Scientists develop new hydrogen reactor | CNN

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Scientists develop new hydrogen reactor

Friday, February 13, 2004 Posted: 12:19 PM EST (1719 GMT)


Professor Lanny Schmidt stands near
an autothermal chemical reactor that
he says converts ethanol into hydrogen.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AP) -- Researchers say they have produced hydrogen from ethanol in a prototype reactor small enough and efficient enough to heat small homes and power cars.

The development could help open the way for cleaner-burning technology at home and on the road.

Current methods of producing hydrogen from ethanol require large refineries and copious amounts of fossil fuels, the University of Minnesota researchers said.

The reactor is a relatively tiny 2-foot-high apparatus of tubes and wires that creates hydrogen from corn-based ethanol. A fuel cell, which acts like a battery, then generates power.

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