Practical on-board hydrogen storage is goal of new Argonne research project
ARGONNE, Ill. (June 19, 2007) — Solving one of the biggest problems
in commercialization of fuel-cell-powered automobiles is the goal of a new
$1.88 million research project on on-board hydrogen storage at the U.S. Department
of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.
To be practical, researchers say, the hydrogen storage system must be able
to hold enough of the fuel for a driving range of 300 miles before
refilling; no current technology meets this goal within the constraints of
allowable weight and volume for passenger cars.
The Argonne research will investigate nanostructured polymeric materials as
hydrogen storage adsorbents. Developed through an earlier collaboration between
Argonne and the University
of Chicago, the new polymer adsorbent material
has shown great promise in preliminary tests. The new project funded by DOE
will seek further improvements in storage capacity and an in-depth understanding
of hydrogen-polymer interactions.
"The successful outcome of the project will lead to a low-cost, high-capacity
hydrogen storage material that can be mass-produced within the existing industrial
infrastructure," said Di-Jia Liu, Argonne scientist who is leading the
research project.
Hydrogen is regarded as a future clean fuel replacement for
gasoline. However, current hydrogen storage technology, as a high-pressure
compressed gas or as a liquid at very low temperatures, does not adequately
meet all the requirements for the automotive application.
A suitable hydrogen
adsorbent will work at low pressures with enhanced capacity, Liu said.
The polymer materials under investigation by Argonne-University of Chicago
team have the potential to adsorb hydrogen without breaking its bond, a process
called "physisorption." Preliminary tests of the material have
demonstrated "encouraging
hydrogen storage capacity, reversibility and stability," he said.
The research effort includes Argonne chemists Liu, Martha Finck and postdoctoral
researcher Junbing Yang of the Chemical Engineering Division, theorist Peter
Zapol of the Materials Science Division, physicist Peter Chupas of the Advanced
Photon Source, and Professor Luping Yu's research group at the University
of Chicago.
"This project," Liu said, "brings together experts from different
disciplines, ranging from basic sciences to applied technology. Our hope is
that through such close interaction, we would be able to develop the best possible
materials with the support of fundamental understanding of hydrogen storage
chemistry."
Funding for the preliminary research came from the Department of Energy Office
of Science under a Laboratory-Directed Research and Development Project. The
new four-year grant from the Department of Energy's Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy will allow this Argonne-University of Chicago research
team to significantly expand their scope of study and continue technology development.
Argonne National Laboratory brings
the world's brightest scientists and engineers together to find exciting and
creative new solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology.
The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic
and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne
researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities,
and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific
problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for
a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed
by UChicago
Argonne, LLC for
the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
For more information, please
contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov)
at Argonne.
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