Cella Energy Shows New Process for Low-Cost Hydrogen Storage

In brief: Cella Energy has created a process using ammonia borane and coaxial electrospinning to produce and supply hydrogen to vehicles.

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The process creates a storage medium of high hydrogen concentration that is safe to handle, inexpensive to make, and operates at low pressures and temperatures.

Ammonia borane (NH3BH3) has long been known to be a high-density compound for storing hydrogen safely, but until now has been relatively expensive (energy-wise) to extract the H2 from. With Cella's new electrospinning (or electrospraying) process, the extraction process is much simpler and economical.

Cella sees the process being used in at least two vehicle applications: as a storage and extraction process in hydrogen fuel cell cars and trucks and as a storage and extraction process for hydrogen supplementation in existing internal combustion applications.

The process could also be used in other fuel cell storage mediums, such as portable electronics and power supply applications.

The best part of the process is that it could be used as a safe storage medium on any scale, so current fueling stations could use this at relatively low cost to store hydrogen without large modifications. That means faster adoption of H2 infrastructure.

And so ...

Very cool technology with a lot of implications for use.

Photo credits: Cella

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