Scientists at Penn State University have succeeded in developing an efficient production process for hydrogen gas. Hydrogen gas can be used for fuel cells, for example for laptop batteries.
Researcher Bruce Logan and his team experimented with different mixtures and managed to achieve more than 90 percent efficiency in power generation; with simple vinegar 91 percent was achieved.
To produce hydrogen, the researchers placed a graphite anode and a platinum cathode in the solution, separated by a standard membrane. By then adding bacteria to the mixture, they start to digest the liquid, as it were, releasing electrons and protons, good for a production of 0.3V. By adding 0.2V from an external source, hydrogen gas bubbles were created that can be collected at the surface.
According to the scientists, this way they produced 288 percent more energy than was needed to start the reaction. They also compared their technique with water hydrolysis, with which an efficiency of fifty to seventy percent can be achieved. Moreover, no greenhouse gas is produced with the bacterial method.
Car maker Honda presented at the LA Auto Show, incidentally, are FCX Clarity, a hybrid vehicle that can be powered by a fuel cell instead of traditional fossil fuel. Only 100 of the model will be leased to customers who live near one of the three suitable hydrogen gas stations.