Analysis of the Use of Recycled Aluminum to Generate Green Hydrogen in an Electric Bicycle

Abstract

This article proposes using recycled aluminum, generating hydrogen in situ at low pressure, to power a 250 W electric bicycle with a fuel cell (FC), to increase the average speed and autonomy compared to a conventional electric bicycle with a battery. To generate hydrogen, the aluminum–water reaction with a 6 M NaOH solution is used as a catalyst. This article details the parts of the generation system, the electronic configuration used, the aluminum- and reagent-loading procedure and the by-products obtained, as well as the results of the operation without pedaling, with a resistance equivalent to a flat terrain and at maximum power of the accelerator for one and two loads of about 100 g of aluminum each. This allows us to observe different hybrid strategies, with a low-capacity battery in each case. The goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to store energy in a long-lasting, transportable, low-pressure, and sustainable manner, using recycled-aluminum test tubes, and to apply this to mobility.