Scientists Develop a Prototype Reactor to Produce Hydrogen Efficiently and Cheaply

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Researchers say they have produced hydrogen from ethanol in a prototype reactor small enough and efficient enough to heat small homes and power cars.

ap.tbo.com...
Current methods of producing hydrogen from ethanol require large refineries and copious amounts of fossil fuels, the University of Minnesota researchers said.
The reactor is a relatively tiny 2-foot-high apparatus of tubes and wires that creates hydrogen from corn-based ethanol. A fuel cell, which acts like a battery, then generates power.
Hydrogen power itself is hardly a new idea. Hydrogen fuel cells already propel experimental vehicles and supply power for some buildings. NASA has used them on spacecraft for decades.

But hydrogen is expensive to make and uses fossil fuels. The researchers say their reactor will produce hydrogen exclusively from ethanol and do it cheaply enough so people can buy hydrogen fuel cells for personal use.

They also believe their technology could be used to convert ethanol to hydrogen at fuel stations when cars that run solely on hydrogen enter the mass market.




[Edited on 13-2-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

[Edited on 13-2-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

Cool Cool

Reminds me of Back to the Future 2 where Doc Brown, is putting banana peels and other trash to get his power.

If this really takes ground and the goverment will actually back it, it could lead to a much cleaner world enviroment.