Amazing New System Harnesses Sun’s Energy For Use at Night

reply to post by SLAYER69


I love hearing these new alternative ways to produce energy. Here is another one I am excited about:

SLAYER69

MysterX
They'll have problems with storage of the H.

Very dangerous and most every container leaks H to a degree...they'll have to use powdered Hydrides somewhere along the line, or a lot of houses and factories will probably be going boom.

Can you describe anything more dangerous than a 1 ton + steal vehicle hurling down a Highway at over 70 mph with a full tank of Gasoline?

edit on 15-1-2014 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

Yeah...the same thing containing hydrogen.

The reason storage of Hydrogen is dangerous, is due to it's small size compared to whatever it is stored in.
Eventually, the storage container will become brittle (Hydrogen embrittlement) and fracture, causing explosive release of the gas.

If the Hydrogen is stored (absorbed by) Nitrides (nitrogen compound) or stored using metal Hydrides, it is much more stable and even if a fracture of the storage vessel does happen, there's no explosion...maybe a bit slow burning, like a lit cigarette on steroids, but no BOOM.

reply to post by jrod


Tell me about it jrod...blimey, i almost killed myself experimenting with HHO generation using SS plates and a rack power supply!

Used Lye as the catalyst and distilled water..loudest bang i've ever heard it was.

Deafened me for about half an hour...i've not messed about with that stuff for a long time!

reply to post by SLAYER69


from source-link;

“When you talk about powering a planet with energy stored in batteries, it’s just not practical,” posited Meyer. “It turns out that the most energy dense way to store energy is in the chemical bonds of molecules. And that’s what we did – we found an answer through chemistry.”

...like the human body stores energy?

Sorry to be picky, but saying batteries are "just not practical" and seeing how every car on the planet uses a battery...

However, seeing projects come to life outside of petroleum based resources is a looking ahead and seeing the trees in the forest thing.

And ofcourse metering the yield only benefits who again?




I am honestly working on improving my manners while posting!

reply to post by loveguy


Batteries are really inefficient, the best solar powered system in our planet is plants, and we are nowhere near their storage and efficiency abilities.

Current solar cells systems only work with blue photons and that's why plants are much better harnessing solar energy, they work with more photon types as the red, which is more abundant.

So current solar tech is inefficient, expensive, dont last long and not really functional in the night as we cannot storage the energy produced by the day, this kind of system are trying to storage in something else like hydrogen.

reply to post by SLAYER69


I just finished reading this article when I ran across your thread. I thought it might be of interest.

Organic mega flow battery promises breakthrough for renewable energy

A couple of clips from the article:

A team of Harvard scientists and engineers has demonstrated a new type of battery that could fundamentally transform the way electricity is stored on the grid, making power from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar far more economical and reliable

The paper reports a metal-free flow battery that relies on the electrochemistry of naturally abundant, inexpensive, small organic (carbon-based) molecules called quinones, which are similar to molecules that store energy in plants and animals. The mismatch between the availability of intermittent wind or sunshine and the variability of demand is the biggest obstacle to getting a large fraction of our electricity from renewable sources. A cost-effective means of storing large amounts of electrical energy could solve this problem

reply to post by SLAYER69


I was under the impression that hydrogen cells were notoriously difficult to store.

reply to post by SLAYER69


This is very interesting. This is an example of nanotechnology giving new abilities to human tech - just like the article on the gills that was here on ATS yesterday.

ATS: Triton Oxygen Respirator Extracts Air Underwater!

Solar panels are not new, as AfterInfinity said, it isn't even new to store the energy for use at night - that could be done with capacitors, for example. I think the really profound thing about this technology lies in the details.

What we have here is a new way of storing energy from the sun by using nanotechnology and water - the water molecule is split into hydrogen and oxygen, and then the oxygen is released into the air.

This creates potential energy, storing the solar energy through this mechanism, it could be released again by something as simple as igniting the hydrogen or possibly in another nano-tech manner, both more than likely involving it re-combining with the oxygen.

