Ammonia

How do we transport hydrogen? Usually pressurized tanks are used as a solution. For a cheaper alternative researchers are looking at “hydrogen carriers”, substances which contain H2, but can be carried efficiently.

Among these products ammonia stands out. Ammonia is advantageous in transportation and storage because it has large hydrogen content per unit volume, and is easily liquefiable (8.46 atm at 20°C). So existing liquid transportation methods can carry it. The formula is for ammonia NH3, hydrogen H2. Two H’s as we see are in NH3.

There is already a huge infrastructure for producing ammonia. It is produced about 150 million tons per year. Ammonia is used in cleaning products, known for its sharp smell and ability to clean any kind of grease. In movies, if dude passed out, someone brings a cloth to his nose, he smell it, and wakes right the f–k up. That’s ammonia.

Clean production methods: Folks at George Washington University came up with an approach that uses air and water as a source of H2 . Air is made up of 78% N2 . In their process the bubble of wet air is passed through a mixture of tiny particles of iron oxide and molten NaOH and KOH. When electricity is applied H2 is extracted from water and allows H2O and air to interact directly to form NH3.

How to use ammonia as fuel: either convert it to hydrogen as needed and use H2 fuel cells for power. Some are also looking at ammonia fuel cells to use NH3 directly in the FC. No carbon emissions in either case.

Exciting possibilities.

Links

Ammonia as fuel info from Japan, various parts on direct combustion and fuel-cells (solid oxide FC).