NEW ADVANCES IN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION AND STORAGE

Hydrogen From Biofuel Waste
The largest byproduct of biofuel creation (biodiesel, ethanol, etc.) is glycerol.  The industrial uses for this are limited, so most of it is stockpiled and disposed of as a waste product.  Researchers at the Austin Peay State University in Tennessee have come up with a solution for that and for one of hydrogen’s most common concerns: where will it come from?

These researchers have found a way to convert the glycerol into hydrogen, thus making two renewable fuels out of one feedstock.  The process uses a bacteria called Enterobacter aerogenes, which feeds on the glycerol.  It converts the liquid byproduct into molecular hydrogen, which can be easily utilized in H2 applications.

Best of all, it’s eco-friendly, scalable, and solves one of biodiesel’s biggest problems: waste glycerol.

Two New Hydrogen Storage Ideas
Two more breakthroughs in possible H2 storage mediums for vehicles have been made.  One comes from cella energy and utilizes a high hydrogen storage concentration in a safe to handle and inexpensive container.

The plan uses ammonia borane (NH3BH3) and a new extraction process for pulling the hydrogen from the ammonia borane.  The process is called electrospinning and makes the extraction of the H2 from this medium must less expensive.  It can be scaled to all types of applications from hydrogen injection for existing internal combustion to full-scale, large vehicle applications like trains or big rigs.

Another storage breakthrough comes from a group of Scottish scientists at the University of Glasgow.  They are using nanotechnology to build better, safer, stronger, and lighter hydrogen storage tanks.

Using alternative materials and nanotech, the researchers have designed a new tank made from hydrides rather than the usual lanthanum nickel.  The goal is to use the tanks for aircraft H2 storage to make longer flights.