It may seem far-fetched, but after scientists developed a new way to make hydrogen fuel, it may one day be possible to drive a car powered by thin air.
Green hydrogen, produced by electrolyzers that use electricity and water, represents a potential alternative to carbon dioxide-emitting fossil fuels.
However, current devices often require complex components such as trace minerals and access to pure water, which can lead to competition with limited drinking water supplies.
The new prototype electrolyzer takes moist air instead of liquid water. It absorbs moisture from the air and separates the collected water into hydrogen and oxygen.
This hydrogen fuel was later shown to successfully power the device.
Experts at the University of Melbourne said the prototype idea could allow the delivery of hydrogen fuel to arid and remote areas with minimal environmental impact, especially if you use renewable energy.
They were able to electrolyze air water at a humidity as low as 4%.
“We have developed what is called ‘Direct Air Electrolyzer’ for short, DAE. This unit uses a hygroscopic electrolyte that is constantly exposed to the atmosphere. This electrolyte has the potential to automatically (without external energy input) absorb moisture from the air A (renewable) source of energy It can easily be used for electrolysis and hydrogen production when combined with
Electrolysis has traditionally only been used to collect hydrogen and oxygen from liquid water. It works by placing two electrodes in water and passing an electric current through them.
At the positive electrode, electrons are separated from H2O to form positive hydrogen ions and O2 molecules, while at the negative electrode, electrons are given to hydrogen ions to form hydrogen.
The problem here is that it requires liquid water, so this type of electrolysis must be done where it is abundant so as not to limit the supply of drinking water.
This eliminates the problem and the associated cost if the water is in the air, as if a prototype would harvest it. It also allows the production of hydrogen anywhere in the world.
Scientists say that their research can make solar-fuel converters in the future work anywhere on Earth and overcome the problem of water scarcity in the case of large-scale hydrogen production.
The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Arabic RT
