UK researcher seek to develop new green hydrogen power source

The clean energy source from hydrogen is being created using screen-printed nanotech

UK researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University have announced their efforts to develop a new green hydrogen power source by using screen-printed nanotechnology. The resulting hydrogen will ultimately be transferred into fuel cells to create electricity whenever it is required.

The goal is to provide remote communities with an affordable form of alternative energy.

The research team hopes that the green hydrogen power source they plan to develop will benefit remote communities. If they are successful, the new power source could be a cleaner and affordable alternative to the current fossil-fuel based power sources.

Presently, these fossil-fuels, such as diesel and gasoline, are not only carbon-heavy, but they are costly because they need to be imported to these remote area.

“This is the perfect opportunity to explore whether we can produce a less polluting alternative to current fossil fuel-based energy techniques,” said Research associate Dr Samuel Rowley-Neale, reported Power Technology.

The new green hydrogen power source is created using an innovative process.

The researchers developed a way to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, by screen-printing electrodes that are then utilized as electrolysers to separate the water into its two components.

More specifically, the team, led by Craig Banks, a professor in electrochemical and nanotechnology, screen print electrodes utilizing graphene-like nanotechnology embedded in a carbon-based fluid printer ink. The electrodes can be printed in various shapes and can be mass produced.

The hydrogen that results will be used for storage or transportation to eventually be fed into fuel cells to generate electricity. According to the researchers, the hydrogen energy source is more efficient compared to other forms of renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy.

“This will put Manchester Metropolitan at the forefront of renewable energy research as it helps to tackle climate change by enabling off-grid clean and cost effective hydrogen production,” said Rowley-Neale about the project.

Electrode development will begin at Manchester Metropolitan University during the next six months. This will be followed by the installation of the electrolyser stack in Scotland and connection to a renewable energy system. From there, the technology will be tested for six months.

The team was awarded a £100,000 research grant from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to pursue the development of the green hydrogen power source.