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The College of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and Southwest Analysis Institute are collaborating to enhance storage supplies for hydrogen fuels with a hybrid metal-carbon microstructure that mixes each chemical and bodily hydrogen storage mechanisms.
The venture is supported by a $125,000-grant from the Connecting by means of Analysis Partnerships (Join) Program and can be led by Josh Mangum of SwRI’s Mechanical Engineering Division, UTSA Affiliate Professor of Physics and Astronomy Kathryn Mayer and UTSA Assistant Professor of Chemistry Fang Xu.
UTSA and Southwest Analysis Institute will create excessive floor space carbon microstructure particles that may chemically take in hydrogen.
SwRI is main a number of multidisciplinary efforts evaluating hydrogen as a possible gasoline for cars, energy technology and whilst a substitute for pure fuel in properties.
Present strategies of transporting and storing hydrogen contain compressing and liquifying hydrogen fuel for transport and storage in cryogenic and high-pressure gasoline tanks, which is an costly course of. As a result of hydrogen is extremely flammable, transporting these tanks is inherently harmful.
To deal with these challenges, SwRI and UTSA will create excessive floor space carbon (HiSAC) microstructure particles that may bodily and chemically take in the hydrogen, permitting it to be transported safely and cost-effectively.
As a substitute of a extremely pressurized tank, we plan to retailer hydrogen in a low-cost powder materials. The hydrogen can be chemically and bodily absorbed and desorbed. Certainly one of our venture targets is evaluating how a lot hydrogen could be saved within the powder since this can dictate the general storage value.
—Josh Mangum
The researchers will fabricate the HiSAC microstructures utilizing the SwRI-developed Excessive Energy Impulse Plasma Supply (HiPIPS) expertise, which effectively generates coatings utilizing high-density, high-flux plasmas at low temperatures and atmospheric pressures.
UTSA will carry out the analytical characterization of the microparticle constructions. Mayer’s analysis crew will carry out an in depth structural characterization of the supplies utilizing state-of-the-art instrumentation within the Kleberg Superior Microscopy Middle. Xu’s crew will modify HiSAC by Mg deposition and take a look at the supplies’ hydrogen storage capability utilizing a personalized unit.
Earlier analysis has demonstrated HSAC microstructures at excessive temperatures and low pressures, however HiPIPS permits us to kind these supplies at room temperature in a easy, scalable course of. This course of makes use of much less vitality than it takes to energy an incandescent gentle bulb.
—Josh Mangum
SwRI’s Govt Workplace and UTSA’s Workplace of the Vice President for Analysis, Financial Improvement, and Information Enterprise sponsor the Join program, which presents grant alternatives to boost better scientific collaboration between the 2 establishments.
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