E-Book Overview
The energy arteries of the corporate body of mankind are still fed mainly by fossil fuels; but they are in danger of running dry soon unless new energy sources are made available. One of the most important as well as the most ecologically pure power source is hydrogen, that constitutes the heart of hydrogen power engineering and considered as a future alternative to fossil power sources. The chemistry of carbon nanomaterials and hydrogen materials science will play an important role in hastening the conversion to the Hydrogen Energy System. In this connection the research and application of materials capable of interacting actively with hydrogen, its accumulating and storing will be of the utmost significance. This is of particular actuality for creation of mobile energy sources both for mobile telephones and for hybrid electric cars that are developed by all large car manufacturers of the world. In this connection the hydrogen capacity of carbon nanostructural materials, such as fullerenes, nanotubes, nanofibers and other nanostructures, has aroused a special interest of researchers. Hydriding metals, alloys, nanocarbon and composite materials can store hydrogen safely at relatively low pressures and temperatures. Very many other applications are also possible – such as heating and cooling, waste heat storage, pumping, pressurizing, heat-pumping, hydrogen purifying, deuterium separation, electricity production, etc. As a source of ‘clean’ energy, hydrogen is also going to be the permanent answer to another global problem caused by utilization of fossil fuels, such as the greenhouse effect, climate change, acid rains, ozone layer depletion, pollution and oil spills.
E-Book Content
Hydrogen Materials Science and Chemistry of Carbon Nanomaterials NATO Security through Science Series This Series presents the results of scientific meetings supported under the NATO Programme for Security through Science (STS). Meetings supported by the NATO STS Programme are in security-related priority areas of Defence Against Terrorism or Countering Other Threats to Security. The types of meeting supported are generally ’’Advanced Study Institutes’’ and ’’Advanced Research Workshops’’. The NATO STS Series collects together the results of these meetings. The meetings are co-organized by scientists from NATO countries and scientists from NATO’s ’’Partner’’ or ’’Mediterranean Dialogue’’ countries. The observations and recommendations made at the meetings, as well as the contents of the volumes in the Series, reflect those of participants and contributors only; they should not necessarily be regarded as reflecting NATO views or policy. Advanced Study Institutes (ASI) are high-level tutorial courses to convey the latest developments in a subject to an advanced-level audience Advanced Research Workshops (ARW) are expert meetings where an intense but informal exchange of views at the frontiers of a subject aims at identifying directions for future action Following a transformation of the programme in 2004 the Series has been re-named and re-organised. Recent volumes on topics not related to security, which result from meetings supported under the programme earlier, may be found in the NATO Science Series. The Series is published by IOS Press, Amsterdam, and Springer, Dordrecht, in conjunction with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division. Sub-Series A. Chemistry and Biology B. Physics and Biophysics C. Environmental Security D. Information and Communication Security E. Human and Societal Dynamics http://www.nato.int/science http://www.springer.com http://www.iospress.nl Series A: Chemistry and Biology Springer Springer Springer IOS Press IOS Press Hydrogen Materials Science and Chemistry of Carbon Nanomaterials edited by T. Nejat Veziroglu International Association for Hydrogen Energy University of Miami, Miami, U.S.A.