High density energy storage using self-assembled materials

[Physics27]

I like this work but I have a question. How do you get the gas back out of the tank? How do you get the NU1 or any surface to give up the methane? I understand that dropping the presser or adding heat will make some gas come off the surface but will you really be able to get 80%- 90% of the gas back out of the tank at STP?

[therealdracmar]

@Physics27 Yes, you can really get more than 90% of the gas out of the tank by lowering the pressure back to ambient pressure. The adsorption/desorption is completely reversible with no hysteresis effects. Do you have access to Nature Chemistry? The experimental data is in our paper "Large-scale screening of hypothetical metal-organic frameworks" and it shows that once you are at STP, the methane is almost completely gone (Fig. 6).

[johanistick]

Bastante interesante saludos desde Colombia :)

[CMSSL4D2TF2LoL]

Alright, I'm interested. Considering the abundance of methane (especially when compared to fossil fuels), this could well be the future of automobile fuel.

Though I must ask: If you are going to use NU-100 methane tanks, how will the NU-100 be mass-produced and eventually put into a vehicle that rolls off the assembly line?

[therealdracmar]

@CMSSL4D2TF2LoL Great question! Take a look at this video by the chemical company BASF which talks about the industrial scale manufacture of MOF materials (NU-100 is a MOF). The youtube video is entitled "Metal Organic Frameworks on an Industrial Scale." (Youtube won't let me post the link here for some reason)

[CMSSL4D2TF2LoL]

@therealdracmar Thank you, and good luck with the application of your idea!

[RobCozzens]

Absolutely fantastic! One of the best science videos I've seen.

[xonktrof1]

cooool,, im such a nerd

[EthanNin0]

How much more methane can you fit in a gas tank?

It goes from saying a gas tank full of methane contains 1/1000 the energy as a tank full of gasoline to the surface area with NU 100. Does that mean you can fit 50,000,000x as much methane in a tank then?

[therealdracmar]

@EthanNin0 A tank with NU-100 will have 50,000,000x as many methane molecules stuck to a surface as an empty tank, but will have fewer methane molecules floating in empty space (simply because there is less empty space). The result is an increase in overall methane storage that is 100-1000x as much as tank with no NU-100 crystal (the exact amount depends on several factors like temperature and pressure - hard to convey all of the subtleties in a 5 minute movie!).

[hcentman]

very interesting



[peace4925]

brilliant !!