Hydrogen: A Belgian discovery that may revolutionize…

Believe it or not, but in Energy transmission will hydrogen It may also play a role. Just think about industry or transportation, which also need to diversify. the Battery powered electric car It will not be the only solution for the future. It will undoubtedly be a combination of solutions.

Hydrogen technology has been studied for a long time. Although hydrogen still needs to improve its efficiency or production (to ensure that hydrogen is particularly green), progress is being made every day. Belgium Indeed, it can play an important role, as demonstrated by the discovery Researchers at the University of California. They have developed a material that can make using hydrogen easier and more efficient.

New texture

Team of Chemists he have New texture It has been developed that is specifically capable of storing hydrogen, which is much better than other technologies currently in use. Researchers have designed a material hydrogen Can Memorizes: It is a white powder, Magnesium borohydrideWhich can store twice the number of hydrogen molecules as liquid hydrogen and twice the number of compressed hydrogen.

This is the A revolutionary discoveryBecause it is not possible currently Storing energy in physical form. It must be converted into chemical compounds. hydrogen Not energy per se, but one energy Energy carrier. The big challenge is to store it so that it can be used when it is needed (to produce electricity, for example).

As a reminder, this is exactly what happens in one Fuel cell car. Hydrogen forms the energy reserve and is released when necessary by converting it into electricity (via electrolysis) to power the battery, which in turn powers the wheels. He. She Environmental benefit The technology is straightforward: the hydrogen used emits no emissions a company₂ out, while it is also three times per kilo More energy Then he supplies gasoline.

huge

The problem with hydrogen is its size. To fit a reasonable size you need it pressure or Monetization. These restrictions require expensive restrictions High pressure tanks For compressed hydrogen, or large energy, the liquid state is obtained at -253°C (absolute zero Kelvin). Not exactly comfortable or practical.

So the solution is to store hydrogen in a different way. This is exactly what the UCLouvain team achieved by… Chemical connection To make this hydrogen It sucks And accordingly He responds And then release When necessary by changing the temperature or pressure. Frankly, this is not a new solution. A few months ago, Australian researchers were also able to store hydrogen in powder form.

Collected

Back to our Chemistry lessons At university: This became the new subject Collected. Therefore, it does not exist in this form in nature. This powder is beneficial in many ways because it has more volume Storage density of hydrogen: twice the amount of liquid hydrogen and three times the amount of compressed hydrogen, i.e 144 g/L Compared to 70 g/L and 40 g/L, respectively.

Do Powder formula Secret? To a large extent, but we know that it consists of three elements: magnesium And ExercisesOf which there are four Hydrogen atoms Bound. At the microscopic level it is a powder Porosity And in these “slots” it is possible Hydrogen molecules To save or to Association. A bit like water in a sponge. What is so special about this Belgian discovery? The surface of the pores, the hydrides, capture hydrogen at a rate never seen before density. This is because hydrogen molecules, which are usually spherical, change shape and can therefore be stored more easily. This change in shape, which only occurs in extreme cases, surprised the researchers. So there is a lot of luck in the result achieved by the UCLA researchers.

In our cars?

all Scientific progress Take something time. More research is needed in this area. However, the research team noted that this highly flexible process is particularly suitable CarsBut also for everyone Other forms of mobility With hydrogen (trucks, trains, boats, etc.). Specifically, the team invites manufacturers to study porous materials made from hydride surfaces and design storage tanks. Of course, there are still some “details” that need to be addressed. Like the fact that this one Dust decomposes When it comes into contact with moisture in the air. That's the next goal for the UC Louvain researchers: reusing the hydride block and adapting other parts to create a usable tank. Interesting challenge!

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