Hydrogen Engine: capable to convert ethanol to hydrogen
The cooperation between researchers in the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) has helped to develop and patent a catalyst to convert ethanol to hydrogen. The research team was co researchers by Elies Grau Molins de l'Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB), CSIC in Barcelona and JORDI llorca of the Instituto de Técnicas energéticas. According to them, the main advantages of this catalyst is to limit the cost of obtaining hydrogen compared to the transformation from oil and reduce the danger of transporting hydrogen gas highly flammable and explosive. In addition, designers do not hesitate to consider this invention as the "final solution for transportation based on hydrogen".
The catalyst is formed by a piece of perforated ceramic inside by canals and covered with aerogel containing nano particles of cobalt. It is the latter who act in the transformation of ethanol to hydrogen. The catalyst must be heated to a temperature of 310° C during operation. A mixture of ethanol and water in gaseous form passes through the channels and fate in the form of dihydrogene H2 and carbon dioxide CO2. From a molecule of ethanol and three water molecules, you get six molecules of H2 and two of CO2.
The catalyst will be installed inside of the vehicle and allow the direct production of hydrogen. The transformation process requires the production of one of the main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect, carbon dioxide (CO2), but in less than a car driven by a fossil fuel. Researchers hope that the fruits of their research could be used to develop fuel cell hydrogen.
About Aerogel: Aerogel is a low-density solid-state material derived from gel in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with gas. The result is an extremely low density solid with several remarkable properties, most notably its effectiveness as a thermal insulator. It is nicknamed frozen smoke, solid smoke or blue smoke due to its semi-transparent nature and the way light scatters in the material; however, it feels like expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) to the touch.
Sources:
http://www.icmab.es/icmab/en
http://www.upc.edu/inte/en/index.php
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