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| CSIRO | SOLVE | Issue 5 Nov 05 | |
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ARTICLE
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: Stepping on the Gas
By Rebecca Thyer
As future oil prices soar, a small CSIRO-developed device may be all you need to power your car. Each time you pull into a petrol station to refill the car, you are rudely reminded that petrol prices are not getting any lower. The surge in petrol prices since the start of 2005 and government warnings that they are unlikely to return to the levels of even a year ago have reinvigorated the alternative energy debate. Biofuels such as ethanol are particularly back in the news, but another alternative being promoted is hydrogen. Until now, hydrogen’s use as an energy source has been minimal, because fossil fuels have been so readily available and hydrogen generation has been comparatively expensive and inefficient. But there is nothing like a bit of focused science to change the perception of what might be achievable. CSIRO Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology has developed a device the size of a small, domestic microwave oven that runs on mains power or from a solar panel to extract enough hydrogen per day from water to power a family car for up to 150 kilometres. This work also forms part of CSIRO’s Energy Transformed Flagship research program into positioning Australia for a future hydrogen economy. While the idea of fuelling your car with hydrogen generated from a solar panel might sound like sci-fi, researchers say concepts such as the hydrogen economy are real possibilities.
The infrastructure costs for building new hydrogen service stations are huge, but the unit being developed by CSIRO could be a far cheaper alternative and be more readily usable in a range of applications. Project leader Dr Sukhvinder Badwal says that hydrogen is the cleanest fuel nature has given us and its portability and flexibility makes it ideal for a range of applications, including transport. “While Australia has abundant renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, they cannot directly provide the portable fuel required by the transport sector. Hydrogen fills that demand but, because it is not a naturally occurring fuel, has to be generated using conventional fuels or renewable sources.” Dr Badwal says that although several commercial systems exist, they are not very efficient. High capital costs, lifetime performance and the inability to handle intermittent and varying loads – important qualities when dealing with renewable energy sources – are also current drawbacks. This is where CSIRO’s latest work could make the difference. It is developing a solid-state system based on polymer electrolyte membranes for on-demand hydrogen production at homes, small-to-medium enterprises, remote locations, service stations and other end-user sites, where water and electricity are available. Dr Badwal says the team is still in the research and development stage, but “would like to have a commercial partner on board, as full-scale commercialisation is three to four years away”. The technology can best be described as reverse to fuel cell technology. “The hydrogen produced is of such high purity that it can be used directly in a fuel cell or anywhere else without further purification. The electrolyser responds instantaneously to applied load and is capable of accepting large load variations, making it easy to use this technology with solar or wind power.” The hydrogen generated can be stored for long periods and be converted to electricity when needed. The ability to generate energy on-site and on-demand would reduce up-front infrastructure costs, he says. “Our hydrogen infrastructure is non-existent. So we’ll have to have some structures like refineries and petrol stations to deliver it. That requires a fair bit of investment, but if we could generate it where we need it, such as at homes or service stations, then up-front costs of infrastructure would not be as great.” Currently, the world’s hydrogen production is equivalent to about 1.5 per cent of global energy consumption and most of it is used in oil refining, methanol production and the fertiliser, chemical and metallurgical industries. Hydrogen cannot at this stage compete economically with fossil fuels, but potential oil prices could create a different scenario, Dr Badwal says. “We just need to look towards future oil import costs. By 2010, Australia could be importing 60 per cent of its crude oil. Our abundant renewable energy sources are major drivers for a shift to the hydrogen economy, as in many other countries.” However, with commercialisation of the electrolyser just years away, the balance could soon tip in favour of hydrogen. APPLICATION Electrolysis of water produces hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen electrochemically recombines with oxygen in a fuel cell to generate power, and water is the only by-product For further information contact: |
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In the US, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has already put his significant weight behind developing a ‘hydrogen highway’ – hydrogen refuelling stations along the state’s 21 interstate freeways – by 2010.
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