What I immediately see from this is that it could produce a gigantic leap of efficiency in solar panels. The second application would be for space technology - the use of fuel cells is great for space because:

Water + Sunlight -> Hydrogen + Oxygen

Oxygen -> Breathed by humans -> Carbon Dioxide -> Breathed by plants -> Oxygen -> Sent to create energy with hydrogen -> Electricity -> Water -> Drank by humans -> Peed out by humans -> Goes back to solar panel apparatus

Seriously, someone pay attention to that flowchart. It is so damn efficient for space travel. Also, there is water on the moon and in asteroids so that makes it easier to get the heavy water payload into space.

Damn it... I get so excited about stuff like this Slayer... I'm going to go draw some diagrams and maybe make some calls to find out more. I started a business with a friend with three ideas: nuclear technology, space travel and quantum psychology in mind. Even though it hasn't made a profit, I'm super glad I did... it makes things like this more fun.

AfterInfinity
reply to post by SLAYER69

 

I was under the impression that hydrogen cells were notoriously difficult to store.

edit on 15-1-2014 by AfterInfinity because: (no reason given)

What I think is going on is that the nanotechnology is opening up new avenues of dealing with solar panels, possibly making them more efficient and possibly better ways to store and use the hydrogen cells - I think the nano-tech application is the real advancement.

@Open2Truth: This member shows how the nanotechnology is starting to be able to mimic the photosynthesis used in plants in a more direct manner.


@Indigent: Thanks for the information as well -

MysterX
reply to post by jrod

 

Tell me about it jrod...blimey, i almost killed myself experimenting with HHO generation using SS plates and a rack power supply!

Used Lye as the catalyst and distilled water..loudest bang i've ever heard it was.

Deafened me for about half an hour...i've not messed about with that stuff for a long time!

Lol I remember doing something like this with my car battery and some kind of apparatus that was supposed to increase my gas mileage. Thanks for reminding me... I think I was also trying to produce some of that gas that is supposed to melt all metal and the like. I think it is called HHO

MysterX

SLAYER69

MysterX
They'll have problems with storage of the H.

Very dangerous and most every container leaks H to a degree...they'll have to use powdered Hydrides somewhere along the line, or a lot of houses and factories will probably be going boom.

Can you describe anything more dangerous than a 1 ton + steal vehicle hurling down a Highway at over 70 mph with a full tank of Gasoline?

edit on 15-1-2014 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

Yeah...the same thing containing hydrogen.

The reason storage of Hydrogen is dangerous, is due to it's small size compared to whatever it is stored in.
Eventually, the storage container will become brittle (Hydrogen embrittlement) and fracture, causing explosive release of the gas.

If the Hydrogen is stored (absorbed by) Nitrides (nitrogen compound) or stored using metal Hydrides, it is much more stable and even if a fracture of the storage vessel does happen, there's no explosion...maybe a bit slow burning, like a lit cigarette on steroids, but no BOOM.

edit on 15-1-2014 by MysterX because: added info

Actually I've seen a few shows where they go into the safety issues of gas vs hydrogen.

When they did a puncture/rupture test.

The gasoline vehicle lost all of its fuel. The fuel spilled all over the ground in a pool. The pool caught on fire completely engulfing the car in flames.

The hydrogen vehicle test was interesting. Then the tank was punctured the gas exited rapidly and when caught on fire it was a localized jet of hydrogen. the car was not engulfed in fire. and once the hydrogen rapidly exited the fuel tank the fire died down. It was interesting to note that the flame tended to burn straight up. hydrogen being lighter than air seemed to show that the gas rose rapidly as it burnt. rather than hanging around burning for a long time.

If I had to choose a car to be in an accident with a fuel leak. I'd be in the hydrogen car.

reply to post by Emerys


I thought this was interesting as well.
Thanks for the contribution

AfterInfinity
reply to post by SLAYER69

 

... Solar panels aren't new.

One's that produce storable hydrogen fuel are

Very interesting concept!

I find it amazing each time something "new" comes out it is a knockoff of something already found in nature. All we need is already on this awesome planet. Yet so many people are struggling to get off this planet.

SLAYER69

MysterX
They'll have problems with storage of the H.

Very dangerous and most every container leaks H to a degree...they'll have to use powdered Hydrides somewhere along the line, or a lot of houses and factories will probably be going boom.

