[ production ]
The team from MIT is working to develop a small reactor that could operate on a marine vessel . This would also alleviate many of the issues with storing and transporting hydrogen .
“ We don ’ t have to carry a tank of hydrogen ,” adds Kombargi . “ Instead , we would transport aluminum as the ‘ fuel ,’ and just add water to produce the hydrogen that we need .”
While the advancement is noteworthy , a major drawback is the utilization of a rare and expensive metal alloy made from gallium and indium .
The company ’ s thermochemical green hydrogen process can also produce fuel when using recycled aluminum . The result is an output of 60 % hydrogen . Both the clean and recycled processes require no electricity and can utilize purified water as well as water sourced directly from oceans , rivers , lakes , or grey wastewater to produce hydrogen .
“ We are able to produce a kilogram of hydrogen right now for about $ 7 ,” adds Sattler . “ That puts it on par with other types of fuel currently on the market today .”
Bundle of energy
MIT is not the only one innovating with aluminum . David Sattler , who has more than 30 years of experience working in thermodynamics and heat transfer , and his colleague Robert Fullop have been looking to capture the power of low-cost green hydrogen . Recently , the pair were able to demonstrate a new process that utilizes only aluminum , water , and a reusable catalyst .
Energizing earth and beyond
If the cost of green hydrogen can be significantly reined in , its impacts could be felt immediately . This could include co-fired coal power generation plants as well as today ’ s internal combustion engines ( ICE ). Like using ethanol as an additive , low-cost green hydrogen can be added to ICE models to boost efficiency and reduce emissions . This would enable a smooth transition to full hydrogen production .
When mixed using pure aluminum , the three ingredients immediately start a chemical reaction that produces four commercially desirable byproducts : 99.9 % pure hydrogen , oxygen , heavy water – which can be used for fertilizer production – and alumina . The catalyst is proprietary but is not consumed in the process .
“ Using aluminum to create hydrogen actually dates back to at least World War II when it was produced on the battlefields and used as a weapon ,” explains Sattler , who also founded Marstecs – a space technology company focused on solving energy challenges to advance space tourism , interplanetary travel , and sustaining life on other celestial bodies . “ The key was to find a way to make it stable and safe , which we have done .”
Green hydrogen is not only an ideal option for Earth , but it also has the potential to be the future fuel on Mars . A recent peer-reviewed study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by U . C . San Diego ’ s Scripps Institution of Oceanography presented evidence of an ocean of water residing somewhere below the surface . If the findings – which are based on data from NASA ’ s InSight mission – hold true , it would open the door for the possibility of green hydrogen to power human habitation on the Red Planet .
With the Infrastructure Act of 2021 , the U . S . Congress appropriated $ 8 billion to support hydrogen projects , signaling a commitment to a hydrogen-powered future and its intention to lead the world in the transition . The challenge now is to improve hydrogen production techniques to drive down costs .
40 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 18 | October 2024