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Piezo Crystals Harness Sound To Generate Hydrogen

Posted by timothy on from the what's-shakin'? dept.

MikeChino writes "Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that a mix of zinc oxide crystals, water, and noise pollution can efficiently produce hydrogen without the need for a dirty catalyst like oil. To generate the clean hydrogen, researchers produced a new type of zinc oxide crystals that absorb vibrations when placed in water. The vibrations cause the crystals to develop areas with strong positive and negative charges — a reaction that rips the surrounding water molecules and releases hydrogen and oxygen. The mechanism, dubbed the piezoelectrochemical effect, converts 18% of energy from vibrations into hydrogen gas (compared to 10% from conventional piezoelectric materials), and since any vibration can produce the effect, the system could one day be used to generate power from anything that produces noise — cars whizzing by on the highway, crashing waves in the ocean, or planes landing at an airport."

9 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. This SOUNDS Like A Breakthrough! by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 4, Funny

    But can it produce enough electricity to power a small radio that plays the music used to create the vibrations necessary to produce the electricity?

    1. Re:This SOUNDS Like A Breakthrough! by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 5, Funny

      No.

      Sincerely yours,

      The Second Law of Thermodynamics

      But isn't the First Law of Thermodynamics to never talk about the Second Law of Thermodynamics?

    2. Re:This SOUNDS Like A Breakthrough! by MadKeithV · · Score: 3, Funny

      Typical for you Americans, always assuming the rest of world has the same Laws of Thermodynamics.

    3. Re:This SOUNDS Like A Breakthrough! by thhamm · · Score: 3, Funny

      Yes, because in Soviet Russia, Laws of Thermodynamics violate YOU!

  2. But Mom... by voss · · Score: 4, Funny

    "If we dont play it at full volume we wont be able to save the enviroment!" ;-)

  3. Car Troubles... by cobryce · · Score: 5, Funny

    The next time you see someone screaming at their car on the side of the road, they might just be fueling up ;)

  4. Re:Cost Effective? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    If it's cheap, can it be incorporated into bedsprings?

  5. Re:Cost Effective? by tms827 · · Score: 4, Funny

    If it's cheap, can it be incorporated into bedsprings?

    I get the feeling that it would be of extremely limited use to the /. community if it were

    --
    Take everything I say with a huge grain of salt. I don't know everything, and don't want to give the impression I do
  6. Re:Cost Effective? by Genda · · Score: 4, Funny

    Au Contraire, I'm certain the /. readers have already taken this problem into their own hands...