Hydrogen has been heralded as the fuel of the future before and will
continue to be so in the future.
In 1806, it powered the first internal combustion engine to run on gasoline.
Carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is mostly used in the chemical and refining
sectors to make hydrogen today.
Its yearly CO2 emissions are 830 million metric tons, which is the same as the combined
emissions of the United Kingdom and Indonesia combined.
While green hydrogen will reduce pollution, many old issues remain, the
most pressing of which is how to securely store it.
Hydrogen storage currently necessitates extremely high pressure,
making it prohibitively expensive and inefficient for broad usage
in automobiles.
However, what if we could cheaply store hydrogen as a solid?
A start-up company has finally found the solution to
the hydrogen storage problem.
Heavy-duty e-mobility applications such as buses, vehicles, trains, and ships
rely heavily on hydrogen.
This is because these large-scale vehicles demand
a lot of energy that batteries can't supply today.
As long as you have access to hydrogen, a fuel cell doesn't need to be
recharged like a battery.
When compared to batteries, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have a higher
driving range and a shorter refilling time.
As a result, hydrogen is an excellent fuel for long-distance travel.
However, there is still an issue.
How can you safely and economically store a
large amount of hydrogen onboard?
In order to safely store hydrogen as a gas, high-pressure containers must be
used, which are expensive and difficult to maintain.
You could also compress it and transform it into a liquid.
However, hydrogen boils at -252.8°C (- 423°F)3, so if you want to preserve it in
a liquid state, you'll have to cool it down and put it in a cryogenic tank which
is costly to maintain.
When compared to storing a liquid molecule, solid storage of single atoms
would pack more hydrogen into a smaller space.
Furthermore, because this method does not require high pressure or cold
temperatures, it is more cost- effective.
Hydrogen-powered electric vehicles might then compete with
gasoline-powered automobiles, and perhaps even battery-powered electric
vehicles, thanks to this low-cost method of boosting their range.
Many studies have been conducted on solid-state hydrogen storage
applications because of this.
Normally, there are two ways to attach hydrogen to a metallic complex.
This is the process of hydrogen molecules or individual atoms adsorbing onto
solid surfaces.
The adsorbent is a term for that surface.
Absorption is still another possibility.
Absorbents are able to attach hydrogen to their internal structure in this way.
You get what's known as a metal hydride in both circumstances.
Plasma Kinetics, a new company, has come up with an alternative approach.
This is a three-pronged zero-carbon system that does various jobs: capture,
storage, and transport, according to their website.
According to them, this new technology offers a greater energy capacity and
lower cost than lithium-ion batteries.
The recharge time is about 5 minutes.
Using a light-activated nano-scale sheet that is ten times thinner than a
human hair, the company claims to have captured hydrogen from the air.
This hydrogen sponge may trap gas at low temperatures and pressures,
resulting in a lower overall cost for the consumer or business.
Then all you have to do is shine a light on the film to
get some hydrogen out.
Isn't that a bit simplistic?
Their project, on the other hand, is so brilliant that it was banned!
However, let's take a closer look at this new technology.
It is important to know the origin of this concept first.
During a presentation to the US Department of Energy in 2009, Plasma
Kinetics revealed their Light Activated Energy Storage (LAES) technology,
which was first described as transformative.
Then, after some time, they changed their minds and began to refer to it as
disruptive.
Their invention, it appears, supplies an energy source that is
protected by US national security.
As a result, the US government put a hold on Plasma Kinetics' patent until 2017, slowing
their progress.
So, what's the big deal about it?
In order to capture hydrogen at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature, Plasma Kinetics
has developed a nanophotonic filter.
The system could harvest 99.99 percent pure hydrogen
directly from smokestacks and gas streams and solidify it in metric tons per
day.
How realistic do you think it is to implement this?
The material selection appears to be key in this unusual creation.
One definition of SMA is that it is an alloy that
retains its shape even after it has been reshaped.
Molding this material at a low temperature and then heating
it to restore it to its former form is typical.
SMAs, despite their resemblance to plastic, are really made of nickel and
titanium alloys.
