Developing countries will consume 65% of global energy demand by 2040, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Distribution technology is however often below developed standards in these countries. Moreover, scattered communities across vast distances make traditional western-style power-grid distribution impractical. Renewables can generate electricity, but battery storage is expensive. Now, an Oxford University spin-off thinks solid-state hydrogen storage is the answer.
How Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Works
Wired reports the company is using nanomaterials to create semi-flexible sponges. First, these trap hydrogen atoms in their pores. Then the atoms release as hydrogen gas after controlled heating, and this gas can burn to power fuel cells. Apparently, it’s as simple as that.
“Once you reach the required temperature,” a company spokesperson explains, “the structure distorts and releases the hydrogen. It is a bit like pushing corks out of bottles. We use electrolysis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.” And then solid-state hydrogen storage takes over.
But, Do We Have Enough Water in Arid Places?
But, we would need a reliable supply of water, which we could conceivably deliver in tankers or pipes. Fortunately between 80 and 90% of the water would be available for reuse. By way of an example, a large hospital would consume approximately 15 gallons of water per hour. “In some places we have hospitals that have 12 hours of blackouts a day,” a company spokesperson says.
David Howey from the parent university is a lithium sceptic. “Because what we know from testing in a lab is we can take ten cells from the same manufacturer, test them the same way and spread over time – but they won’t behave in the same way,” he says. Therefore, he believes it is time we looked into the “myriad of alternative battery technologies out there.” These include the solid-state hydrogen storage we wrote of today.
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Preview Image: Fuel Cell
