Towards more effective hydrogen storage
A Marie Curie Research Training Network which aims to find new, more effective ways of storing hydrogen has just been launched. Hydrogen can be produced by renewable sources of energy and has great potential as an energy source for mobile devices such as cars, laptops and cameras. However, this potential is currently being held back as existing hydrogen storage systems tend to be heavy and bulky. The COSY (Complex Solid State Reactions for Energy Efficient Hydrogen Storage) Network aims to develop systems which will allow hydrogen to be stored more effectively, making it an ideal energy source for a range of applications. The researchers will new develop nano-structured composites of various light-metal hydrides for use as storage materials. 'Light-metal hydrides are solid materials that chemically bind hydrogen atoms and release them again when heated. The reactive hydride composites discovered by the scientists at GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht will allow us to significantly increase the storage density,' explained Professor Rüdiger Bormann, COSY's Coordinator and Director of the Institute for Materials Research at GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht. 'By storing hydrogen in solids, we can avoid a number of material- and safety-related technological difficulties, such as those encountered during high-pressure storage of gaseous hydrogen or the storage of liquid hydrogen at low temperatures.' The scientists involved in COSY will investigate how these light-metal hydrides and hydride composites can be produced economically, characterise the micro-and nano-structures generated during production, evaluate and optimise the thermodynamics and kinetics of the hydrogen absorption and release, and model these processes. Another priority of the COSY Network is the training of young scientists in the field of hydrogen storage materials. PhD students in the network will have the opportunity to work in at least two of the partner institutes and attend a range of training courses on hydrogen technology topics. The COSY project brings together 13 research institutes from seven European countries and will receive €2.5 million in funding from the EU. It will run for four years.