EnergyProducing renewable hydrogen
Hydrogen is regarded as the cleanest and greenest of all fuels; a California company combines its polymer coating with a small-scale solar device to form a self-contained particle that separates hydrogen from water using only the power of the Sun
One of several hydrogen generator prototypes under consideration // Source: jagbani.com
Santa Barbara, California-based- HyperSolar, Inc., a developer of a technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and any source of water, the other day announced that its first proof of concept prototype is successfully producing renewable hydrogen. The company says that by integrating its polymer coating with a small-scale solar device to form a self-contained particle, it has proven the scientific validity of its breakthrough technology.
“Using our self-contained particle in a low cost plastic bag, we have successfully demonstrated our ability to mimic photosynthesis to produce renewable hydrogen from virtually any source of water using the power of the Sun,” commented Tim Young, CEO of HyperSolar. “Unlike approaches taken by others in the past, our small scale solar devices actually float in the water. Our next step is to complete the development of our nanoparticles, extremely small solar devices, optimized to significantly reduce the cost of separating hydrogen from water.”
A video showing the proof of concept prototype is available at the company’s Web site. It features the self-contained particle floating in a common baggy filled with wastewater from a pulp and paper mill. The video shows hydrogen bubbles being generated in the small baggy. The company’s next prototype will feature nanoparticles, which can be mass-produced at a low cost and can float freely in large scale bag systems to generate large quantities of renewable hydrogen using only sunlight and water. Hydrogen is regarded as the cleanest and greenest of all fuels.
Young concluded, “We believe we are on the right track to produce the lowest cost renewable hydrogen. Most hydrogen used today is not renewable and not very clean because it is produced from finite hydrocarbon sources, such as oil, coal and natural gas. Renewable hydrogen produced from nearly infinite sources of water and sunlight, is clean and carbon free. The worldwide impact of using renewable hydrogen to generate electricity and power fuel cell vehicles would be extraordinary.”
HyperSolar recently entered into a yearlong sponsored research agreement with the University of California, Santa Barbara to help accelerate the development process and assure that the key milestones are reached.
