Nanotechnology for Energy - Hydrogen

Most of our energy needs are met by combustion - of coal, gas and oil. However this is not the most efficient way to extract energy from fuels. Fuel cells do so chemically by reacting hyd

rogen and oxygen gases together to make water, heat and electrical charge. The mechanism of generating energy varies between fuel cells, however in each case a charged ion (which is usually hydrogen or oxygen), is produced at one electrode and migrates to the other through a selectively permeable membrane, while the electrons produced as a result of this travel through an external circuit, powering devices.

Fuel cells fall into two groups: those with a high operating temperature (above 200°C) which are suitable for supplying power to whole buildings (such as solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cells) and lower temperature units which are suitable for powering vehicles and mobile devices (such as direct methanol and polymer exchange membrane fuel cells). The high temperature units can use natural gas to form hydrogen, the lower temperature units, with the exception of direct methanol fuel cells, require hydrogen gas itself.

Hydrogen at the moment is largely produced from natural gas, however in the future it is hoped that renewable energy could be used to supply the necessary power to split (electrolyse) water into hydrogen and oxygen (i.e. the reverse of the reaction in a fuel cell).

Nanotechnology can offer solutions to material costs, fuel cell efficiency, and storage of hydrogen feedstock.

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