16-02-2021 | 17:56 PM
Clean Fuel Hydrogen
Context
IIT Delhi researchers develop pilot plants to generate Clean Fuel Hydrogen from water at low cost. Hydrogen gas, a viable choice as a renewable substitute for fossil fuels and can help mitigate emissions.
Key Highlights
The IIT Delhi team has successfully split water, a process known as Sulphur-Iodine (SI) thermochemical hydrogen cycle to generate low-cost, clean hydrogen fuel for industrial consumption.
The sulfur–iodine cycle (SI cycle) is a three-step thermochemical cycle used to produce hydrogen. In this cycle, all the chemicals are recycled. The SI process requires an efficient source of heat. Heat enters the cycle in high-temperature endothermic chemical reactions in the initial process and heat exits the cycle in the low-temperature exothermic reaction in the final stage of obtaining hydrogen gas.
One of the key challenges faced by the IIT Delhi researchers was to design a suitable catalyst for the energy-intensive, corrosive step of Sulphuric acid conversion to Sulphur-dioxide and oxygen.
The in-house catalyst meets these criteria and is now patented, and a process based on these is being developed and demonstrated in the Institute.
Significance
This could help India to adhere to its commitment in the Paris Climate Agreement and its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) Targets and ensure that its mobility in the future is with zero emissions.
It will complement the implementation of the FAME India Scheme launched with the objective of supporting hybrid/electric vehicles market development and manufacturing ecosystem.
Enabling availability of low-cost hydrogen through this discovery would enhance and improve the application of Hydrogen fuel cell technology which offers the advantages of a clean and reliable alternative energy source to applications such as – electric vehicles, primary and backup power for a variety of commercial, industrial, and residential buildings and more futuristic-sounding applications like air taxis.
Advantages of Hydrogen as a fuel are:
Hydrogen is a non-toxic substance that is rare for a fuel source. It is environmentally friendly and does not cause any harm or destruction to human health.
Hydrogen is also an efficient energy type since it has the ability to convey a lot of energy for every pound of fuel compared to diesel or gas.
