Breakthrough zero-emissions heat generation with hydrogen-metal systems

Project Information

HERMES

Grant agreement ID: 952184

DOI

10.3030/952184

Project closed

EC signature date 10 July 2020

Start date 1 November 2020

End date 30 April 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Total cost

€ 3 999 870,00

EU contribution

€ 3 999 870,00

Coordinated by

TURUN YLIOPISTO
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - HERMES (Breakthrough zero-emissions heat generation with hydrogen-metal systems)

Reporting period: 2023-11-01 to 2025-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Disruptive technologies are urgently required to stave off catastrophic climate change. The FET-Proactive call subtopic c: "Breakthrough zero-emissions energy generation for full decarbonization" states that "Research areas could include, for example, long duration high heat sources from hydrogen-metal systems (e.g. using nickel), energy generation in plasma and cavitation systems."

All of the research areas identified by the call are highly unconventional. As electrochemists, we contributed to this call by working on hydrogen-metal systems. We studied hydrogen (and deuterium) evolution in unconventional conditions, i.e. on metal-hydrides and the main motivation for this work was based on the recent Nature perspective “Revisiting the cold case of cold fusion”. When loading deuterium into the Pd lattice, there is a chance that something very interesting will happen, resulting in production of excess heat. The first report of such reaction was published 30 years ago, but quickly dismissed by the scientific community. But what if there is really something? Can we afford to not to investigate this further, considering the current climate crisis? This is a high risk/high reward project, but with aid of all the improved techniques and tools developed in the last 30 years, we believe that it is worth the risk.

The objectives were: (1) Develop highly reproducible methods to study heat generation and other anomalous effects in hydrogen-metal systems. Specifically, HERMES focused on method development, with the special emphasis on reproducibility.
(2) Develop highly reproducible methods to manufacture nanostructured hydrogen-metal systems. Specifically, HERMES developed methods to prepare well-controlled catalyst structures for experiments.
(3) Demonstrate utilization of state-of-the-art tools to study hydrogen-metal systems Specifically, HERMES developed and demonstrated the use of advanced large scale research facilities such as synchrotrons, neutron sources, as well as mass-spectrometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to study isotope effects on well-structured catalysts. Advanced computational tools such as density functional theory modelling were also utilized to understand the systems better.
(4) Explore the possibility for breakthrough zero-emissions heat generation with hydrogen-metal systems. Specifically, HERMES aimed to understand, verify and demonstrate heat generation as well as other anomalous effects from deuterium-palladium systems.
(5) Establish an interdisciplinary community to foster the emergence of a broader innovation ecosystem and create a fertile ground for future take-up of the new technological paradigm based on heat production by metal-hydrogen systems. Specifically, if anomalous effects of Pd-D system can be demonstrated reproducibly, HERMES action will assemble a multidisciplinary scientific advisory board to evaluate the results, try to identify any possible sources of error overlooked in the project, and to gain scientific acceptance for the HERMES results.
(6) Understand isotope effects in hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions. We acknowledge that there is very high probability of failing to reproducibly produce anomalous effects in the Pd-D system. Therefore, all the techniques and methodologies developed in this action were also utilized to study isotope effects for electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution and oxidation reactions, as well as other effects such as cations in the electric double layer, effect of absorbed hydrogen for reaction mechanism etc.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

HERMES project has:
(1) Developed highly reproducible methods to study heat generation and developed methods to study other anomalous effects in hydrogen-metal systems. Here, anomalous effects include for example production of excess heat, neutrons, tritium, helium, nuclear transmutations etc. Specifically, HERMES has focused on method development, with the special emphasis on reproducibility. We have successfully reproduced co-electrodeposition experiments by two partners, observing tracks on solid state nuclear detectors. Further evaluation of the origin of these tracks indicates that they could result from cavitation, generated by contact of oxygen and hydrogen bubbles with a catalyst. Tracks were observed even with co-electrodeposition of copper with small amount of Pt additive as a catalyst. Tracks after the etching are similar to those produced by inducing cavitation by ultrasonic pulses next to the solid state nuclear track detectors. The tracks from cavitation damage are not as deep as tracks by alpha particles, so depth profiling is required to differentiate cavitation tracks from alpha particle tracks.
(2) Development of highly reproducible methods to manufacture nanostructured hydrogen-metal systems. Specifically, HERMES has developed wet chemistry methods and electrochemical erosion methods for Pd and Pd-alloy nanoparticle synthesis, as well as atomic layer deposition methods.
(3) Demonstrated utilization of state-of-the-art tools to study hydrogen-metal systems Specifically, HERMES has developed and demonstrated the use of advanced large scale research facilities such as synchrotron at ESRF, to study electrochemical hydrogen absorption in Pd nanoparticles, and compared the results with deuterium. Advanced computational tools such as density functional theory modelling have been performed for understanding phase diagrams, system dynamics, surface reconstruction etc. as well as hydrogen evolution on Pd-H and Pd-D systems as well as on alloys.
(4) Generated understanding on proton reduction reactions on Pd, and oxidation reactions, other effects such as cations in the electric double layer, effect of absorbed hydrogen for reaction mechanism etc. These studies have also been extended to Pd-D system.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

HERMES action is highly ambitious, as we investigated, if nuclear reactions can take place in Pd-H/D lattices at moderate temperatures. It will go beyond the state-of-the-art by employing sophisticated techniques to synthesize nanostructured Pd and Pd-alloy catalysts. We have already gained insights into behavior of Pd in the presence of hydrogen, unexpectedly high catalytic activity of Pd towards proton reduction, as well as electric double layer effects of Pd single crystals. To reveal what happens when deuterium or hydrogen is loaded into the Pd lattice, we used the best available research tools, including synchrotron x-rays, and quantum chemical calculations by supercomputers. We also developed electrochemical deuterium/hydrogen compressors.

The technologies developed in HERMES action, as such, will most likely have little commercial value, as we aimed to demonstrate the effect utilizing Pd-D as a model system. However, if we could prove that it is possible to generate heat reproducibly by nuclear reactions in the Pd lattice loaded with deuterium, it could have an enormous impact on modern physics. If similar reactions could be realized with inexpensive material systems, this would enable a game-changer technology for zero-emission heat generation to enable widespread electrification of the heating systems. Such results are unlikely, but possible, and therefore this project was truly high-risk/high gain. Other impacts include advances in calorimetry, synthesis, and characterization techniques, as well as better understanding of isotope effects in electrocatalysis and materials science.

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