A Feasibility Study Of A Silicon Enabled Hydrogen Fuel Economy

在目前的全球能源消耗方法中，很大程度上依赖于化石燃料的使用，化石燃料燃烧时会向大气中释放所谓的温室气体二氧化碳。虽然改变能源使用模式，如增加核能、太阳能和风能发电的开发，可以减少这一问题，但人们对发展以氢为基础的能源经济有相当大的兴趣，其基础是氢与氧的反应，这种反应产生大量能量，并产生比水更有害的反应产物。据估计，氢经济市场将在未来20年内成长为万亿美元的规模。氢可用于发电系统，最显著的是用于车辆运输和分布式发电的燃料电池，但如果要实现氢经济，关键的方面将是开发用于在使用点存储氢的系统。与以液体形式存在的汽油不同，氢是一种潜在的危险和爆炸性气体，因此大规模的氢分配和存储充满了问题。本项目是对一种新概念的可行性研究，以避免这种氢分配问题。取而代之的是，纳米硅粉将通过还原二氧化硅(沙)来生产，二氧化硅(沙)是地球可接近地壳中最丰富的化合物之一，使用可持续的能源，并在需要的地方分布。在需要的时候，纳米硅和水之间的自发反应将根据需要产生氢气。从本质上讲，水被用作所谓的储氢化合物。唯一的反应副产物是二氧化硅(沙)，很容易处理或回收。

In the present approach to global energy consumption, a large dependence is placed on the use of fossil fuels, which upon combustion release the so-called greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. Although changes in energy usage patterns, such as increased exploitation of nuclear, solar and wind power for electricity generation could reduce this problem, there is considerable interest in the development of a hydrogen-based energy economy, based on the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen, which yields large amounts of energy and produces nothing more harmful than water as the reaction product. It has been estimated that the hydrogen economy market will grow into the trillion dollar regime within the next 20 years. Hydrogen can be utilized in electrical power-generation systems, most notably in fuel cells for both vehicular transportation and distributed electricity generation, but a crucial aspect will be to develop systems for the on-board' storage of hydrogen at point of use, if the hydrogen economy is to be realised. Unlike petrol which exists in liquid form, hydrogen is a potentially dangerous and explosive gas, so the large scale distribution and storage of hydrogen is fraught with problems.The present project is a feasibility study of a novel concept to avoid this hydrogen distribution problem. Instead, nanopowdered silicon will be produced, by the reduction of silica ( sand ), one of the most abundant compounds in the earth's accessible crust, using sustainable energy sources, and distributed where required. A spontaneous reaction between the nanosilicon and water at point of need, will then generate hydrogen on demand. Essentially water is being used as a so-called hydrogen storage compound . The only reaction by-product is silica ( sand ) which is easily disposed of or recycled.