Good Day Sunshine

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry in Mülheim, Germany have developed a promising new catalyst for splitting water using sunlight and storing the Hydrogen and oxygen produced.

The team of scientists found that titanium disilicide (TiSi2) can split water using a photocatalytic process similar to photosynthesis whereby chlorophyll molecules use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose. The semiconductor is also able to separate and store the Hydrogen and oxygen released.

Using simply the sun and no other fossil fuels to produce Hydrogen is about as clean as a method as one can find. Assuming this can be implemented on a large scale it will definitely be something that we can expect to see in the Hydrogen Future.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2007/October/01100701.asp

Pedalling Hydrogen in China

Recently Shanghai Pearl Hydrogen Power Source Technology unveiled a Hydrogen fuel cell bicycle at an international fair in Shanghai, China. According to the company the $2,600 bicycle is similar to a conventional electric bicycle except that there are two hydrogen gas bottles and a small fuel cell. The bicycle has a range of 100km (62 miles) at a speed of around 25km (15.5 mph). The bicycle only takes 30 minutes to refill compared to three hours for recharging an electric bicycle battery.

Given the technology involved the bicycle is expensive although the company is confident that price will drop to around $670 once mass production begins.

This is a great start although one has to wonder how the Hydrogen fuel cell was made in the first place. If it was made using a wind mill or some other non fossil fuel source that is great. However if it was made using fossil fuels, although it is still great progress, it is not yet a true product of the Hydrogen Future.


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22395601-664,00.html