Applying hydrogen storage technology to vehicle production

The new method of regenerating hydrogen-containing fuels could open the door to the production of hydrogen-powered engines.

The Angewandte Chemie magazine reported, Los Alamos National Laboratory and University of Alabama researchers collaborating with the US Hydrogen Reserve Center have made significant progress in the field of hydrogen gas storage.

In many ways, hydrogen gas is an ideal fuel for the transportation industry. It is plentiful and can be used to run fuel cells. Compared to internal combustion engines, fuel cells are much more efficient. Using hydrogen in fuel cells also eliminates waste gases that are harmful to the environment.

To meet the demand in the transport industry, an ideal fuel should be light enough to maintain total fuel efficiency and high energy content in a small unit. However, in normal conditions, pure hydrogen gas has an energy density (energy density) on a very low unit. This poses the technical challenge for using hydrogen in a single fuel tank to run long distances of 300 miles or more - according to the standards of the US Department of Energy (DOE).

So far, many people still consider this universe's lightest element to be light enough to be used as a transportation fuel.

To solve the problem of energy density of pure hydrogen gas, the Hydrogen Reserve Center has focused on using a material called hydride. Hydrogen can be produced from these substances and used to run fuel cells. Thanks to the hydrogen storage capacity, these compounds can be regarded as 'chemical gas tanks'.

Ammonia borane is a fuel that releases hydrogen. According to the model of Los Alamos National Laboratory, ammonia borane can be used to run gasoline tanks in cars. Once hydrogen is released, ammonia borane can be regenerated and reused. In the published model, the regeneration of the fuel separates hydrogen into ammonia borane that will take place outside the vehicle. (Photo: Physorg)

Typically hydride is ammonia borane because of its high hydrogen storage capacity, up to 20% by weight. The main drawback of ammonia borane is that there is no way to return hydrogen back to used fuel once it has been released.In other words, after hydrogen is released, ammonia borane is not adequately hydrated.

Los Alamos researchers are collaborating with colleagues at the University of Alabama to develop a method of recycling enough ammonia borane. The research team reached a breakthrough when it was discovered that it was possible to regenerate a specific form of hydrogen-splitting fuel, named polyborazylene, with very little fuel input. This is an important step in the use of ammonia borane for energy transport purposes in the transport industry.

Professor Gene Peterson, head of Chemistry at Los Alamos, said: 'This study marks a breakthrough in the energy storage industry and has a very practical application. The team is worthy of praise for this outstanding achievement. '

The hydrogen storage center is one of three centers funded by the US Energy Department. The other two centers specialize in hydrogen osmosis technology and hydrogen storage in metal hydrides. This group of three centers is joined by Los Alamos, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, scholars and industry partners.

Referring to the work described by Angewandte Chemie magazine, Los Alamos researcher John Gordon said, 'This breakthrough is due to the active collaboration of everyone in the center. Initially, there were countless test substances to test. '

Gordon added, 'The group's calculations were led by Professor Dave Dixon of the University of Alabama, who led the way towards the work of Los Alamos researcher Ben Davis. The extremely well-coordinated collaboration between the two groups clearly motivated this progress. '

Currently, the team is working with colleagues at the Dow Chemical Company, another center partner, to improve overall chemical performance and move toward the use of hydrogen-based fuels in the transport industry. on a large scale.

Document:
Readers can read the electronic version of the article in Angewandte Chemie No. 37, at the link http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/122453478/PDFSTART