NH3 or Ammonia - the new buzz in the alternative fuel industry

NH3 or Ammonia has been used as a high energy density fuel for a long time. NASA even used it in its X15 rocket plane. NH3 can be used in modified petrol or diesel engines and probably jet engines.

NH3 has a reasonable energy density when compared to Diesel or Petrol fuel and can be safely transported and handled. It is today cheaper than gasoline or diesel at about $400 US / ton.

When spilled its no issue as NH3 in 20% dilution is used as one of the main fertilizers world wide.

Need to clean the kitchen? NH3 in appropriate solution is a great household cleaner.

Is NH3 an energy source? No. NH3 can not be mined like fossil fuels. It has to be produced using catalytic processes from water and N2 (Nitrogen) from the air and heat. Electricity generated from wind farms would be an ideal source of such energy to produce NH3. The process of NH3 generation is efficient. NH3 is a very interesting form of storing, transporting and distributing energy with the benefit of being usable just about anywhere we are using liquid or gaseous fuels today without much conversion of the infrastructure. Even fuel cells are under development that would convert NH3 directly into electricity for high efficiency electric propulsion systems.

NH3 can be transported in tanker trucks and existing gas pipelines and could even double as household heating fuel, cooking fuel etc. when coming in the local gas pipeline.

Interested? Read more:

http://www.greennh3.com/wp-content/uploads/ammonia_fuel.pdf

http://www.greennh3.com/

PFD explaining it all at: http://www.energy.iastate.edu/Renewable/ammonia/downloads/NHA%202009v7%2...

Matt Simmons on Youtube on NH3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5feSGZN_Zx0

Thomas