Tuesday 6 September 2022 06:23 PM Your car could soon run on thin air as acientists develop new method to make ... trends now
View
comments
It may sound far-fetched but driving a car powered by thin air may one day be possible after scientists developed a new way of making hydrogen fuel.
Green hydrogen, produced by electrolysers using electricity and water, represents a potential alternative to CO2-emitting fossil fuels.
However, current devices often require complex components such as rare metals, and access to pure water, which can lead to competition with limited supplies of drinking water.
Instead of liquid water, the new prototype electrolyser harvests humid air.
It absorbs moisture out of the air and splits the collected water into hydrogen and oxygen.
This hydrogen fuel was then shown to successfully power a device.
New technology: It may sound far-fetched but driving a car powered by thin air may one day be possible after scientists developed a new way of making hydrogen fuel. Instead of liquid water, the new prototype electrolyser (pictured) harvests humid air
It absorbs moisture out of the air and splits the collected water into hydrogen and oxygen
Experts at the University of Melbourne said there prototype idea may allow the provision of hydrogen fuel to dry and remote regions, with minimal environmental impact, especially if using renewable energy.
They were able to electrolyse the air's water in humidity as low as 4 per cent.
'We have developed a so-called "direct air electrolyzer" in short, DAE,' Gang Kevin Li, a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Melbourne, and co-author of the paper, told Newsweek.
'This module uses a hygroscopic electrolyte exposed to the atmosphere
