Photo: Tony Pulsone
MIT engineers have developed a way to produce hydrogen fuel from ordinary elements such as aluminum from old soda cans, saltwater, and coffee grounds. Pure aluminum undergoes a chemical reaction that spontaneously releases hydrogen gas when mixed with seawater. However, this reaction is generally slow. By pretreating aluminum with a rare-metal alloy and exposing it to saltwater, the team created a process that produces hydrogen gas considerably faster when caffeine is added. MIT engineers are now working on a tiny reactor for use on marine vessels or undersea vehicles. They think a reactor containing around 40 pounds of aluminum pellets might power a small underwater glider for about 30 days by continuously producing hydrogen from the surrounding saltwater.
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