IPN students create prototype that turns water into fuel

Mexican students from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) have created a prototype of a hydrogen-generating device that is able to transform water into fuel, the educational institution reported on December 10 .

Through a press releasecommunique, the IPN said that “Hydrogenfire” is a small cell that generates energy from the hydrogen that is present in water.

Hydrogen happens to be the most abundant element in the universe.

The idea came from students Alejandro Cortez, Gerardo Aaron Cabañas, and Alejandro Cercas and is based on electrolysis , a chemical process that consists of breaking the bonds in water molecules –which are made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom- by using an electric charge to isolate gaseous hydrogen which can then be used for fuel.

The project was a finalist in the Renewable and Accessible Energy category at the 2018 Samsung Solutions for the Future Contest .

At present, the prototype consists of two pieces of acrylic that protect the cell, a water tank, eight plates of stainless steel, and a bubbler to clean the device after use.

According to the students of Industrial Maintenance , hydrogen could replace natural gas in fueling stoves and many other activities.

The students are convinced that their idea could revolutionize power generation. Under the slogan "The future is in H" the students plan to develop batteries for electrical and electronic devices, including bicycles and drones.

"The only thing we'd have to do is fill a small tank with water to generate the hydrogen and, with the oxygen from the environment, we could generate electricity without having to wait for the battery to recharge," said the students.

IPN students create hi-tech water lily collector

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