Simple Device Invented in 1833 May Lead to Cheap Hydrogen
A modern team of Italian researchers has uncovered a device invented by fellow Italian G.D. Botto in 1833 that can be used to generate hydrogen with inexpensive, everyday parts. By reflecting sunlight from two parabolic mirrors onto a hollow tube wrapped in metal and filled with water, the device generates enough electricity to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. Theoretically, the device is so simple that anybody could build it in their garage.
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In the original Botto device, alternating links of platinum and iron were connected in a chain that was then wrapped around a wooden rod. By heating one side of the rod with a flame, Botto was able to generate an electric current in the chain through thermocoupling of the two metals.
Botto’s original intent was to simply show that he could produce electricity using a thermocouple of two metals. Making hydrogen bubbles in water through electrolysis was his way of visually confirming an electric current was present. But, after uncovering the original Botto work, the modern Italian team realized the device had a different kind of potential in today’s energy-dependent world: a cheap way to make hydrogen without advanced manufacturing techniques using off-the-shelf components.
With some modern thinking, the Italian team was able to modify Botto’s device in rather ingenious ways. Firstly, they replaced the flame that Botto used to produce heat with parabolic mirrors to concentrate the sun’s rays on the tube. Secondly, they replaced the rather expensive platinum metal with copper. And thirdly, in order to create a greater temperature difference between the heated side of the tube and the cool side of the tube (greater temperature difference equals larger current), they ran water through the center of it.
The researchers estimate that, although the power output for their experimental device is small (only about 20 mW), it could generate enough current to produce hydrogen gas through electrolysis of water. Given that the device is scalable, I’m guessing it would simply be a matter of daisy chaining enough of them together to generate the required amount of hydrogen.
The researchers also suggest that rather than using a thermocouple of two metals, it would be more efficient to use a thermoelectric semiconductor to obtain a much higher power output. I’m just waiting for them to release a design on the internet so that we can all start experimenting with hydrogen production.
Image Credit: De Luca, R.; Ganci, S.; and Zozzaro, P. “Revisiting an idea of G D Botto: a solar thermoelectric generator.” Eur. J. Phys. 29 (2008) 1295-1300.
Source: PhysOrg.com
I’m interested about Hydrogen fule cell.
If possibly we can produce the Hydrogen
too cheap. Hydrogen with solar process.
“The Sun Hydrogen” are the really alter
native power soruce in the future for our world.
Sincerely your
Sun Sudkaew
11/11/2008
Are we sure we really want a bunch of people creating hydrogen generators in their garages? Personally sounds like a recipe for disaster. For some reason all I can hear is ” Hey watch this.BOOM!”
Elwood
From looking at ATMs (Amateur Telescope Makers) work, and doing some myself. Most of this project can very easily be put together in a garage.
The mirrors and mirror mounts are cave mans work at best. Having seen homemade heaters for telescopes, the rod is simple child’s play. Tracking the sun is also possible for the amateur.
Now I have some questions about the material for the tube. Depending on the size of the mirrors. A PVC tube should do the trick with attachment..
From this prospective, Theory has been tested time and time again. The practice and application just needs to be modified and changed with very little effort.
Water pumps are plentiful. Execpt for the glass blanks, grit, and mirror coatings. All this stuff could be picked up at Home Depot.
Where I get lost is the Hydrogen collection. How do you separate the Hydrogen and Oxygen, and how do you store the Hydrogen for later use in a garage setting? I
OM
20 mW is 0.002 Watts. Youd need 500 just to make a watt. 20 Hp for 1 hour is roughly 1500 watt hours. Figuring 5 hours of working time, you’ll need 300 watts of these devices or about 15,000 of them. Somehow I don’t think anyone is going to be making that many “off the shelf”, theoretically or otherwise, even if you scale them to where you’d only need 500 of them. There are vastly better ways to do this.
Wow, how incredibly stupid. It’s called thermoelectrics and they’ve been around for four decades. Dissimilar metals? Um, look in your furnace for a ‘thermocouple’.
What exactly is the innovation here? The use of solar as heat source for the hot side? I did that when I was thirteen after I cannibalized a coleman cooler for the TEC unit.
its so nice to accidently passing this site, i was just browsing and led to this interesting topic. somehow this topic is relevant to the bubbling discussion in my country, regards and good luck
Italians are great in design and absolutely terrible in conceptualization, they invented vaporware starting with Leonardo davinci.
gud one
This is absolutely absurd! The actuality of the fact is that it produces insignifigant figures of electricity. I’ve seen real life chem researchers on this and they can’t find anything to get the metal to be reactive enough to be WORTH mass producing
Nice post… always good to see old ideas revisited and re-imagined using alternative materials, and nanoscale designs to increase surface area and reduce amount of metals needed without compromising on the simplicity of the design. Would love to hear more from researchers on potential of utility scaling?
Garry G
Editor
The Energy Roadmap.com
http://www.theenergyroadmap.com