{"id":7608,"date":"2013-04-07T08:59:16","date_gmt":"2013-04-07T15:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=7608"},"modified":"2013-04-07T08:59:16","modified_gmt":"2013-04-07T15:59:16","slug":"hydrogen-as-a-biofuel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/hydrogen-as-a-biofuel\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogen as a Biofuel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

While we\u2019ve written recently about \u201cartificial leaves\u201d that emulate the photosynthesis of their real counterparts, researchers have announced the discovery of a way to extract hydrogen from any plant<\/a>, which \u201ccould help end our dependence on fossil fuels,\u201d according to Y. H. Percival Zhang, associate professor of biological systems engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).<\/p>\n

The school describes the process as a \u201cbreakthrough that has the potential to bring a low-cost, environmentally friendly fuel source to the world.\u201d\u00a0 Zhang has been working on the problem for over seven years, and like many pioneers, has endured the critical appraisal of those not in tune with his aspirations.<\/p>\n

Esquire<\/em> magazine in its November 2006 issue<\/a> labeled Zhang\u2019s early iteration of his idea to break down plant sugars to create cheap cellulosic ethanol and possibly even hydrogen as the \u201cCrazy idea of the year: “sugar cars.”\u00a0 Christine Ajudua, author of the piece, had a less sensational attitude toward the research than that of the headline writer, and concluded the piece with a theme that Zhang continues to sound today.<\/p>\n

\u201cZhang’s formula for \u2018sweet engines\u2019 is being taken quite seriously. Virginia Tech and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have applied for a joint patent. He’s running tests at Oak Ridge through the spring, and not about to tell too much. But he will \u2018dare to say\u2019 one thing: \u2018This new technology could change the whole world energy future completely.\u2019”<\/p>\n

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Percival Zhang with a corn field that will not be threatened by his pursuit of plant material to generate hydrogen<\/p><\/div>\n

Seven years on, his team is using the abundant plant sugar xylose to produce hydrogen in quantities previously thought unattainable.\u00a0 Since xylose is common to most plants, the method can use \u201cany source of biomass,\u201d negating the need to use vegetable matter diverted from feed lots.<\/p>\n

The process releases no greenhouse gases and does not use costly or heavy metals, unlike previous methods.\u00a0 Virginia Tech points out that, \u201cZhang\u2019s discovery opens the door to an inexpensive, renewable source of hydrogen.\u201d<\/p>\n

The thought is echoed by Jonathan R. Mielenz, group leader of the bioscience and technology biosciences division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, but not affiliated with Zhang\u2019s research.\u00a0 Mielenz adds, \u201cThe key to this exciting development is that Zhang is using the second most prevalent sugar in plants to produce this hydrogen.\u00a0 This amounts to a significant additional benefit to hydrogen production and it reduces the overall cost of producing hydrogen from biomass.\u201d\u00a0 Mielenz notes the process could reach commercial use in as little as three years, \u201cif the technology is available.\u201d<\/p>\n

Economic factors could favor rapid development of that technology.\u00a0 \u201cThe potential for profit and environmental benefits are why so many automobile, oil, and energy companies are working on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as the transportation of the future,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cMany people believe we will enter the hydrogen economy soon, with a market capacity of at least $1 trillion in the United States alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zhang and his team have spent the seven years since the Esquire<\/em> article studying enzyme combinations, discovering novel enzymes, and engineering enzymes with desirable properties to help free high-purity hydrogen.\u00a0 This \u201cliberation\u201d takes place at 122 degrees F and at normal atmospheric pressure, which contributes to the low-cost of the process.<\/p>\n

Xylose makes up as much as 30 percent of plant cell walls, but Virginia Tech researchers had to combine the xylose with other enzymes to make a \u201ccustomized enzyme cocktail resulted in the production of about three times as much hydrogen as other hydrogen-producing microorganisms.<\/p>\n

Virginia Tech explains the benefits of their technology. \u201cThe energy stored in xylose splits water molecules, yielding high-purity hydrogen that can be directly utilized by proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Even more appealing, this reaction occurs at low temperatures, generating hydrogen energy that is greater than the chemical energy stored in xylose and the polyphosphate. This results in an energy efficiency of more than 100 percent \u2014 a net energy gain. That means that low-temperature waste heat can be used to produce high-quality chemical energy hydrogen for the first time. Other processes that convert sugar into biofuels such as ethanol and butanol always have energy efficiencies of less than 100 percent, resulting in an energy penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Percival Zhang in his Virginia Tech laboratory<\/p><\/div>\n

With the potential to invade the commercial market for hydrogen (around $100 billion per year) produced from natural gas, there is adequate incentive to press on.\u00a0 The clean nature of the process and its use of renewables makes it a standout in energy production.\u00a0 \u201cIt really doesn\u2019t make sense to use non-renewable natural resources to produce hydrogen,\u201d Zhang said. \u201cWe think this discovery is a game-changer in the world of alternative energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The discovery is a featured editor\u2019s choice in an online version of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie, International Edition<\/em>, with the heading \u201cHot Paper.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Support for the current research comes from the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Additional resources were contributed by the Shell GameChanger Program, the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences\u2019 Biodesign and Bioprocessing Research Center, and the U.S. Department of Energy BioEnergy Science Center, along with the Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the Department of Energy.\u00a0 The lead author of the article, Julia S. Martin Del Campo, who works in Zhang\u2019s lab, received her Ph.D. grant from the Mexican Council of Science and Technology.<\/p>\n