IIT-D finds way for low-cost cleaner fuel

The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, on Sunday said that its researchers have come up with a way to generate clean fuel hydrogen from water at a low-cost, which is a significant step towards efforts across the globe that are being made to look for cleaner and greener energy sources.

A group primarily from the Department of Chemical Engineering under the supervision of Sreedevi Upadhyayula had taken up the research for clean fuel production at low cost that was funded by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Energy Centre (OEC).

Split water

“The researchers have successfully split water by a process known as Sulphur-Iodine (SI) thermochemical hydrogen cycle to generate low-cost, clean hydrogen fuel for industrial consumption. Hydrogen gas, a viable choice as a renewable substitute for fossil fuels, can help mitigate emissions,” IIT Delhi said.

Professor Upadhyayula speaking about the achievement said that there is an imminent need to switch over to renewable energy sources such as water.

“The thermo-chemical hydrogen cycle for splitting water offers a practical means of generating hydrogen as a fuel and also oxygen as a byproduct. Hence, it can be considered favourably for the commercial production of hydrogen on a large scale, in the near future,” she said.