GKN Powder Metallurgy says that it has opened a CO2-free energy supply system which uses metal powder to hold its hydrogen energy source.
The system, called Hy2Green, is reportedly a zero emission heat and power generator which creates green energy from regenerative sources, stores it and provides electrical power and heat when required. Th hydrogen is generated in the electrolyzer unit, powered by a regenerative energy source and fed into storage tanks filled with iron powder where it bonds to the metal particles to form metal hydride. Through temperature adjustments, the hydrogen is released to a fuel cell and through the fuel cell is converted back to electrical power. The energy can be stored safely over an extended period of time in a controlled environment without any loss, the company said.
The system works at 30 bars compared to other storage for gaseous hydrogen which works at pressures up to 800 bars. It is used to supply an off-the-grid residential home in Switzerland.
‘A dividing factor against other systems is our use of iron metal and titanium, which is available in vast amounts compared to lithium being used for modern researchable battery storages,’ said Peter Oberparleiter, CEO GKN. ‘The life expectancy of our metal-hydride based Hy2green storage lies at approximately at 10 years, opposed to the three-year lifespan for electric battery storage.’
This story uses material from GKN, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
