Post by thread:[EE] New form of Hydrogen storage for fuel cells.

The following was triggered by a New Scientist articele about a "new" way of storing Hydrogen for fuel calls. Google reveals it is far from new, but worth knowing about. The Stanford intro is superb: http://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/hydrogen_workshop/Wu.pdf#search=%22borohydride%22 _________________________________________ Fuel cell which looks likely to allow practical devices with energy desnities 3+ times higher than Lithium polymer cells. [[Also ISTM that a specialist version of this with processing in use (dissolving solids etc) could produce a system with energy densities several timeshigher again. The key factor is H2 storage as a borohydride and release using a Ruthenium catalyst. http://www.newscientisttech.com/article.ns?id=dn10066&print=true No mention was made of any possible use for Hydrogen storage for combustion (or propellants :-) ). Volumetric Hydrogen density may well be high compared with LH but mass wise it's abysmal. The mines at Boron may yet prove to have been fortuitously located. ___ Wikipedia well informed thereon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_borohydride Stanford - very nice 22 page slideshow. 30% BH soln 63g H2/litre LH 71g/l 5000 psi GH 23g/l 10,000 psi "G"H 39 g/l http://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/hydrogen_workshop/Wu.pdf#search=%22borohydride%22 __________________ Chemist Don Gervasio and colleague Sonja Tasic, both at Arizona State University in the US, set out to develop a fuel cell that would generate more electricity for its weight than the best batteries, and would also work at room temperature. Gervasio's solution was to use the alkaline compound borohydride. A 30% solution of borohydride in water actually contains one-third more hydrogen than the same volume of liquid hydrogen. "The difference is that the borohydride is at room temperature, and it's stable, non-toxic and cost-effective," Gervasio says.