Hydrogen can be a great fuel, but the hurdle has always been the difficulty in storage of hydrogen aboard a vehicle. A research funded by GM has come up with a possible answer; researchers have developed a new storage system for the extremely combustible gas. The system uses metal hydrides to absorb hydrogen, allowing the fuel tank to be filled in five minutes with enough juice to last 300 miles.
Hydrogen gas at high pressure is pumped into tubes containing the metal hydride, a cooling system works to keep temperatures low as an immense amount of heat is given off with the absorption of hydrogen. Low temperatures bode well for hydrogen absorption, which would come to a halt if the heat wasn’t removed. As the pressure is lowered, the metal hydride releases hydrogen, which can then be used in fuel cells to power the vehicle. The system could find practical application in vehicles soon.
Via: ScienceDaily
