Effect of the Electrostatic Charge on the Hydrogen Production by Oxidation of Nanoaluminum

Abstract

In the field of hydrogen energy production, submicron powders and nanopowders of aluminum are of particular interest, since they are highly reactive towards aqueous solutions at ambient temperature and pressure in the absence or in the presence of minor amounts of activating agents to generate free hydrogen atoms. Electrostatic spraying can be used to distribute fine powders of aluminum. Currently, applications of electrostatic fields are quite diverse. As a result of electrostatic spraying, agglomerates are broken, and the surface wettability increases. Therefore, to solve the practically important problem of designing a hydrogen generator based on the controlled reaction of aluminum powder with water, preliminary studies of aluminum powder particles are required. In addition, charging of the aluminum particles can affect the oxidation profile and reactivity of the powder. All this indicates the relevance of research on the use of electrostatic field in hydrogen power engineering for new engineering solutions for hydrogen production. The results of the study were used to propose new applications of electrostatic field particularly in the industrial production of hydrogen energy. Highly dispersed aluminum powders were used as the object of research. The work is aimed at finding the optimal parameters for hydrogen generation in the reaction of finely dispersed aluminum powders with aqueous solutions. Experimental studies of pressure and temperature variation during electrostatic deposition of finely dispersed aluminum powders on the surface of a high-temperature reactor are presented.