»Linde
Linde starts up new air separation plant and hydrogen liquefier in Leuna
~ started operations at a second hydrogen liquefaction plant and a new air separation plant at the chemical site in Leuna, Germany
~ the total investment in the expansions at Linde's biggest gas production site in Germany amounts to approximately EUR 60 million
~ hydrogen seen increasingly used as a fuel for road traffic vehicles
~ cryogenic liquid hydrogen (LH2) has a much higher storage density than gaseous hydrogen
~ LH2 is more efficient in the fields of transportation and logistics
~ Germany's only hydrogen liquefier was Ingolstadt, also run by Linde
~ existing customers for LH2 include the semiconductor industry, which almost entirely uses liquid hydrogen because of its very high purity
~ Linde aims to satisfy the fuel demand of hydrogen-powered vehicles with sustainable production methods
~ the new liquefier which has the capacity to produce approximately 3,000 litres of LH2 per hour/5 tonnes of LH2 per day
~ is supplied with feed gas via a pipeline from the neighbouring hydrogen production plant
~ hydrogen is liquefied at a temperature of minus 253 degrees Celsius and is then loaded into LH2 container vehicles at special filling stations for transportation to the customer
~ the new air separation plant has a capacity of 33,000 cubic metres of oxygen per hour/1,130 tonnes per day
~ most of the oxygen is fed into the local pipeline network and supplies the on-site refinery
~ argon and smaller quantities of other noble gases also produced

»Hydrogen Generating Technology Closer Than Ever
~ researchers at Purdue University have further developed a technology that produces hydrogen by adding water to an alloy of aluminum and gallium
~ when water is added to the alloy, the aluminum splits water by attracting oxygen, liberating hydrogen in the process
~ Purdue researchers are developing a method to create particles of the alloy that could be placed in a tank to react with water and produce hydrogen on demand
~ gallium a critical component because it hinders the formation of an aluminum oxide skin normally created on aluminum's surface after bonding with oxygen, a process called oxidation
~ this skin usually acts as a barrier and prevents oxygen from reacting with aluminum
~ reducing the skin's protective properties allows the reaction to continue until all of the aluminum is used to generate hydrogen
~ Jerry Woodall is the distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue who invented the process
~ researchers have developed an improved form of the alloy that contains a higher concentration of aluminum
~ Charles Allen and Jeffrey Ziebarth are both doctoral students in Purdue's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
~ the technology could be used to generate hydrogen on demand,
~ the method makes it unnecessary to store or transport hydrogen - two major obstacles in creating a hydrogen economy
~ the gallium component is inert, which means it can be recovered and reused
~ this is especially important because of the currently much higher cost of gallium compared with aluminum
~ because gallium can be recovered, this makes the process economically viable and more attractive for large-scale use
~ since the gallium can be of low purity, the cost of impure gallium is ultimately expected to be many times lower than the high-purity gallium used in the electronics industry
~ as the alloy reacts with water, the aluminum turns into aluminum oxide, also called alumina, which can be recycled back into aluminum
~ the recycled aluminum would be less expensive than mining the metal, making the technology more competitive with other forms of energy production
~ engineers rapidly cooled the molten alloy to make particles that were 28 percent aluminum by weight and 72 percent gallium by weight
~ the result was a "metastable solid alloy" that also readily reacted with water to form hydrogen, alumina and heat
~ researchers discovered that slowly cooling the molten alloy produced particles that contain 80 percent aluminum and 20 percent gallium
~ particles made with this 80-20 alloy have good stability in dry air and react rapidly with water to form hydrogen
~ this alloy is under intense investigation, and it can be developed into a commercially viable material for splitting water
~ the method makes it possible to use hydrogen instead of gasoline to run internal combustion engines
~ combusting hydrogen in an engine or using hydrogen to drive a fuel cell produces only water as waste
~ it's a simple matter to convert ordinary internal combustion engines to run on hydrogen
~ all you have to do is replace the gasoline fuel injector with a hydrogen injector

