Car battery breakthrough could see taxis charged up as quickly as filling up a tank of diesel
With the uptake of electric taxis gathering pace, a new development in electric car battery technology could see cars and taxis recharged in as little time as it takes to fill a cab up with diesel.
The Express has reported that the research team at the University of Massachusetts Lowell have discovered a safe and clean way to produce hydrogen gas, which could be used in next-gen electric cars and taxis.
When Hydrogen burns, it burns completely clean, thus producing no carbon dioxide, it only peoduces water, according to Professor David K. Ryan, who chairs the department and is the project’s principal investigator.
He explained that you don’t have to burn hydrogen to generate electricity, it can be used in fuel cells, which combine hydrogen with oxygen. This could therefore create electricty electricity.
Water, carbon dioxide and cobalt metal particles are the principle components, along with surface nanostructures. This then allows the production of hydrogen at a low temperature and pressure.
As a result, hydrogen from the canister can be inserted straight into a fuel cell. It then combines with oxygen from the atmosphere to produce electricity and water. The H20 is then filtered back into the canister and mixes with he carbonate to form a catalytic solution. As a result, electricity produced by the cell is then used to power an electric motor, and because the process doesn’t store any hydrogen gas, it is stable and poses no threat of explosion.
Axcording to Dr Ryan, stemming the flow of the carbonate solution and/or releasing the pressure in the reaction chamber, stops hydrogen production and as a result hydrogen is produced only whrn it is required. Once the cobalt canister is exhausted, drivers can exchange the canister out for a replacement at appriximately 300-400 mile intervals.
Another bonus os the fact that because there are no storage issues, spare canisters can be carried for longer trips. which could be a resl game-changer to the taxi industry.
Image: Official U.S. Navy Page
