Solar-hydrogen energy as an alternative energy source for mobile robots and the new-age car

27th International Conference on CADCAM, Robotics and Factories of the Future 2014

工业技术;机械制造

Sulaiman, A.^1 ; Inambao, F.^1 ; Bright, G.^1

Mechanical Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, Durban, South Africa^1

关键词: Alternative energy source;    Alternative source;    Automobile manufacturers;    Hydrogen Energy;    Modern technologies;    Secondary sources;    Solar-hydrogen energy;    Source of energy;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/65/1/012003/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1757-899X/65/1/012003

学科分类：工业工程学

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

The disastrous effects of climate change as witnessed in recent violent storms, and the stark reality that fossil fuels are not going to last forever, is certain to create renewed demands for alternative energy sources. One such alternative source, namely solar energy, although unreliable because of its dependence on available sunlight, can nevertheless be utilised to generate a secondary source of energy, namely hydrogen, which can be stored and thereby provide a constant and reliable source of energy. The only draw-back with hydrogen, though, is finding efficient means for its storage. This study demonstrates how this problem can be overcome by the use of metal hydrides which offers a very compact and safe way of storing hydrogen. It also provides a case study of how solar and hydrogen energy can be combined in an energy system to provide an efficient source of energy that can be applied for modern technologies such as a mobile robot. Hydrogen energy holds out the most promise amongst the various alternative energy sources, so much so that it is proving to be the energy source of choice for automobile manufacturers in their quest for alternative fuels to power their cars of the future.