We wanted to create a project that involved an environmentally friendly way of making fuel, so we came up with an idea that would produce hydrogen gas through the reaction of liquid gallium, scraps of waste aluminium foil and water using the Grotthuss Mechanism. This type of fuel production has the potential to be used on a global scale as it is affordable, has very few waste products, and uses resources which are easy to access and would have otherwise been thrown away, potentially entering our oceans and destroying or otherwise detrimentally affecting habitats.

Many different types of hydrogen fuels are currently being made industrially, such as pink and green hydrogen (primarily electrolysis-based reactions). However, these are expensive to produce and pose risks of explosion during transportation. Others, such as blue, grey and brown hydrogen require fossil fuels and result in more greenhouse gas emissions. They can also leave behind many extra, unwanted products – some of which may be radioactive and therefore harmful to humans and animals.

The reactions give a lower yield and cause a lot of unnecessary waste. Eventually these factors would help to create an extremely unsustainable field of fuel production.

Thinking green
Now more than ever, in our world’s current state of rapidly declining climate stability, we thought that it was exceedingly important that we took the initiative to produce a project that could have numerous benefits to our environment. When we were first introduced to the idea of creating a STEM-based project, our team decided that it was our foremost incentive to ensure that our idea would benefit the environment as well as consumers.

Therefore, it was essential that the fuel produced in our experiments had little to no waste products, was non-toxic, cheap and readily available to be put into place on a mass-production scale in order to protect our environment.

After searching online and racking our brains for ideas, our group decided on a project that would both continue to provide goods and services to the general population while also decreasing environmental cost regarding fuel for vehicles. Minimal environmental costs in fuels pointed to one method in particular – hydrogen production, which led to further research into fuel production.

When we were first introduced to the idea of creating a STEM-based project, our team decided that it was our foremost incentive to ensure that our idea would benefit the environment as well as consumers.

The project and results
After taking measurements and recording the data from our experiments, we observed and came to the conclusion that gallium would perform as a catalyst in the reaction. From testing and trialling this project several times, we saw that it had the potential to be used on a much larger scale.

Our results were mainly positive and matched our expectations; by using boiling water during intervals in the experiment, we discovered that procuring the reusable gallium was a much more efficient and simpler task. The outcome of our project was incredibly beneficial, as it had positive impacts both on the environment and lives of people. Moreover, our method of hydrogen production did not produce greenhouse gases or toxic fumes – a significant positive factor, as these lead to global problems, including climate change and acid rain.

The main, significant benefit of using the specific resources that we used in our project is that the gallium would act as a catalyst in the reaction, meaning that it would not be used up and could be treated and used indefinitely. This is noteworthy as gallium is currently more expensive than aluminium, so minimising the amount we used helped to lower the total cost.

In addition, hydrogen produced in this way could be fed directly to an engine, unlike other forms of hydrogen gas, for example for use in lawn mowers. On a larger scale with more technology, the aim is to reduce costs enough to replace gasoline for cars and heavy vehicles. This means that it would eradicate the chance of hydrogen exploding during transportation to fuel stations.

Furthermore, the aluminium required for the project can be taken directly from landfills as there is so much available in waste dumps. This would help contribute to a much more sustainable and eco-friendly method of producing fuel for everyday use.

We hope that this project will have a positive impact on future generations and become applicable in an increasing number of scenarios.

*The Energy Institute Climate Change Special Award recognises projects developed by young people aged 11–18 that aim to bring about a lasting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the UK’s goal of net zero by 2050.

For more information about the Big Bang Competition, click here.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the authors only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.