Image credit – Fraunhofer IFAM
Right now many are looking at creating a future in which fossil fuels will no longer be used to power our automobiles. The direction that we’re heading towards comes in the form of electric cars that run on a battery that does not require fuel, or at least not directly (it will need to be charged electrically which still uses fuel in some instances).
There have been some who have been exploring the idea of hydrogen, although the volatile nature of hydrogen in its gaseous state is putting some people off. However, researchers at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM) have come up with a paste/goop-like substance called the POWERPASTE which is kind of like hydrogen in paste form.
This mixture combines both magnesium powder and hydrogen which then combines into magnesium hydroxide. An ester and metal salt are also added to complete the process, after which this paste is then stored in a cartridge and released via a plunger. The idea is that this paste, combined with hydrogen stored in a water tank, will react and create hydrogen gas which can then be used to power things like scooters and motorcycles, and might also be scalable to be used in cars.
The idea is that since this paste can be put into cartridges, buying them will be much easier compared to building a completely new infrastructure to house hydrogen refueling stations. We’re not sure if this POWERPASTE will be the future of how we power our vehicles, but it’s an interesting idea.
Filed in . Read more about Science and Social Hit. Source: gizmodo