Hydrogen gas takes up about 40 times as much room as petrol, and as a liquid it needs to be kept very cold, resulting in high pressure tanks. To go a single mile takes 20 gallons of hydrogen given existing modes of storage (like carbon nanotubes or metal hydrides).
Apparently, chicken feathers could lead the way!
Chicken feathers are made up of a natural protein called keratin. This forms hard, hollow tubes which when heated creates cross-links. This in turn strengthens the structure, becomes more porous, and increases the surface area. These carbonized feather-tubes can hold as much, if not more than the much-more expensive carbon nanotubes or metal hydrides.
Cost-wise, where a 20 gallon nanotube tank would cost upwards of $5.5 million, a similar sized metal hydride tank will cost around $30,000. The team that worked on this idea estimates that a 75 gallon tank full of hydrogen and carbonized chicken feathers could travel about 300 miles, something they hope to improve on.
Well, we cannot go about farming chickens to pluck their feathers for our fuel. Perhaps our material scientists could develop synthetic feathers?
New materials with interesting properties are throwing up amazing possibilities. Like a washing machine that works with one cup of water!
An environmentally friendly washing machine has been developed by the University of Leeds, Britain. The project team claims that this clean and green machine will just need a cup of water to wash one batch of clothes. It uses 90 percent less water and 30 percent less energy and will be commercially available soon.
Here the work of water is done by tiny reusable nylon polymer beads. These plastic beads attract and absorb dirt under humid conditions. These beads are reusable. One can reuse them up to a hundred times.
The beads have a crystalline structure. This structure makes the surface of beads with an electrical charge that attracts dirt. When the beads are heated in humid conditions they lose their crystalline structure and acquire an amorphous structure. Now the dirt is drawn into the core of the bead where it remains locked in place.
When so little water is used and the warm beads help dry the laundry, less tumble drying is needed. Hence less energy and finally a lower carbon footprint.
Could material science be the new magic box?
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1 comment:
Using H2 and chickens as fuel to run one's car appears to be interesting but dangerous proposition.
Looking back into the 1930s, H2 was used as fuel in large airships. These stupendous large flying machines offered the kind of luxury like sitting dining room and lounge, an orchestra, viewing room etc, luxaries that can only be imagined in today's leg crammed air travels.
The glorious era of such travel was short lived; and after the infamous accident of Hindenburg (which incidently made 17 round trips between US and Germany) the airships were shunted to history.
What went wrong? Were there genuine mistakes in choices? or politics and politicians involved? or vested interests getting one upper hand? Are those times being revived?
Would one pause for a second guess to take a H2 ride with chicken feathers, even if there are chicken tandoori freebies?
Besides, what is the guarantee of the inexhaustibility of H2? Are the same assumptions being made as in case of fossil fuels? Can mankind afford to tinker with their freedom of choice? Can there be not other choices?
Less consumption, perhaps.
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