While hydrogen is an almost perfect product for use in a variety of power systems from fuel cells to the familiar internal combustion engine, its energy-hungry production makes it costly and ungreen.
But the Penn State scientists have succeeded at laboratory level in producing the stuff at little energy costs, using bacteria in waste water and a reverse desalination process to provide the small amount of energy required to kick the system off.
The microbial electrolysis cells can break down matter in wastewater to release hydrogen, but they need a little electricity to jolt them into action. The reverse desalination system produces that energy at virtually no cost.
If the system can be scaled up to commercial production, it's a very cost effective way of producing a real replacement for fossil fuels.
