrogen. Although it is one of the most common elements in our environment, it has been a fuel-hungry process to isolate it. According to the university, more than 90% of hydrogen is currently generated from natural gas found in fossil fuels.
A field of barley, or is it hydrogen generation?
So the fuel may be green, but the process is not.
The University of Aberdeen breakthrough is that hydrogen can be generated from the fermentation of crops. The new method - which has the potential to be used to power homes, buildings and cars in the future - is the result of a 10 year collaboration project between scientists from the University of Aberdeen alongside international partner laboratories.
his new method is, the university say, carbon neutral, because any carbon dioxide produced is assimilated back into the environment and used by plants to grow.
"We have successfully created the first stable catalyst which can generate hydrogen using ethanol produced from crop fermentation at realistic conditions,” says Professor Hicham Idriss, Energy Futures Chair at the University of Aberdeen. "Moreover, hydrogen generated using this method is very clean and therefore suitable for fuel cells because it also converts all carbon monoxide, which is poisonous, generated in the process to carbon dioxide at the same time.”
The catalyst is made of very small nanoparticles of metals deposited on larger nanoparticles of a support called cerium oxide which is also used in catalytic converters in cars. At present the generation of hydrogen needed to power a mid size fuel cell can be achieved using 1 Kg of this catalyst.
"As with traditional methods of hydrogen production, carbon dioxide is still created during the process we have developed,” Prof Idriss confirms. “However unlike fossil fuels which are underground we are using ethanol generated from an above the ground source – plants or crops. This means that any carbon dioxide created during the process is assimilated back into the environment and is then used by plants as part of their natural cycle of growth.”