An Indian Scientist Makes An Unusually Fascinating ‘Green Petrol’.
(NEW DELHI) Green hydrogen is a sustainable fuel that has been produced at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh using wastewater from the whisky distillation business.
Utilising nickel selenide, a recently created nanomaterial with the width of a human hair, the researchers substituted distillery wastewater for fresh water during the green hydrogen generation process.
When compared to using fresh water, the wastewater was effectively cleaned by the nanoparticles, producing comparable or slightly higher amounts of green hydrogen.
Reducing the usage of fresh water and natural resources is crucial, according to Sudhagar Pitchaimuthu, co-author of an article that was published in the journal Sustainable Energy & Fuels.
For every kilogramme of green hydrogen produced, the conventional method uses nine kilogrammes of water, whereas the manufacturing of malt whisky yields roughly ten litres of residual for every litre of whisky. The researchers concentrated on using distillery effluent for green hydrogen production, hoping to find a straightforward method that eliminates trash from the water in order to address the demand for resource conservation.
The group’s creative method presents opportunities for a more environmentally friendly hydrogen generation process, in line with international initiatives to reduce environmental impact.
Since green hydrogen doesn’t release carbon dioxide when it burns, it is regarded as environmentally benign.
Green hydrogen is mostly generated by electrolysis with renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. It is essential for clean energy solutions.
Nevertheless, as they are made for use with pure water, conventional electrolysis equipment frequently malfunctions when treated wastewater contains additional materials.
These difficulties were overcome in this work by the use of nickel selenide nanoparticles, which improved process efficiency and sustainability.
The development of a prototype electrolyser and increasing the production of nickel selenide nanoparticles are the current research team priorities.
