Revolutionizing Hydrogen: Israeli Research Team Unveils Green Hydrogen Production from Foundry Waste.
A revolutionary green hydrogen production method is emerging from the labs of Israel’s Sami Shamoon College of Engineering. Led by Dr. Guy Ben Hamu, the research team has developed an extraordinary process for generating clean and sustainable hydrogen fuel.Their methodology eliminates toxic byproducts, creating an eco-friendly alternative that could reshape the energy landscape.
Green Hydrogen Through Waste Utilization
The production of green hydrogen has always been a significant focus within the industry, and the Israeli researchers’ recent breakthrough comes at a pivotal moment. Using stainless steel powder, a material considered waste by foundries, the team has successfully produced hydrogen without any toxic byproduct.
“Green hydrogen is made in a process devoid of Carbon dioxide emissions,” Dr. Ben Hamu explained. “We add a stainless steel powder to water, and through an electrochemical process produce hydrogen. We do not introduce any other energy to the water, and the hydrogen is released from it spontaneously. In order to produce a large amount, solar energy can be added, and then more hydrogen can be produced in a short span of time.”
Sustainable Sabbath Solution
Ben Hamu also pointed out the potential religious implications of this discovery. This green hydrogen method could serve as an energy source during the Jewish Sabbath without violating religious law. This strategy offers an elegant solution that aligns with religious rules in the country.
“As long as we can add the powder to water, we can make electricity,” he said.
From Waste to Fuel
The materials used in the powder are collected from foundries and considered waste. The researchers grind these materials and transform them into green fuel.
“Nowadays, it is possible to take many types of metals and produce hydrogen, but in most cases, the byproduct obtained is toxic, requiring proper disposal. However, we obtain a green byproduct, and the water used to produce the electricity is tap water. The byproduct we get is water with non-toxic metal ions, which can even be used to water plants, promoting better plant growth,” said Dr. Ben Hamu.
Prototyping the Future
The team’s innovation extends to the development of a prototype in the form of a toy car. “The car has cups with water, to which we add metal powder. It produces green fuel, and the car moves,” Ben Hamu described. “Over time, we improved the powder to produce as much green fuel as possible. There are various types of powders, and the difference between them is not the amount of fuel they produce, but how they produce it. For example, if you want a small amount of fuel for a long time or a large amount of fuel for a short time.”
International Interest and Future Aspirations
With the project underway for four years, the research team’s aspiration is to complete a system within a year: a box where water and metal powder can be placed to produce electricity. This discovery is already attracting international interest and potential investors.
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