Just add water: Army researchers discover quicker, safer way to use hydrogen as energy

[nitpicker]

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-army/2017/08/20/just-add-water-army-researchers-discover-quicker-safer-way-to-use-hydrogen-as-energy/

Just add water: Army researchers discover quicker, safer way to use hydrogen as energy

By: Charlsy Panzino    16 hours ago

Researchers are hoping the discovery of a new energy source will shed troops of heavy batteries and allow them to complete their missions without having to resupply. Engineers and scientists at the Army Research Laboratory found a way for water to react with an aluminum alloy powder that produces hydrogen without any other catalysts in under three minutes. While the reaction and production of hydrogen isn’t new, the aluminum nanomaterial the researchers designed causes water to split apart — into two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule — when it comes in contact with the aluminum material.
(snip)

Normally, when aluminum is exposed to air, it forms an oxide layer that impedes the reaction that creates hydrogen, Giri said. The trick is to break that layer to keep the reaction going by adding an alkaline material such as sodium hydroxide. “Our material does not need any of those added catalysts,” Giri said. “Whenever we want to produce hydrogen, we can just add water to this powder.”

The hydrogen can be used in a fuel cell to potentially power equipment and vehicles and recharge devices, said Scott Grendahl, a materials engineer and team leader. “If we could generate power on each individual soldier … we would be far better off as a fighting force,” he said.
(snip)

[SonofDonald]

1. Very cool

But I wonder what the service life of the power supply is, heat generated, weight of the device, voltage and amperage?.

I'll read the article to see if it mentions those but it sure sounds like they think it's viable, way cool technology.

[Omaha Steve]

2. You should also cross post in Environment-Energy

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1127

K&R!

OS

[Petrushka]

3. Reminds me of a story from the mid-1980s re: a water-powered car

Last edited Mon Aug 21, 2017, 08:55 AM - Edit history (1)

&feature=youtu.be


Note:

A Facebook friend of mine said the inventor is believed to have been murdered and I was surprised to find such a possibility mentioned on Wikipedia . . . and it's interesting that the inventor's patents have now expired! --->

Meyer's death
Stanley Meyer died suddenly on March 20, 1998, after dining at a restaurant. His brother claimed that during a meeting with two Belgian investors in a restaurant, Meyer suddenly ran outside, saying "They poisoned me".[1] After an investigation, the Grove City police went with the Franklin County coroner report that ruled that Meyer, who had high blood pressure, died of a cerebral aneurysm.[1] Some of Meyer's supporters believe that he was assassinated to suppress his inventions.[1][2][12]

Aftermath
Meyer's patents have expired. His inventions are now in the public domain, available for all to use without restriction or royalty payment.[13] Despite this, no engine or vehicle manufacturer has incorporated Meyer's work.[14][15]

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Edited to add --->

[eppur_se_muova]

4. *SIGH* -- there is absolutely no way a catalyst could do this.

Splitting H2O into H2 and O2 would require a tremendous input of energy, catalyst or no. These guys have no energy source -- except the oxidation of aluminum. They are converting aluminum -- produced by energy-intensive electrolysis -- back to aluminum salts, as found in aluminum ore. Apparently, they don't yet know this is what they are doing, which is pretty inexcusable.

Dissolving aluminum in aqueous alkali to produce H2 is a reaction known since forever. There have been **multiple** posts on this topic in EE over the years. None are anything really newsworthy.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1127&pid=17098

[NNadir]

6. I see that my comment below is simply a repeat of yours. n/t

[NNadir]

5. This used to be a common high school chemistry experiment when I was in high school.

I'm an old man.

This is not an energy source, but it's a well known, very well known, energy storage device which is, by the way, extremely energy inefficient, since aluminum is reduced electrolytically and, since aluminum reduction is a major source of carbon tetraflouride in the atmosphere - along with semiconductor processing - a general approach to accelerating climate change by a great deal.

Carbon tetraflouride has an atmospheric half life of approximately 50,000 years, and a global warming potential that is over 7000 times as large a carbon dioxide.