Fuel Cell Made More Efficient By Unusual Nanowires
Scientists all over the world believe that the fuel cells are one of the best solutions for green sustainable energy resources. These fuel cells have shown great capability and are considered to have a large number of applications from cars to computers. Now nanotechnology researchers have developed nano-wires which will improve the efficiency of these cells by a considerably large margin.
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You must be wondering that if these fuel cells have such great benefits and so many applications, then why they are not used anywhere presently? Are these energy sources over rated? Well, they are definitely not over rated. The actual problem with these devices is that they have a short life span. Also, the catalysts used for boosting the chemical reaction that converts fuel energy into electricity tend to break down. Due to this degradation in the catalysts, the reactions in the cell slow down. Last but not the least; this contemporary technology relies on the use of small particles on which the catalyst is coated. Due to the small surface area of these particles, only a small amount of the chemicals are available at any given instant.
To solve these problems, a group of engineering graduates from the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science has come up with an innovative fuel cell catalyst technology which can improve the cell’s efficiency by a whopping 240%! The Yale students plan to do so by using nanowires made of a new type of material which can improve the long term capability of these eco friendly cells. Their research work has impressed a lot of scientists and experts all around the world. The experiments carried by them have been quite promising and as a result, this research appeared as the cover story in the April issue of ACS Nano.
Yale technocrats Jan Schroers and André Taylor have invented super tiny nano-wires out of a novel and awesome alloy like material called the ‘bulk metallic glass’ (BMG). The reason behind the awesomeness of this material is the fact that it has greater surface area so more catalyst is exposed and reaction takes place faster. Also it can maintain its activity for longer and doesn’t let the catalyst molecules to disintegrate easily.
At present, the fuel cells use platinum particles as catalyst which is supported by the electrically conducting and cheap carbon black. Thus the carbon black conducts the electricity produced due to the process of production of electricity which is accelerated by the platinum particles. The energy available is directly proportional to the number of platinum particles to which the fuel is exposed. The main disadvantage with the carbon black is that it is porous and the platinum particles entering these pores are not in contact with the fuel. The other hindrance is due to the fact the carbon black is susceptible to corrosion which reduces the life span of the cell.
The nanowires developed by Schroers and Taylor are only 13 nanometers thick. To get a better idea regarding their size, note that they are 10,000 times thinner than your hair and 3 times smaller than the carbon black particles! The elongated and slim geometry of these wires give them more surface area per unit mass as compared to carbon black. Also, the platinum particles are impregnated into the wires and not just supported as in carbon black. This ensures longer endurance of the platinum particles and thus the cell.
The success of the nano-wires is guaranteed by the unique chemical composition of the BMG which allows this metallic alloy to be blow molded in any complex shapes. This material is a better conductor than carbon black as well as carbon nanotubes. The processing and manufacturing costs are also comparatively lesser. Till now, this material has been tested for alcohol based fuel cells but the Yale team believes that fuel cells using this technology could one day be used in electronic sensors, laptops, mobile phones and other portable devices that require batteries.
Image credit: News & Views for Making & Saving Money in Energy and Fuel
#-Link-Snipped-#
You must be wondering that if these fuel cells have such great benefits and so many applications, then why they are not used anywhere presently? Are these energy sources over rated? Well, they are definitely not over rated. The actual problem with these devices is that they have a short life span. Also, the catalysts used for boosting the chemical reaction that converts fuel energy into electricity tend to break down. Due to this degradation in the catalysts, the reactions in the cell slow down. Last but not the least; this contemporary technology relies on the use of small particles on which the catalyst is coated. Due to the small surface area of these particles, only a small amount of the chemicals are available at any given instant.
To solve these problems, a group of engineering graduates from the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science has come up with an innovative fuel cell catalyst technology which can improve the cell’s efficiency by a whopping 240%! The Yale students plan to do so by using nanowires made of a new type of material which can improve the long term capability of these eco friendly cells. Their research work has impressed a lot of scientists and experts all around the world. The experiments carried by them have been quite promising and as a result, this research appeared as the cover story in the April issue of ACS Nano.
Yale technocrats Jan Schroers and André Taylor have invented super tiny nano-wires out of a novel and awesome alloy like material called the ‘bulk metallic glass’ (BMG). The reason behind the awesomeness of this material is the fact that it has greater surface area so more catalyst is exposed and reaction takes place faster. Also it can maintain its activity for longer and doesn’t let the catalyst molecules to disintegrate easily.
At present, the fuel cells use platinum particles as catalyst which is supported by the electrically conducting and cheap carbon black. Thus the carbon black conducts the electricity produced due to the process of production of electricity which is accelerated by the platinum particles. The energy available is directly proportional to the number of platinum particles to which the fuel is exposed. The main disadvantage with the carbon black is that it is porous and the platinum particles entering these pores are not in contact with the fuel. The other hindrance is due to the fact the carbon black is susceptible to corrosion which reduces the life span of the cell.
The nanowires developed by Schroers and Taylor are only 13 nanometers thick. To get a better idea regarding their size, note that they are 10,000 times thinner than your hair and 3 times smaller than the carbon black particles! The elongated and slim geometry of these wires give them more surface area per unit mass as compared to carbon black. Also, the platinum particles are impregnated into the wires and not just supported as in carbon black. This ensures longer endurance of the platinum particles and thus the cell.
The success of the nano-wires is guaranteed by the unique chemical composition of the BMG which allows this metallic alloy to be blow molded in any complex shapes. This material is a better conductor than carbon black as well as carbon nanotubes. The processing and manufacturing costs are also comparatively lesser. Till now, this material has been tested for alcohol based fuel cells but the Yale team believes that fuel cells using this technology could one day be used in electronic sensors, laptops, mobile phones and other portable devices that require batteries.
Image credit: News & Views for Making & Saving Money in Energy and Fuel
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