Hydrogen will be cheap, and that’s not the end of the advantages. The new cell is causing a sensation

It is about electrolysis, thanks to which water is decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen. This happens in the presence of an electric current, and scientists are constantly looking for ways to increase the efficiency of the entire process. Now, as they explain in conditiona new type of ceramic cell equipped with fuel electrodes aims to help with this.

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The latter consists of cerium doped with nickel and gadolinium. In addition to reducing the costs of producing hydrogen fuel, there is also talk about the environmental sustainability of the entire process. The idea itself is as follows: the energy generated by wind turbines or solar panels will be used to obtain hydrogen from water electrolysis.

The production of other fuels, such as methanol or ammonia, is also taken into account. More importantly, we are talking about a net negative balance of greenhouse gas emissions. This means that throughout the entire process – even if compounds such as carbon dioxide are produced – their balance will ultimately be beneficial to the environment.

Hydrogen produced through electrolysis would be cheaper, and its production process would be more environmentally friendly

During tests, members of the research team showed that the electrodes they examined retained their parameters even after 1,000 hours. Only when current consumption was very high did a slight deterioration occur. Thanks to the extended service life, it will be possible to save material consumption and reduce the price of hydrogen by up to five percent.

This fuel has a fundamental advantage over fossil fuels: its combustion does not lead to the formation of gases such as carbon dioxide. Until now, there is a particular problem that the energy used in water electrolysis comes from the exploitation of coal or natural gas. This approach was partly futile. By relying on renewable energy sources, problems can be avoided.

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As the interested parties themselves add, if the tested technology can be applied in a sufficient number of places in the world, it will be possible to save 25 percent of the total electricity needed to produce the same amount of environmental fuel. Production is scheduled to take place, among other things, at the plant being built in Herning, Denmark.

Organized tests confirmed the high durability of the cells, which were created by combining ceramic layers and then cutting them into squares. They were then placed in an oven heated to 1250 degrees Celsius. We will have to wait some time to implement the described technology on a global scale, but the creators hope that this will happen within ten years maximum.