Revolutionizing Hydrogen Storage: Korean Researchers Develop Breakthrough Alloy
Key Ideas
- Korean researchers at KIMS have developed a magnesium-nickel-tin alloy, revolutionizing hydrogen storage by securely locking hydrogen within the metal structure, reducing risks and costs.
- The new alloy significantly improves hydrogen storage performance, enabling long-term storage and transportation without the risk of explosion, while simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs.
- Collaboration with industry partners led to the development of an efficient induction-heated storage vessel and real-time monitoring system, allowing for high-capacity hydrogen storage in compact spaces.
- The technology opens doors for various applications in sectors such as power plants, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems, leveraging hydrogen produced from renewable and nuclear sources.
In a groundbreaking development led by Dr Young-Min Kim and Dr Byeong-Chan Suh from the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), a magnesium-nickel-tin (Mg-20Ni-Sn) alloy has been created to store hydrogen securely within its metal structure. This alloy eliminates the risk of explosion associated with conventional methods like high-pressure gas compression or cryogenic liquefaction. By chemically bonding hydrogen with the metal and releasing it when needed, the alloy enables long-term storage and transportation without safety concerns. The research team overcame limitations of previous solid-state hydrogen storage materials by enhancing the hydrogen storage performance of the alloy through innovative structural design and addition of tin, resulting in a threefold improvement. This breakthrough allows the equivalent amount of hydrogen previously transported by a high-pressure gas trailer to be carried by a single five-ton truck, reducing transportation costs effectively. Furthermore, the alloy exhibits excellent oxidation resistance, enabling safe transport at atmospheric pressure. The simplified manufacturing process using standard casting and thin metal chips reduces costs significantly compared to traditional methods. Collaboration with industry partners led to the development of an induction-heated storage vessel for efficient hydrogen absorption and release. Dr Kim highlighted the potential applications of this technology in power plants, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems, emphasizing the utilization of hydrogen from renewable and nuclear sources. Funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, this research showcases a promising advancement in hydrogen storage technology.
Topics
Power
Technology
Innovation
Transportation
Manufacturing
Research
Energy Storage
Collaboration
Metal Hydrides
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