Scientists cook up enzyme cocktail to produce pure hydrogen gas
February 12th, 2009 - 2:32 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Feb 12 (ANI): Scientists have cooked up a cocktail of enzymes to create hydrogen gas pure enough to power a fuel cell.
The team, from Virginia Tech, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Georgia, has produced hydrogen gas pure enough to power a fuel cell by mixing 14 enzymes, one coenzyme, cellulosic materials from nonfood sources, and water heated to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 C).
The group announced three advances from their one pot process, which are - a novel combination of enzymes, an increased hydrogen generation rate, to as fast as natural hydrogen fermentation, and, a chemical energy output greater than the chemical energy stored in sugars the highest hydrogen yield reported from cellulosic materials.
In addition to converting the chemical energy from the sugar, the process also converts the low-temperature thermal energy into high-quality hydrogen energy like Prometheus stealing fire, said Percival Zhang, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.
It is exciting because using cellulose instead of starch expands the renewable resource for producing hydrogen to include biomass, said Jonathan Mielenz, leader of the Bioconversion Science and Technology Group at ORNL.
The researchers used cellulosic materials isolated from wood chips, but crop waste or switchgrass could also be used.
If a small fraction 2 or 3 percent of yearly biomass production were used for sugar-to-hydrogen fuel cells for transportation, we could reach transportation fuel independence, Zhang said. (ANI)
- Man-made photosynthesis to boost food output - Feb 19, 2012
- Engineers develop new eco-friendly process to produce jet fuel - Feb 26, 2010
- Robotic jellyfish invented - Mar 21, 2012
- Nanotechnology makes biofuel development a cost-effective and 'green' process - Oct 09, 2009
- Soon, scientists to produce plastic that grows on trees - May 20, 2009
- Scientists develop microbe that produces fuels directly from biomass - Jan 28, 2010
- Identifying chink in armor of fibers spells new hope for biomass fuels - Apr 23, 2009
- Cheap, high-yield 'bio-oil' could reduce reliance on fossil fuels - Nov 26, 2010
- Two-step chemical process turns raw biomass into biofuel - Feb 11, 2009
- Bacteria may power tomorrow's energy needs - May 19, 2009
- First synthetic cellulosome in yeast may improve production of renewable fuel - Nov 02, 2009
- Two-in-one device cleans up sewage, produces fuel - Mar 30, 2012
- 'Holy Grail' of science, world's first practical 'artificial leaf' unveiled - Mar 28, 2011
- Tweaked E coli can produce low-cost fuel - Jan 28, 2010
- New enzymes for cheaper biofuel production engineered - Mar 24, 2009
Tags: biomass production, cellulosic materials, chemical energy, college of agriculture, energy output, hydrogen energy, hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen gas, hydrogen generation, nonfood, novel combination, oak ridge national laboratory, percival zhang, producing hydrogen, renewable resource, ridge national laboratory, stealing fire, thermal energy, transportation fuel, wood chips
