I find pumped-storage hydroelectricity, combined with wind and solar, an interesting area of exploration:
H2 renaissance claim the cost of 1kg of hydrogen at 1 dollar.
Do you have a link to this outfit? I have put 4 years work into something (by the sound of it) similar
I like to think they just airbrushed the over-unity joker out of their group photo, and pasted the new CEO on top. Was it Balarikian or something? Looked a bit like Stalin himself, I recall.
Thanks for the link, but forget it Max. They are simply making Hydrogen by reacting Aluminium with alkalis, I had someone (PhD chemist) seriously check these guys out a couple of years back. I didn't realise it was the descendant of SHT. The tech is worthless, since it produces contaminated waste - sodium aluminate which is almost useless without much further treatment. I have designed a system that is much much better, No alkalis, no contaminated waste product. And the hydrogen is so cheap you could just let it fly away and make money from the waste. OT for here, so I'll say no more.
You and me both. 73 next stop.
I think I should post this video. This was not made as a show-off, it's just an impromptu and rather blurry (crap on the lens) video of a standard 3.5 kW propane/gasoline generator - which has never seen a gram of either from new - running on hydrogen made from a kilo of shredded soda can and engineering waste aluminium using our proprietary biosafe catalyst. You can tell it's running on hydrogen btw because its inside the lab and we are breathing the deadly oxygen dihydride exhaust.
That kilo produces enough hydrogen to power it for up to 3 hours btw. And a lot of process heat (4kW) is given off too so the total COP is pretty impressive even running a cheap generator. A COP of 30 is entirely possible with a fuel-cell making the electricity.
I'm making a better video soon, and will - if anyone's interested - put it in here.
Large amounts of hydrogen is produced using an electro-hydraulic shock applied to plates of aluminum submerged in water. The electrohydraulic shock continuously removes the oxide film which forms on the surface of aluminum plates. The electro-hydraulic shock burns at a temperature hotter than the surface of the sun and creates an immense pressure of over 100,000 atmospheres. This takes place at a micro level. This shock is applied to the plates of aluminum to continuously destroy the oxide film, allowing for a set of 16 different physical and chemical processes to take place. This simultaneously decomposes the water molecules and eats away at the aluminum plates, releasing the hydrogen. The hydrogen generator runs at temperatures no hotter than 150 degrees Fahrenheit and is completely safe.
A patent has been issued on the key revolutionary processes used to produce hydrogen at incredibly efficient rates.
What are the inputs?
The key inputs are aluminum and water: these inputs drive the generator and also the 16 physical and chemical processes. There is a small amount of a chemical catalyst. The electricity needed is 50 watts to 150 watts (per hour).
Where do the inputs come from?
The generator uses tap water. The 50 to 150 watts of electricity can come from a small solar panel, a mini wind turbine, a wall socket or a self-charging battery similar to those used in cars. The aluminum and chemical catalyst can be changed every few days to every few months. This depends on the size of the generator. A generator used to power a house or a factory would need an aluminum change about every two months while a generator used in car would need aluminum change every 600 miles. The change can be done either by the user or a technician.
What happens to the Aluminum?
Used aluminum can be recycled. This will further reduce the operating cost.
Well, apart from the fact that the above is mostly bullshit, they use expensive and useful aluminium plate. We use post-consumer waste, the real figure for recycling that is below 15%. And we end up with high-grade aluminium oxide worth 4 times as much (at least) as the input- so the hydrogen is essentially free.
Not only toxic if carelessly disposed of but pretty low value. They are using high-value input materials and getting out low-value waste and- inevitably - expensive hydrogen. We use low-value inputs and get out high-value by-products, and a lot of heat
Max Nozin - this is not really practical for small vehicle, but ok for big trucks perhaps. I have spent quite a few hours persuading car makers that 'this is not for your product, but might be a good way to power at least some of your plant'. At 8MWh total energy out per ton of scrap processed - all made at a profit- it is an attractive idea for investors, who we are talking to.
Definitely definitely interested in seeing that fuel-cell video Alan.
Hey Alan. Say I needed 74K watts for one hour. Have an estimate of genset and fuel AUW?
