Use of domestic hydrogen heating
Provide electricity to the home using a system powered by hydrogen fuel cells. It is not science fiction, but pure reality, already tested in the homes of countries such as Japan. The size of a suitcase. the system is placed in the immediate vicinity of a tank that serves as a boiler. In the process of production of electrical energy fuel cells emanate heat and this is sufficient to heat the water for the whole house.
The oxygen used by the fuel cells comes from the air, while the hydrogen is extracted from natural gas through a device. But one of the byproducts of combustion is very poisonous and notorious for the tragic accident that resulted in: carbon monoxide.
Thus the system is able to extract new oxygen which, together with carbon monoxide, serves to create carbon dioxide, contributing to global warming, and without being highly dangerous if inhaled.
Thus, the fuel cell would ensure lower greenhouse gas emissions by a third compared to the existing heating systems - without being dangerous as a wood stove or a gas water heater, but their biggest drawback is its cost of production, still very high .
The heating hydrogen is a reality still evolving and few companies offer systems can also be purchased by individuals, and much remains to be done, it was often still at a prototype stage and several research groups are working to combine the hydrogen with other renewable energy sources.
An idea that is developing hydrogen is combined with photovoltaic systems. During the day is the production of electricity, which feeds an electrolyser which, for its part, produces hydrogen. During the night, and with the aid of a fuel cell, hydrogen is converted into electricity and heat. The hydrogen then accumulates solar energy for those times when there is no sun.
The CNR of Messina has worked on a project of a boiler hydrogen. It is a fuel cell modified to provide heat and directly heat the water in the plant.
Then there is the example of Sidera-30, a proposal for the heating of homes still in the prototype stage. Here a central co-generation (electricity and hot water), able to work well with methane with hydrogen with an efficiency of 80%, is coordinated through electronic delivery of smart, to act differently on each apartment .
The prototype is already working in a research laboratory. The basic technical idea is overall pretty simple. Four fuel cells form the primary engine of the central converting, chemically, the hydrogen into electricity. In the heating process are the cells to warm "as the heaters", while a dedicated cooling system removes the heat. Electricity and heat together, then. All the rest of Sidera is designed around this core. The methane gas goes to a reformer that converts it into hydrogen, and the cells, via a heat exchanger, are connected to a boiler for hot water production.
But there are economic and technical limits to be overcome. The internal membranes for the electrolysis of hydrogen, to date still have an average life of only two years. It is still essential in the electrodes, platinum, metal hyper-expensive and rare, but put under attack by the global.
The heating hydrogen is not short, but still a reality, however, could revolutionize the pattern of energy consumption of households. That would not pay more bills and fixed costs of building but each kilowatt acquire and kilocalories according to actual consumption or decisions made in advance.
28/02/2012
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Translated via software
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Source:
Italian version of CercaGeometra.it