University of Leeds Uses Waste To Create Hydrogen

Engineers at the University of Leeds are currently working on developing technology with hydrogen power in mind.  A grant of over £400k has been gifted to the University for the development of sustainable energy in the form of hydrogen under a project known as SUPERGEN Sustainable Hydrogen Delivery.  The grant was awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Hydrogen is considered to be a clean and green alternative to fossil fuels however has proven costly to manufacture.  The system the University is currently developing is Unmixed and Sorption-Enhanced Steam Reforming which would reduce the number of greenhouse gases emitted by hydrogen power manufacture.
The system consists of using waste products combined with steam to produce hydrogen, and is relatively cheaper and cleaner than current methods in place to produce hydrogen.

“It’s becoming increasingly necessary for scientists devising new technologies to limit the amount of carbon dioxide they release. This project takes us one step closer to these goals – once we have technologies that enable us to produce hydrogen sustainably, the infrastructure to support its use will grow,” says Dr Valerie Dupont from the School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering (SPEME).

The new system incorporates waste sources mixed with steam to produce hydrogen with carbon dioxide and water as a byproduct.  If testing is successful the system could be a better, more cost effective option for the production of hydrogen power.  The byproducts from this system are easily disposed off, as water is condescended by cooling and carbon dioxide removed by a solid sorbent material.

Special thanks to www.alternative-energy-news for the above quote, for more information view the article on their website.