Mechanical actuators and medical stents are two major SMA applications.
You may find magnesium in Plasma Kinetics' SMA.
This alkaline-earth metal is also a key component of chlorophyll, the
photosynthetic pigment utilized by plants.
That is why the substance used by the company interacts with
light.
When comparing light-activated hydrides to ordinary metal hydrides,
this feature is the most important distinction.
The second type of material uses reversible absorption to connect hydrogen
atoms to their solid framework; however, it must be released at
temperatures of up to 200°C (392°F).
The company has referred to its product as either a DVD player or a CD
projector.
And according to the company, to liberate the mean trapped
hydrogen in a cassette, canister, or disc, simply beam a laser light on the
hydrogen-filled material.
The item is described as a movie projector or a CD player by the company.
To liberate the mean trapped hydrogen in a cassette, canister, or disc, you
just have to simply beam a laser light on the hydrogen-filled material.
Doesn't that sound like something out of a sci-fi movie?
Exactly how does it actually operate, or should we say, how is it claimed to
work?
During the absorption cycle, negatively charged spots within the film's
nanopores absorb positively charged hydrogen atoms.
When a laser strikes the film, the light changes the polarity of
the link from negative to positive, releasing the hydrogen atoms.
That's the key advantage of their system: unlike traditional metal hydrides, it doesn't
heat up the material during the desorption process.
Hydrogen is currently produced through energy-intensive and high-carbon
technologies such as natural gas reforming or electrolysis.
As a result, Plasma Kinetics' zero-carbon capture technique
might have a significant environmental impact on hydrogen generation.
That is, assuming it even works at all.
While hydrogen-powered passenger cars are unlikely to catch on in the same
way as battery-powered vehicles have, the way this technology is expected
to function is that you buy a hydrogen-filled disc cartridge from a
convenience store.
It does not necessitate particular safety storage, such as
hydrogen gas canisters.
When a hydrogen-filled disc cartridge runs out, you simply take it back and
exchange it for a new one.
It is said that it would only take a few minutes to
replace the cartridges in the vehicle.
The decarbonization of energy grids is another big market segment.
That's because, according to Plasma Kinetics, this
gadget can make green hydrogen even greener.
Hydrogen produced through electrolysis driven by renewable sources would
be stored in the company's storage facility.
Compression or liquefaction is not necessary for the storage of some of the
green hydrogen.
In order to generate green electricity, you can feed the
clean hydrogen into fuel cells.
On overcast days or when the wind doesn't blow, this would fill the gaps in
the clean power supply, making our renewables-based grid more adaptable
and resilient.
A wind farm is an example of a location where the film-containing canisters
could be erected.
Low-cost backup storage for rural communities or mobile
microgrids for rescue operations could be provided by these devices.
The capture and storage of hydrogen seem very promising, but what about
the distribution of hydrogen?
According to the company's pitch deck, they can securely transport 20,000
tons of hydrogen on a single ship by loading their containers one at a time.
That's enough to power 25,000 homes for a year in terms of energy.
However, how does their hydrogen storage invention stand up to its rivals?
The light-activated hydrides appear to overshadow the lithium-ion batteries
in every way.
While Lithium-ion batteries offer the same amount of energy
storage, Plasma Kinetics claims that its technology is 17 percent less
expensive and 30 percent lighter than Lithium-ion batteries.
The light- activated storage unit, on the other hand,
is believed to have an efficiency of up to 70%, which is slightly lower than high-capacity
batteries, which have an efficiency of between 70% and 90%.
Furthermore, while Plasma Kinetics' system has a lower energy density than
highly pressured storage, its materials are reported to be less expensive.
Using one of their light-activated hydrogen trucks instead of a compressed
hydrogen-powered vehicle, according to company calculations, would save
€20,000 per year in fuel expenditures.
This is because the cost of solid-state hydrogen per kWh is half that of compressed
hydrogen.
Plasma Kinetics' solid-state hydrogen systems appear to be too good to be
true.
But only time will tell if they can make it work or if their bluff remains
intact.
So, what are your thoughts on this idea of solid hydrogen storage?
Let's have them in the comments section.