Carbon Capsules – The Key to Hydrogen Cars?

[PointRadix]

ScienceDaily (Mar. 24, 2008) —

Hydrogen could theoretically provide a clean, abundant energy source, but a major challenge is posed by the difficulty in its bulk storage. New research in the field of Materials Science has revealed that tiny carbon capsules (known as “buckyballs”) are sufficiently strong so as to hold volumes of hydrogen nearly as dense as those at the center of the planet Jupiter. Calculations suggest that some of these capsules appear to be capable of holding volumes of hydrogen so dense as to be almost metallic; it appears they can hold about 8 percent of their weight in hydrogen at room temperature.

The ongoing research is aimed at developing technologies for hydrogen-powered automobiles, including technologies to cost-effectively store hydrogen for use in cars. Hydrogen is the lightest element in the universe, and is thus very difficult to store in bulk. For hydrogen cars to be competitive with traditional petrol-powered vehicles, they need a comparable range and a reasonably compact fuel system. Estimates indicate that a hydrogen-powered car with a suitable range will require a storage system with densities greater than those found in pure, liquid hydrogen.

Bonds between carbon atoms are among the strongest chemical bonds in nature, and the research showed that an enormous amount of internal pressure is necessary to deform and break the carbon-carbon bonds. Using a computer model, the research team monitored the strength of each atomic bond in the capsules, and simulated the effect on the bonds as more hydrogen atoms were packed within.

The model promises to be particularly useful because it is scalable; it can determine exactly the quantity of hydrogen that one such capsule of any given size can hold. If a feasible method of producing hydrogen-filled “buckyballs” is developed, it might be possible to store them as a powder. They will likely assemble into weak molecular crystals or form a thin powder, and might find application in their whole form or be punctured under certain conditions to release pure hydrogen for fuel cells or other types of engines.

Source: Tiny Buckyballs Squeeze Hydrogen Like Giant Jupiter