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Possible new hydrogen storage technology.

Pourable pellets to store hydrogen

Eugene Gold Eugene Gold
Monday 24 January 2011

There are multiple different factors pulling car owners in the direction of so called “green” fuels. Will we end up with electric cars? will there be hydrogen cells? or will there be pourable hydrogen?

This later term may be new to many readers but it seems that it may be one of the competing technologies that will join the fray within the next five years.

Hydrogen is certainly a fuel of choice. It is not fossil based, it burns cleanly with no Carbon Dioxide and, in the important world of Geo-politics, it does not need to be externally sourced and paid for.

The main problem with hydrogen is storage. Since the Hindenburg airship disaster of 1937, hydrogen has been pretty much taboo. Even NASA, with all of its resources, have had their hydrogen disasters.

Whilst it is still early days yet, a British company claim to be having some success with small chemical pellets which seem able to adsorb hydrogen and keep it in what I can only describe as suspension.  These pellets are, apparently, small enough to be pourable so that they can be used to fill a tank and then only release their hydrogen on-demand.

When we learn more about this technology, we will bring you more details. But, for now, it is just one more factor in fast developing landscape of new technologies.

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Grahm Street
Grahm Street
25 January 2011, 07:45AM

This kind of technology would be great, particularly if it were able to bridge the gap between current engines and new technology engines of the future.
I want to be able to keep my car but move to lower cost and lower emission fuel technology. I do not want to have to scrap my car and drive around in a tin box with a sewing machine motor.

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Lotte Belham
Lotte Belham
30 January 2011, 05:07PM

This would be great if it works out. Imagine a British invention that we do not give away or just squander?
Wouldn't it make you proud if our engineering and our inventions were at the heart of the new green revolution. That is how it used to be before we have it all up for the nonsense of financial chicanery.

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Ali Meyers
Ali Meyers, Florida
2 February 2011, 10:59AM

With respect, this is 'old' new-technology news. The guys out at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been working with solid Ammonia Borane compressed into small pellets to serve as a hydrogen storage medium for the last few years.
They expect a system that will be lighter and smaller than using pressurized hydrogen gas. 1ml of pellets weighs about 0.75g and can bind 1.5l of gas. The current research work is focused on manipulating the hydrogen release rate and on breaking down the Ammonia Borane once the gas is exhausted.

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Ruth Chapman
Ruth Chapman, Bath
3 February 2011, 10:02AM

Sad that this is not a British invention but there are big opportunities for inventive British companies.
There is a massive market for new green technologies and i hope that our government helps small clever companies to take part of this market.

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