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Nanoparticle Size Affects Hydrogen Release in Fuel Cells

H2 hydrogen icon

(Energy.gov)

Researchers at Delft University of Technology and VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands have shown that the size of a metal alloy nanoparticle influences the speed with which hydrogen gas is released when stored in a metal compound containing hydrogen. The team led by Delft materials scientist Bernard Dam published its findings in the October issue of the journal Advanced Energy Materials (paid subscription required).

The speed and pressure for the release of hydrogen is important to the design of hydrogen fueling stations, which now require high-pressure pumps to fill fuel cells and in turn consume a lot of energy. One solution is to use metals such as magnesium that can absorb hydrogen in high densities without the need for high pressure.

Releasing hydrogen from magnesium, however, is a difficult and slow process. One way of speeding up hydrogen’s release is to use magnesium nanoscale particles — one nanometer equals one billionth of a meter — that are fixed in a matrix to prevent them from aggregating.

Dam and his colleagues used models made of thin layers of magnesium and titanium to show that the pressure of the hydrogen being released from the magnesium increases as the layers become thinner. This finding supports the idea of a matrix storing hydrogen in nanoparticles. The smaller the size of the nanoparticle, the researchers found, the greater the speed hydrogen gas can make its way to the fuel cell. This discovery can help improve the efficiency of hydrogen storage in vehicles, bringing implementation of hydrogen-powered vehicles one step closer.

Interest in hydrogen-powered vehicles is picking up in Europe. The Netherlands Minister of Infrastructure and Environment Melanie Schultz van Haegen announced on Tuesday a fund of €5 million ($US 7 million) to encourage hydrogen-based transportation. In June, the German car manufacturer Daimler announced its plans to build 20 new hydrogen fueling stations along Germany’s highways.

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