New Technique Produces Hydrogen Cheap and Abundant

CHICAGO (AFP) - U.S. researchers have developed a method for producing hydrogen gas from biodegradable organic material that could potentially provide an abundant fuel from this clean energy source. According to a study released on Monday, 12 Novermber 2007.
New technology that gives hope to produce hydrogen gas cheaply and efficiently from renewable biomass such as cellulose or glucose and can be utilized as a vehicle fuel, materials for the manufacture of fertilizers and produce clean drinking water.
A number of transport systems are being switched to the engine-fueled engines hydrogen gas as an alternative fuel, but it is still produced hydrogen gas from fossil fuels such as natural gas.
The method used by engineers at Pennsylvania State University combines elektorn producing bacteria with a small electrical charge in a microbial fuel cell to produce hydrogen gas.
Microbial fuel cells work through the action of bacteria that can deliver the electrons to an anode. Electrons flow from the anode through a wire to the cathode which produces an electric current. In the process, the bacteria consume organic materials in the biomass material.
External vibration electricity helps generate hydrogen gas at the cathode.
In the past, a process known as elektrohidrogenesis have hydrogen production efficiency is very low. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University managed to solve this problem by modifying the elements of a chemical reactor.
In some experiments in the laboratory, they produce hydrogen reactor reached almost 99% of the maximum production teroritis using aetik acid (aetic acid), useless product of a fermentation of glucose.
"This process produces 288% more energy in hydrogen than the electrical energy that is added to the process," said Bruce Logan, professor of environmental engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
The technology is now economically feasible to provide the hydrogen value-added compared with alternative biofuels, said Logan.
"The focus now is on the energy of ethanol, but economical ethanol from cellulose is still around 10 years," said Logan.
"First, you must describe the cellulose into sugars and then bacteria can convert them to ethanol."
One applied directly from this technology is to supply the hydrogen used in fuel cell cars to produce a rotating electric motor. He also can be used to convert wood chips for use as fertilizer. (AFP / brk)

Reference : http://niasonline.net/2007/11/13/teknik-baru-menghasilkan-hidrogen-murah-dan-melimpah/