This is a significant breakthrough that will make it possible for the first time to carry out engineering studies dealing with the industrialization of the process of producing green hydrogen. * The strain discovered overcomes two major barriers that have so far not allowed the production of continuous green hydrogen
Hydrogen gas is a non-polluting fuel that can be used as fuel for various types of electric vehicles. Hydrogen-powered bicycles and cars have been in serial production for several years, and in these vehicles the polluting lithium battery is replaced by a fuel cell that converts hydrogen to electricity. Today most of the hydrogen in the world is produced in a highly polluting process from natural gas and is therefore called gray hydrogen. Alternatively, hydrogen gas produced only through renewable energy is called green hydrogen due to the fact that its production does not emit any pollution or carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore, humanity’s transition to the use of green hydrogen will be the ultimate solution to the problem of global warming.
Currently, green hydrogen can be produced using solar panels wired to devices that perform water and oxygen fission (electrolyzers), but this process is expensive due to the fact that it requires precious metals and distilled water. Alternatively biological processes can be used to produce hydrogen. In nature hydrogen is produced as a by-product of photosynthesis for periods of minutes by micro-algae, unicellular algae found in every water reservoir and even in the soil. For this process to be a sustainable source of energy, humanity must engineer micro-algae strains that produce hydrogen for days and weeks.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have led to a significant breakthrough that will allow for the first time engineering studies dealing with the industrialization of the green hydrogen production process. In a recent study published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Sciences by doctoral student Tamar Elman, led by Professor Yiftach Yaakobi of the George S. Wise Faculty of Renewable Energy Laboratory at Tel Aviv University, a microscopic algae mutant was discovered that allows for the first time Green hydrogen gas in orders of magnitude suitable for industrial requirements.
“When we found that this mutant does not accumulate oxygen at all lighting intensities (which is what happens in the wild variety), we hypothesized that we could produce continuous hydrogen production from it. Using bioreactor measurements in liters, we found continuous hydrogen production for more than 12 days. Centers that have not hitherto enabled the production of continuous hydrogen – Explains Prof. Yaakobi. “The first block, is the accumulation of oxygen in the process of photosynthesis, the oxygen poisons the process of hydrogen production, in the mutant, increased respiration eliminates the oxygen and allows favorable conditions for continuous hydrogen production. The second block is energy loss to competing processes, including carbon dioxide fixation. In a mutant and most of the energy is used for the benefit of continuous hydrogen production. “
In order to industrialize these results, the research team led by Prof. Yaakobi is working on a pilot of larger volumes and the development of methods that will allow the hydrogen harvest to be extended, in order to reduce its price to competitive levels. “The rate of hydrogen production from the strain reaches one tenth of the possible theoretical rate and with the help of further research it is possible to improve it even further” – Prof. Yaakobi concludes.
To the scientific paper
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