~ DOE has set a goal of developing alternative fuels that possess a "hydrogen mass density" of 6 percent by the year 2010 and 9 percent by 2015
~ the percent mass density of hydrogen is the mass of hydrogen contained in the fuel divided by the total mass of the fuel multiplied by 100
~ assuming 50 percent of the water produced as waste is recovered and cycled back into the reaction,
~ the new 80-20 alloy has a hydrogen mass density greater than 6 percent, which meets the DOE's 2010 goal
~ aluminum is refined from the raw mineral bauxite, which also contains gallium
~ producing aluminum from bauxite results in waste gallium
~ this technology is feasible for commercial use
~ the waste alumina can be recycled back into aluminum, and low-cost gallium is available as a waste product from companies that produce aluminum from the raw mineral bauxite
~ if impure gallium can be made for less than $10 a pound and used in an onboard system,
~ there are enough known gallium reserves to run 1 billion cars in the United States
~ for the technology to be used to operate cars and trucks, a large-scale recycling program would be required
~ to turn the alumina back into aluminum and to recover the gallium

~ the golf cart of the future will have an aluminum-gallium alloy
~ you will add water to generate hydrogen either for an internal combustion engine or
~ to operate a fuel cell that recharges a battery
~ the battery will then power an electric motor to drive the golf cart

~ another application that is rapidly being developed is for emergency portable generators
~ that will use hydrogen to run a small internal combustion engine

~ the technology also could make it possible to introduce a non-polluting way to idle diesel trucks
~ truck drivers idle their engines to keep power flowing to appliances and the heating and air conditioning systems while they are making deliveries or parked,
~ such idling causes air pollution, which has prompted several states to restrict the practice
~ the new hydrogen technology could solve the truck-idling dilemma
~ truck would run on either hydrogen or diesel fuel
~ while you are on the road you are using the diesel, but while the truck is idling, it's running on hydrogen

~ the new hydrogen technology also would be well-suited for submarines
~ because it does not emit toxic fumes and could be used in confined spaces without harming crew members

~ other types of boats, including pleasure craft, also could be equipped with such a technology
~ one reason maritime applications are especially appealing is that you don't have to haul water

~ the Purdue researchers had thought that making the process competitive with conventional energy sources
~ would require that the alumina be recycled back into aluminum using a dedicated infrastructure,
~ such as a nuclear power plant or wind generators
~ they now know that recycling the alumina would cost far less than they originally estimated,
~ using standard processing already available
~ since standard industrial technology could be used to recycle our nearly pure alumina back to aluminum at 20 cents per pound,
~ this technology would be competitive with gasoline
~ using aluminum, it would cost $70 at wholesale prices to take a 350-mile trip with a mid-size car equipped with a standard internal combustion engine
~ that compares with $66 for gasoline at $3.30 per gallon
~ if we used a 50 percent efficient fuel cell, taking the same trip using aluminum would cost $28
~ the Purdue Research Foundation holds title to the primary patent,
~ which has been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is pending
~ An Indiana startup company, AlGalCo LLC., has received a license for the exclusive right to commercialize the process

~ in 1967, while working as a researcher at IBM, Woodall discovered that liquid alloys of aluminum and gallium spontaneously produce hydrogen if mixed with water
~ the research, which focused on developing new semiconductors for computers and electronics,
~ led to advances in optical-fiber communications and light-emitting diodes,
~ making them practical for everything from DVD players to television remote controls and new types of lighting displays
~ that work also led to development of advanced transistors for cell phones and components in solar cells powering space modules
~ like those used on the Mars rover, earning Woodall the 2001 National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush.
~ also while at IBM, Woodall and research engineer Jerome Cuomo were issued a U.S. patent in 1982
~ for a "solid state, renewable energy supply"
~ the patent described their discovery that when aluminum is dissolved in liquid gallium just above room temperature,
~ the liquid alloy readily reacts with water to form hydrogen, alumina and heat

