A team of US Armenians developed a new way of extracting hydrogen from water. CEO of a US-based Energy Renaissance, Mr Kirill Gichunts, told Armenian News – NEWS.am that the new technology is cheaper than its peers. Cost of hydrogen, used for electricity or as transport fuel, can be slashed down at no less than 50 percent. A sample of hydrogen producing station has already been assembled.
Hydrogen plants already exist, but their feedstock is mostly fossil fuels. New technology uses water (breaking water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen atoms). Such technologies are in place too, but the method of Armenian researchers requires lower costs. Aluminum oxide challenge has also been resolved (see below).
“Existing plants are large and expensive. At the end of the line, after hydrogen is produced, it needs to be compressed, then transported and decompressed for end users. This weighs on price. We decided to come up with small generators, which could be installed at a farm, in the field or elsewhere, and produce hydrogen on demand. Our technology gives 97% pure hydrogen. This makes it ready for combustion without further purification,” Gichunts said.
Generator output was measured by 3 US engineering companies, certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Energy Renaissance had been already approached by Toyota and Hyundai, which have already unveiled pilot models with hydrogen engines. The company thinks of engaging with large carmakers, but those are very careful in calculating their decisions. But short-term projects are coming too.
“Authorities of Philippines have set a goal to install 5 Gigawatt of renewable energy capacities in 5 years. A group of companies in that country wants to team up with us. We want to offer them a combined model: 5 MWt in solar panels and another 5 in hydrogen”, Gichunts said.
Energy Renaissance is a group of Armenians, with experience in science and engineering in the US. Within their latest travel to Armenia, Gichunts and company’s president Hakop (Jack Aganyan) will try to push a project of putting up a manufacturing unit in Armenia.
“We have a vision of an interstate consortium, founded by Armenia. A lot of others would be interested, to be gain from the future energy. We want this to happen here, to benefit Armenia. We want to increase energy independence of this country and open up new, science based jobs. We have already met representatives of the Government of Armenia,” Aganyan said.
The technology is based on an electro-hydraulic shock, which is applied to aluminum plates submerged in water. That shock yields high temperatures, but needs relatively little energy (capacity of 150 watt is sufficient). It releases nanoparticles of aluminum, which help split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.
“We have made it possible for aluminum plates to stay exposed to water and not get covered with a film of oxide, which would block further reaction. This challenge has long been pursued by leading research centers. We have responded to it”, Aganyan said.
Furthermore, aluminum oxide particles, residing on the bottom of the water tank, receive a substantial energy charge and can be used for the manufacturing of batteries (its sample was also produces).
There is actually no exhaust during the hydrogen burnout too: as one can no from school, the hydrogen burnout leaves only ordinary water.
“In fact, even not ordinary but distilled [water], which is used in medicine, industry and other sectors. The manufacturing thereby combines three features which are of key importance for the modern world: clean, cheap and wasteless energy,” Aganyan concluded.
