So they found a way to create hydrogen fuel from ammonia at a low temperature. That's cool and all, but I can't imagine ammonia as being a realistic thing to fill car gas tanks with as a starting precursor for liquid hydrogen. Anyone who has smelled pure ammonia would know why I say that.

It probably takes more energy to cool it than it creates

this headline is written like they’re generating electricity from the flipping of a light switch on and off repeatedly lmao

All it would require to avoid the pure ammonia smell at the pump is an airtight connection between gas tank and pump nozzle. That’s an off-the-shelf part already, making these tanks would be straightforward. The greater challenge would be designing a car-sized hydrogen engine of comparable power output. I’m no thermo expert, but this seems possible if the transference of ammonia to hydrogen can be quick enough to feed the engine as much H as it needs.

This can genuinely happen if it can be profitable. And that’s the kicker, it’s gotta be as profitable as gas or more.

I was going to say it sounds like they just turned on a green light. There you go, the petroleum is now green fuel.

Using an LED in the car to crack the H from the ammonia is what makes this novel.

And hope that oil companies don't "get rid of" the competition.

Toddler logic, but efficient.

It does, hydrogen is already very inefficient as an energy source..

99.99% of these “advances” are cool on paper and good Reddit fodder, but are unable to scale in the real world for any number of reasons not addressed by the study.

Stop trying to make hydrogen fuel a thing.

It isn't, and never will be.

What's being discussed in Germany is using ammonia as a kind of hydrogen carrier substance for long haul transport and storage. For example from Africa to Germany or as storage medium over the seasons.

The reasoning is, that ammonia is much easier to work with them ammonia.

Ammonia can be the potential medium to stor and sell bulk hydrogen. The ”sell” part is usually required for investments to happen. Not likely as a fuel except for shipping with a minimum of people around. It is a pretty nasty gas.

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* than hydrogen

FTFY

If you’ve smelled pure ammonia, you’re probably dead.

But it actually shows some promise as fuel: good energy density, easy to transport and store, unlike hydrogen.

Most ICEs and fuel cells will run on it.

It would have to be a sealed system like LPG; ammonia fumes are lethal.

Sorry, what?

Eh could be, imo with all the people and money we've got, might aswell throw some r/d torwards it. Many more people have likely wasted much more money

Yeah absolutely, which happened with electric cars in the 90s. If todays EV push is any indication thought, with enough persistence and acceptance even big oil has to get on board or be left behind.

Yes, in high school chemistry lab accidentally took a sniff. Not a pleasant experience

Nope, it's processing and dustribution is just as inefficient as oil, which is why EVs will dominate and why its taking down oil, nothing compares to a wire (already existing in most cases) and a plug.

We’re going to need an awful lot of green ammonia “cracked” with renewable energy for making nitrogen fertilizer alone, let alone converting it back to hydrogen, losing even more efficiency in the process

Big Oil will suppress it.

It will be. For static applications that use excess solar energy. Once you have to move it, it’s basically over. And if you want to put it in a car, you don’t understand the physics of it, but probably like snacks from the petrol station.