~ future research will include work to further perfect the solid alloy and develop systems for the controlled delivery of hydrogen
~ the 2nd Energy Nanotechnology International Conference is sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and ASME Nanotechnology Institute

»Purdue University
~ Jerry Woodall, professor of electrical and computer engineering;
~ director, Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Purdue University

Radio interview: making hydrogen from water using alloys
~ gallium added and put together with alunium
~ invented semiconductor lasers; people listen to him !
~ nothing new; in 1967 discovered ; became scared due to heat and started to investigate more
~ aluminum was then used for meahnical not this kind od applications
~ there are now no aluminium filling stations nor LH2 filling stations; mentioned IBM LH2 engine but said doen't want to drive that
~ this technology is available; small applications; starts with small engines
~ aluminium oxide plus hydrogen as result; alumina powder can be recycled
~ has to use electricity to get rid of side result aluminum
~ nuclear power could be used for recycling i.e to build Al recycler next to a nuclear power plant!
~ funding ? done that ! takes some time ! 67 age; wants technology to get commercialed; has grand children
~ he is developing the fuel; needs to put team together
~ can show demo
~ no shortage of water or aluminium !
~ he is still alive with this technology
~ not worried about greenhouse but more about planet
~ solar, wind energy can be used to get rid of side product
~ interest in Europe ? while in Singapore; got many emails; has got cover
~ resource now: two students, rd scientists, consultants; hopes more people get interested
question: how efficient is it and how much does it cost to produce and handle ?
~ only to bring aluminium oxide back to aluminum
~ 50% ; better than others
~ mining of aluminum; surplus now worldwide! 50% overcapacity could run 50% cars in U.S.


»THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ALUMINUM-GALLIUM ALLOYS AS A MATERIAL FOR ENERGY STORAGE, TRANSPORT AND SPLITTING WATER
Advantages of aluminum for energy storage,transport, and conversion to hydrogen
~ Al is safe in air at room temperature
~ Al can make hydrogen on demand; little or no hydrogen gas storage needed
~ no hydrocarbons in reaction product, only water
~ spent aluminum (alumina) is easily recycled to Al
~ high energy content; about 14K BTUs/lb. or about 4.5 kW-hrs/lb. (oil is 19K BTUs/lb.)
~ nearly infinite supply -25 trillion lbs. reserve
~ enough known reserves to make over 100 trillion kW-hrs. of energy, or 50 x current annual U.S. electricity use (2 trillion kW-hrs)

The challenge of using Al to make hydrogen
~ aluminum loves oxygen
~ as a result, a skin of alumina (Al203) forms on air-exposed Al and protects it from further rapid oxidation
~ if this passivating oxide could be disrupted, Al would react with water to produce hydrogen:
~ 2Al + 3H₂0 --> 3H₂+ Al₂0₃+ heat, deltaF<<0
~ this happens when water comes in contact with molten Al (Ka-boom!!)

Proposed Solution
~ a better oxide disruption method to dissolve the Al into an inert liquid at or near room temperature
~ this can be done slightly above room temperature by dissolving Al into liquid gallium (Ga)
~ bringing this liquid alloy into contact with water to generate hydrogen via the reaction:
~ 2Al + 3H₂ --> 3H₂ + Al₂0₃ + heat

Bottom Line
~ Al-Ga alloys react with water to produce H2
~ proven science, with no technology barriers
~ hydrogen mass density -6% (mobile use)
~ energy volume density 18 Kw-Hr/liter
~ conversion efficiency -50% (Al₂O₃to Al)100% (Al to Al₂O₃ )
~ Al is the storage, energy transport,and conversion material to make hydrogen
~ Ga is inert and totally recoverable and can be low purity, hence, cheap

contact: woodall@ecn.purdue.edu