NanoMalaysia Berhad, together with HyPERTech Industries Sdn Bhd, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Fuel Cell Institute, and ADMatix Solutions Sdn Bhd today launched their solid-state-based hydrogen reactor referred to as the HyPEReactor. The reactor was unveiled by the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, YB Chang Lih Kang in Shah Alam.
The HyPEReactor utilizes sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and it is a “modular and customizable” hydrogen generation system – hydrogen is generated via hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. That hydrogen is then channeled to a fuel cell. The gist of the reactor is that it creates hydrogen on demand and that it tackles the storage problem of high-pressure liquid hydrogen.
NanoMalaysia says that all it takes is for you to “just add water” to the system to generate hydrogen (or indirectly, energy). To demonstrate this, the company has chosen to implement the system in an open-wheel race car and a motorcycle which was present at the launch today.
According to the company, the application of the technology goes beyond just powering vehicles as it can be used to supply electricity to off-grid or rural locations as well. The demo vehicles are just the tip of the iceberg of what the system is capable of.
Based on the demo vehicle shown by the company, 50 g of sodium borohydride and 100 ml of water can supply hydrogen effectively to a 1-kW fuel cell. The demo car can reportedly operate for 40 minutes with this setup. Once the water runs out, the system can be refilled to continue functioning.
To sum it up, the demo vehicles are essentially driven by hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) powertrains, albeit with a solid-state-based hydrogen supply system. The wheels are driven by electric motors and that’s pretty much how they work.
NanoMalaysia Berhad Group CEO, Dr Rezal Khairi Ahmad said, “NanoMalaysia has an unwavering commitment in driving technological advancements that contribute to the government’s Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap (HETR)’s vision of becoming a leading hydrogen economy country by 2050 while fully supporting both the National Energy Policy (NEP) and National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).”
“Through venture-building project investments, multilateral collaborations, and continuous innovation, NanoMalaysia’s HyPEReactor is poised to transform the clean energy landscape and serve as a catalyst for economic growth, environmental sustainability, and empowered citizenry by democratizing hydrogen economy ownership.”
The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, YB Chang Lih Kang said, “NanoMalaysia’s HyPEReactor aligns seamlessly with the recently launched Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap (HETR). HyPEReactor supports our ambitious goals of achieving global decarbonisation targets and plays a pivotal role in developing a robust and competitive ecosystem across the hydrogen value chain.”
“The development of the Hydrogen Generator (HyPEReactor) by NanoMalaysia, offers on-demand hydrogen generation with a focus on cost savings, and energy efficiency; with its easily adaptable modular design, and expandability according to specific usage needs. HyPEReactor represents an example of hydrogen technology advancement in the pursuit of a sustainable clean energy future.”
GALLERY
