The patented technology, developed by Australian company Star Scientific, argues that it could use catalysts to convert hydrogen and oxygen into energy and replace existing coal-fired power plants.
Andrew Horvath, head of Star Scientific, said the model developed by the team is to make good use of the heat generated by hydrogen, while also having the advantages of fast deployment and plug-and-play. The secret of this technology lies in its mysterious catalyst.
First, hydrogen and oxygen are placed in a glass bottle containing a mysterious catalyst. The catalyst heats the hydrogen to 700 degrees Celsius in a few minutes.
The gas in the bottle quickly turns orange and hydrogen can be converted without burning. The team has applied for a patent for their new invention, which they call the “Hydrogen Energy Release Optimizer (HERO)”.
Chief Technology Officer Steve Heaton said that unlike traditional multipurpose combustion of hydrogen or fuel cells, the most important thing the company does is not burn hydrogen.
If the technology has the opportunity to be commercialized and scaled up, it could direct coal-fired power plants to retrofit existing generators to use green hydrogen as the “superheated steam” they originally used, Heaton says, which could now provide obsolete steam.
There are many opportunities for turbines. Lets take Japan’s power stations for example. 70% of turbines actually have a service life of 40 years and never need to be replaced. They are even connected to the mains so that they can be used for many years at all.
First image resource: starscientific
