New technologies can be used to produce large amounts of cheap hydrogen

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American researchers have developed a method for producing hydrogen from renewable organic materials, which can increase the availability of clean-burning fuels. This technology can produce hydrogen cheaply and efficiently from readily available and renewable biomasses such as cellulose or glucose, and it can be used to power vehicles, produce fertilizers, and treat drinking water. A large number of public transportation systems are shifting to hydrogen-powered engines as a substitute for gasoline, but at present the vast majority of hydrogen is produced from non-renewable fossil fuels such as natural gas. Engineers at Pennsylvania State University in the United States used a method that combines electrons-producing bacteria with the small amount of charge generated in microbial fuel cells to produce hydrogen. Microbial fuel cells operate through the action of bacteria, which can transfer electrons to the anode. Electrons can flow from the anode to the cathode through a wire, thereby generating an electric current. During this process, bacteria consume the organic matter in the biomass material. External fluctuations in electricity help generate hydrogen at the cathode. In the past, this process known as electrochemical hydrogen production was inefficient, resulting in a low yield of hydrogen. However, researchers at Pennsylvania State University solved these problems by chemically modifying the components of the reactor. In experimental tests, the reactor developed achieved a theoretical maximum hydrogen production rate of nearly 99% by using primary acid (a product of glucose fermentation). It is said that the energy generated in this process using hydrogen is 288% higher than the electrical energy used in the addition process. Economic feasibility studies on this technology have been conducted. The application of this technology will be able to supply hydrogen to fuel cell vehicles, which is then used to generate electricity to power the motors. But it could also be used to convert wood fragments into hydrogen for use in fertilizer production. This research finding has been published in the proceedings of the American Academy of Sciences. (2007.11.16)