Can you describe anything more dangerous than a 1 ton + steal vehicle hurling down a Highway at over 70 mph with a full tank of Gasoline?

edit on 15-1-2014 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

Beans, Beer, small confined quarters and the need to light up a cigarette.

Second.

I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts, Slayer69. Your contribitions to ATS are generally more thoughtful, logical and forward thinking than 99% of the rest. At least, IMHO...

Anyway, I read about this earlier and had the impression that this is a step in the right direction. If I understood the gravity of this research correctly, with the potential rewards/benefits being so great, I have a feeling many of the problems of working with/storing hydrogen will be resolved. It’s just a matter of priorities and allocating the needed effort/resources.

With success it would be another step up the ladder toward that Type I civiliation you mentioned. I have a feeling we’re on a tight schedule, though, to make the necessary evolutionary advancements that might prevent us from annihilating ourselves. I also noticed today that the infamous atomic scientist’s Doomsday Clock is currently set to 5 minutes til midnight.

tic-toc, tic-toc...

SLAYER69

MysterX
They'll have problems with storage of the H.

Very dangerous and most every container leaks H to a degree...they'll have to use powdered Hydrides somewhere along the line, or a lot of houses and factories will probably be going boom.

Can you describe anything more dangerous than a 1 ton + steal vehicle hurling down a Highway at over 70 mph with a full tank of Gasoline?

edit on 15-1-2014 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

that same vehicle hurtling down a highway running on LPG

SLAYER69

MysterX
They'll have problems with storage of the H.

Very dangerous and most every container leaks H to a degree...they'll have to use powdered Hydrides somewhere along the line, or a lot of houses and factories will probably be going boom.

Can you describe anything more dangerous than a 1 ton + steal vehicle hurling down a Highway at over 70 mph with a full tank of Gasoline?

edit on 15-1-2014 by SLAYER69 because: (no reason given)

This brings up a memory...I was working force protection security overseas where we were searching vehicles for bombs...and this huge gas tanker all brand shiny new pulls in....it just seemed suspicious because it was so clean and new...so I ask to search it....the driver was totally cool and showing off his new tanker...well we open a panel that has all these wires hanging out of it....Ive never seen anything like it...So I had to call over someone else who had worked with these tankers ..he said that is just how they are. In the end we could find nothing wrong with it but I thought...what a great way to hide a bomb is to just be the bomb...I was dreading this going through cause I thought...what is stopping someone from just blowing up their own fuel tanker? Your line totally reminded me of that....it is...its a bomb on wheels.

SLAYER69
If we can keep the ball rolling before we do ourselves in with pollution, overpopulation and depletion of our other natural resources and continue with our increasing space exploration and exploitation I believe there will be no stopping us from becoming a true space fairing species.

I entirely agree with this affirmation.
Thank you for sharing.

reply to post by SLAYER69


This is the type of energy technology we should be devoting our resources towards. I've read numerous studies that clearly show we could indeed meet our global energy demands without the use of fossil fuels. It's just a matter of having the political will to take the necessary steps.

We have subsidized the fossil fuel industries long enough. I agree there was a time when subsidies were needed to insure that we had a reliable source of energy derived from fossil fuels and in order to do so, we needed to insure the survival of those companies whose business it was to find and extract those energy sources.

Well those companies are now among the most profitable on the planet and if for no other reason than to meet the future energy demands of a growing global population without poisoning ourselves in the process, IMO it's time that we redirected our energy subsidies to the development of cleaner, more abundant, sources like this.

Great find Slayer, S&F!

MysterX
reply to post by jrod

 

Used Lye as the catalyst and distilled water..loudest bang i've ever heard it was.

Deafened me for about half an hour...i've not messed about with that stuff for a long time!

Lye as the catalyst, I hope you were wearing safety goggles!

The first time I tried this I quickly determined that using a glass cup was not a good idea. Adding salt makes the water conduct better so I get more bubbles. Never thought about using a catalyst or SS plates, just loose wires.

I'm glad to see a technology like this coming around. I think these types of PV/H2 panels would make a great addition on a live-aboard boat.