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Rehovot Leads the Way in Seeking New Fuel
"Many of today’s scientists are trying to find an alternative, pollution-free fuel for the future and this research has been a priority for the staff at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. Hydrogen is seen as the most plentiful element in the universe and as such, is an attractive candidate for becoming this fuel of the future.
“After various experiments surrounding solar energy, the scientists realized that they needed to find a new kind of energy” said Michael Meyer, the national executive vice-president of Weizmann Canada. “We have solar and wind energy, now it’s time for hydrogen,” However, nearly all hydrogen used today is produced by means of expensive processes that require the combustion of polluting fossil fuels. In addition, it is extremely difficult to store and transport hydrogen.
New solar technology developed by the Weizmann Institute, with the help of funding from Weizmann Canada, tackles these problems by creating an easily storable intermediate energy source made from metal ore such as zinc oxide. With the help of concentrated sunlight, the ore is heated to about 1,200C in a solar reactor, in the presence of wood charcoal. The process splits the ore, releasing oxygen and creating gaseous zinc, which is then condensed to a powder.
Zinc powder can later be reacted with water, yielding hydrogen to be used as fuel, and zinc oxide, which is recycled back to zinc in the solar plant. In recent experiments, the 300-kilowatt installation produced 45 kilograms of zinc powder from zinc oxide in one hour, exceeding projected goals. The process generates no pollution, and the resultant zinc can be easily stored, transported and converted to hydrogen on demand. In addition, the zinc can be used directly, for example, in zinc-air batteries, which serve as efficient converters of chemical to electrical energy. Thus, the method offers a way of storing solar energy in chemical form and releasing it as needed.
“The success of our recent experiments brings the approach closer to industrial use,” according to engineer Michael Epstein, project leader at the Weizmann Institute. Results of the experiments were reported by Epstein and Weizmann scientist Jacob Karni in early August at the 2005 Solar World Congress of the International Solar Energy Society in Orlando, Fla. The concept of splitting metal ores with the help of sunlight has been under development for several years at the Weizmann Institute’s Canadian Institute for the Energies and Applied Research in Israel, one of the most sophisticated solar research facilities in the world, which has a solar tower, a field of 64 mirrors and unique beam-down optics.
Weizmann scientists are currently investigating metal ores other than zinc oxide, as well as additional materials that may be used for efficient conversion of sunlight into storable energy. "
Source: Lara Greenberg. Israel leads the way in seeking new fuel. Cabadian Jewish News (CJN) (27 October 2005) [FullText]
“After various experiments surrounding solar energy, the scientists realized that they needed to find a new kind of energy” said Michael Meyer, the national executive vice-president of Weizmann Canada. “We have solar and wind energy, now it’s time for hydrogen,” However, nearly all hydrogen used today is produced by means of expensive processes that require the combustion of polluting fossil fuels. In addition, it is extremely difficult to store and transport hydrogen.
New solar technology developed by the Weizmann Institute, with the help of funding from Weizmann Canada, tackles these problems by creating an easily storable intermediate energy source made from metal ore such as zinc oxide. With the help of concentrated sunlight, the ore is heated to about 1,200C in a solar reactor, in the presence of wood charcoal. The process splits the ore, releasing oxygen and creating gaseous zinc, which is then condensed to a powder.
Zinc powder can later be reacted with water, yielding hydrogen to be used as fuel, and zinc oxide, which is recycled back to zinc in the solar plant. In recent experiments, the 300-kilowatt installation produced 45 kilograms of zinc powder from zinc oxide in one hour, exceeding projected goals. The process generates no pollution, and the resultant zinc can be easily stored, transported and converted to hydrogen on demand. In addition, the zinc can be used directly, for example, in zinc-air batteries, which serve as efficient converters of chemical to electrical energy. Thus, the method offers a way of storing solar energy in chemical form and releasing it as needed.
“The success of our recent experiments brings the approach closer to industrial use,” according to engineer Michael Epstein, project leader at the Weizmann Institute. Results of the experiments were reported by Epstein and Weizmann scientist Jacob Karni in early August at the 2005 Solar World Congress of the International Solar Energy Society in Orlando, Fla. The concept of splitting metal ores with the help of sunlight has been under development for several years at the Weizmann Institute’s Canadian Institute for the Energies and Applied Research in Israel, one of the most sophisticated solar research facilities in the world, which has a solar tower, a field of 64 mirrors and unique beam-down optics.
Weizmann scientists are currently investigating metal ores other than zinc oxide, as well as additional materials that may be used for efficient conversion of sunlight into storable energy. "
Source: Lara Greenberg. Israel leads the way in seeking new fuel. Cabadian Jewish News (CJN) (27 October 2005) [FullText]
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