Storing Hydrogen As A Solid

[BrotherBart]

http://www.rdmag.com/news/2014/05/new-solution-storing-hydrogen-fuel-alternative-energy

 

[velvetfoot]

That's an interesting mag.

 

[Dune]

We are getting there, slow but sure.

 

[Jags]

"I'll take 5 cubes of hydrogen and a Diet Coke, please"

 

[woodgeek]

The problem with these schemes in the past has always been slow charge and discharge, and low energy per unit weight (the H is light, the stuff it adsorbs to is not). How does it compare with a current Li-ion battery on those scores? The article does not say.

 

[Grisu]

The problem with these schemes in the past has always been slow charge and discharge, and low energy per unit weight (the H is light, the stuff it adsorbs to is not). How does it compare with a current Li-ion battery on those scores? The article does not say.

Lithium, boron, and nitrogen are all low weight elements. The energy density of the actual "fuel" should be pretty high. If it is true that 10% of the overall weight can be captured as H2 the numbers would look really good. Oxidation of hydrogen delivers ~130 kJ/g, at 10% that's 13 kJ/g of fuel weight. For comparison: Current lithium batteries have ~150 wh/kg, that's just 0.54 kJ/g. (However, gasoline comes up to 45 kJ/g).

The discharge kinetics could actually be too fast:"In isothermal conditions, at 150 °C, about 10 wt % of pure H2 is generated in less than 1 h,.." If the discharge can really be as easily controlled by changing the temperature as they describe in their paper that new fuel would be really promising. I am more worried about the refill as the authors mention themselves:"To conclude, we show that β-LiHB has a potential for chemical hydrogen storage if combined with an adapted effective recycling process of the solid residues."
With other words, you have to pull out the "tank" and swap it for a new one for every refill. The residues have to be recycled and synthesized to LiHB again. Plus, boron is not an abundant element and hydrazine is highly toxic although combining it with lithium and borane may change that. We are also likely looking at much higher energy losses when converting electricity from renewable sources to hydrogen and then LiHB than charging a battery directly. Hydrogen from natural gas is also a net energy loser.

 

[Slow1]

Did anyone read the full article? I don't have access and am not interested enough to spend $35 for it

 

[Grisu]

Did anyone read the full article? I don't have access and am not interested enough to spend $35 for it

Yes (or at least I skimmed over it). Anything particular you want to know?

 

[Slow1]

Not particularly - I re-read your prior post with the context of you reading the full article and I think I have as much as I can get out of it.

Thanks.

Sounds like very interesting lab proof of concept work, never know where it may lead (or not).