PowerSwitch

UKTI - 07/01/09

Researchers from the University of Aberdeen have devoted 10 years to exploring a technique that uses ethanol in the production of hydrogen rather than natural gas.

The process is beneficial because ethanol is a renewable energy source and, as such, is carbon neutral.

Article continues ...

Any comments?

Oh, I thought you were just making sure we were awake - rumour has it that people used to insert phrases such as "oxygen is a pink crystalline solid" into their chemistry essays to see if they were being read.


As for the article. Given that bio-ethanol seems to be more than somewhat questionable, then using it to get hydrogen would not sound like somehting that ought to be put high up the list of priorities (though I suppose if you took Orlov's boondoggle approach, we all ought to back it fervently),


Peter.

its an extra step before you get to use the energy. Are'nt you just better off burning the ethanol, unless the difference between ICE and fuel cell/electric motor more than compensates?

Can ethanol be used directly in any fuel cells? I know methanol can be.

Ethanol has many advantages as a fuel, it is a liquid at room temperature, only slightly toxic, and easily handled. Petrol engines can burn it with only slight modification.
The main drawbacks are the energy used in production, and the competion with food crops.
Converting ethanol into hydrogen would consume a fair % of the energy content in order to produce a fuel thats much more problematic to store and handle, it would also have to be compresed or liquified at yet more energy cost.

Fuel cells that use ethanol certainly exist, but AFAIK only in very small sizes.

It should be noted that ethanol sold as fuel often contains a few % of petrol, in order to make it undrinkable. Otherwise it would be a very cheap source of alcoholic drink.

adam2 wrote:Ethanol has many advantages as a fuel, it is a liquid at room temperature, only slightly toxic, and easily handled. Petrol engines can burn it with only slight modification.
The main drawbacks are the energy used in production, and the competion with food crops.
Converting ethanol into hydrogen would consume a fair % of the energy content in order to produce a fuel thats much more problematic to store and handle, it would also have to be compresed or liquified at yet more energy cost.

Fuel cells that use ethanol certainly exist, but AFAIK only in very small sizes.

It should be noted that ethanol sold as fuel often contains a few % of petrol, in order to make it undrinkable. Otherwise it would be a very cheap source of alcoholic drink.

Ethanol definitely has proven potential, and I agree that you need a lot of energy to convert it to hydrogen.