NovaSpark’s smallest mobile atmospheric hydrogen generator. (Photo courtesy of NovaSpark)
Imagine powering military vehicles, industrial machines and buildings with a clean fuel extracted from the air using a portable self-sustaining generator.
The technology exists right here in Louisiana.
NovaSpark, an energy technology company with locations in West Monroe and Houston received a $25,000 prize this month from the Future Use of Energy in Louisiana (FUEL) competition for developing the world’s first mobile atmospheric hydrogen generator, which takes water out of the air and transforms it to hydrogen on-the-go.
FUEL, a collaboration among companies, universities and state agencies, designs energy innovation competitions funded by the National Sciences Foundation.
NovaSpark’s mobile hydrogen generator pulls water vapor from the air like a dehumidifier and transforms it into hydrogen using electrolysis, the process of passing an electric current through water to separate its molecules into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The unit can then pump the hydrogen into vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells or storage tanks.
The energy needed to power the water vapor extractor, electrolysis system and other components comes from a wind turbine and a folding solar panel array that sit atop the unit, all of which fits on a small single-axle trailer.
In an interview, NovaSpark CEO Rick Harlow said the company began developing the technology about two years ago as part of a U.S. military experiment. The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit asked American startups to come up with new ways to generate fuel in “austere and isolated environments.”
NovaSpark, which counts retired Gen. Glenn Curtiss of the Louisiana National Guard as one of its five owners, answered the call and now has contracts to build units for the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force out of its facility in West Monroe. The company is also developing hydrogen systems for high-altitude reconnaissance balloons, vehicles, drones and tactical electronic systems for the military, Harlow said.
Most military vehicles and aircraft currently use diesel, but the Pentagon is interested in hydrogen power’s stealth capabilities and its high energy density.
Hydrogen vehicles are electric powered and don’t actually burn hydrogen in the way that a space rocket does. Rather, they have fuel cells, which are tanks containing water and metals. When hydrogen is added, the fuel cells become electrochemical batteries that power an electric motor.
A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is two to three times more efficient than a gasoline or diesel vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They are quieter and have a lower heat signature that can make them difficult to detect on thermal targeting systems.
The concept of pulling water vapor out of the air and turning it into hydrogen fuel has been around for a long time but was never fully developed for various reasons. The fossil fuel industry has long dominated vehicle propulsion, and it wasn’t always economical to produce hydrogen for vehicles.
Most hydrogen is produced by large industrial facilities burning coal or methane, and it can be very expensive to store and transport. So it’s often most viable to produce hydrogen directly on-site and as needed, Harlow said.
In recent years, the affordability of solar and wind technology made it relatively cost-effective to produce hydrogen on-site with renewable energy. This is especially true for military applications, which can rack up exorbitantly expensive fossil fuel bills.
Harlow pointed to reports that the Department of Defense ships diesel to some theaters of operation at a cost of $400 per gallon.
NovaSpark’s mobile generator produces as much as 5 kilograms of hydrogen per day, enough to power a car for about 375 miles. The unit works well in about 90% of the earth’s climate regions with the most challenging being in the coldest and driest areas such as northern Canada, Harlow said. It performs well in desert environments and can actually produce clean drinking water with its vapor extractor, so it has a dual use application, he said.
The unit can also tap into existing water sources such as rivers and creeks. Troops can pour dirty water into the machine, and it will purify it for drinking and extract the hydrogen for fuel, according to Harlow.
NovaSpark has two other types of hydrogen generators under development. One is a medium-sized stationary unit suitable as a backup power supply for commercial buildings, and the third is a large 1-megawatt unit that fits on an 18-wheeler trailer.
The company has partnered with the Shreveport-based Module Solutions, which specializes in solar arrays and other microgrid components, and is working with experts and researchers from the University of Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech University and Louisiana Clean Fuels.
Aside from the atmospheric hydrogen generators, part of NovaSpark’s business is building hydrogen fuel cells for drones. When asked about plans for the near future, Harlow said the company is planning to scale up its operations but is still hashing out the details.
Harlow said he could not discuss the details of some of the contracts but mentioned the Pentagon’s “Replicator” initiative as one area of business. Replicator is an effort that began last year to fast-track the military’s purchasing of thousands of drones to kickstart innovation and compete with China, which currently dominates certain areas of the drone industry.
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