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| SuperNatendo |
 Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 12:23 pm Post subject: Nitrogen Fuel Cell? |
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Forum Masters Degree
Joined: 10 Dec 2007
Posts: 518
Location: Nashville, TN USA
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Yes, there is alot more hydrogen in the universe than there is nitrogen, our current problem on this planet however is that hydrogen tends to bond with nearly everything and the process of seperating hydrogen out of say water requires more electricity than a hydrogen fuel cell can produce. But, our air is FULL of pure molecular nitrogen (a.k.a. "Dynitrogen")!
So why not study nitrogen fuel cells as opposed to hydrogen? I am sure there is a way to release electrons just as hydrogen does in fuel cells in some sort of a catalyst.
That way, as long as the catalyst doesn't become contaminated from other elements in the air, finding the fuel is not an issue...
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| willy57 |
| Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject: But Hydrogen is so fun! |
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Joined: 07 May 2008
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| SuperNatendo |
| Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Masters Degree
Joined: 10 Dec 2007
Posts: 518
Location: Nashville, TN USA
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Hydrogen gleaned using the process of electrolysis of water requires electricity, you cannot produce the same amount of electricity required to separate the hydrogen from the water in the first place by only using the hydrogen you separated. You need additional energy. I have already separated hydrogen from water using this method before,
If you can make a NITROGEN fuel cell, the nitrogen is already separated in the very air we breathe. No electrolysis required.
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| Bunbury |
| Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 6:58 am Post subject: |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 26 Sep 2007
Posts: 742
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| Molecular nitrogen is extremely stable and unreactive. If you do somehow manage to react it with oxygen the products are oxides of nitrogen which are constituents of smog. So, keep thinking, but I think this idea might be a dead end. |
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| TJames |
| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:07 am Post subject: |
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Joined: 18 May 2008
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All of the products of oxidizing N2 are very toxic. Nitric acid is also formed in the presence of water. Furthermore, there is a much higher activation barrier involved in burning nitrogen than hydrogen and much less heat is produced per liter.
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Pharmaceutical Chemistry Patent Blog |
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| Cat1981(England) |
| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:52 am Post subject: |
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Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 918
Location: Mind your own business
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There was an article in this weeks New Scientist about using nitrogen as rocket fuel. Article preview link. Apparently researchers in Canada have made a computer simulated stable eight atom nitrogen chain formed inside a carbon nanotube. Although they haven't yet been able to produce one physically, people are looking into such things.
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