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Prototype design for nanoparticle-based green H 2 technology unveiled SunHydrogen has unveiled a prototype design for its forthcoming nanoparticlebased green hydrogen technology . By optimizing the science of water electrolysis at the nano level , the company ’ s low-cost nanoparticles mimic photosynthesis to efficiently use sunlight to separate hydrogen from water .
“ Within an individual Sun- Hydrogen panel , billions of microscopic nanoparticles are splitting apart water at the molecular level to produce hydrogen and oxygen ,” said Dr . Syed Mubeen , CEO of SunHydrogen . “ What you see in the rendered images is a single prototype panel contained in protective housing . In a future hydrogen production plant or farm , our panels would be scaled up in dimension to form a larger , more powerful array .”
The prototype design carefully integrates the company ’ s proprietary catalysts , light absorber and membrane integration assembly . The panel housing is built from lightweight , stable , modular materials that are easily scalable for mass manufacturing .
SunHydrogen ’ s nanoparticle technology directly uses the electrical charges created by sunlight to generate hydrogen when the sun is shining . However , when the sun is not shining , this prototype is also able to power the catalyst and membrane integration assembly using renewable grid electricity from wind or hydropower sources .
Once the prototype design is realized , the company ’ s scientific team will begin evaluating its performance and individual design elements to ensure efficient hydrogen production and collection .
New research project to focus on elastomer seals for H 2 transport Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF has announced a joint research project focused on elastomer seals for hydrogen transport .
The aim of the Hydro- TransSeal project is to understand the interaction mechanisms of hydrogen with elastomer materials and to take appropriate measures to make the materials more robust to permeation , adsorption and swelling when in contact with hydrogen ( e . g ., by selecting suitable fillers and additives ). Currently , hydrogen is still transported primarily by tank trucks and few pipeline systems exist . It is therefore necessary to evaluate elastomer seals used in existing pipeline systems regarding their suitability for hydrogen transport and , if necessary , to qualify them for use in order to simplify hydrogen transport . By developing a material and aging model , it will be possible to estimate the service life of elastomer materials based on their agingdependent behavior . In the long term , this will make it possible to optimize the compounds for the area of application . The project should also be an incentive for raw material suppliers in the field of elastomers to place innovative elastomer formulations in the promising field of hydrogen transport and to initiate new developments for these systems .
More information about the HydroTransSeal project and how to join it can be found here .
6 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 6 | October 2022