s a gas, carbon monoxide is a dangerous substance, since it binds with the oxygen in the blood. Perhaps that is the reason it has been overlooked as a clean and abundant alternative to other Hydrogen transport fluids, such as Methanol and Ethanol. Liquid CO however, can be handled as a hazardous liquid, similar to gasoline, and with the same infrastructure.

CO is the basis for the production of Hydrogen gas, in the town-gas (i.e. synthetic gas) shift reaction:

1) The on-board liquid CO is gasified by applying the exothermic heat from reaction 3).

2) The CO gas is used to produce hydrogen and CO2.

CO(g) + H2O(g) --> CO2(g) + H2(g)

3) The CO2 is then removed by passing this gas through a solution of sodium hydroxide in a catalyst. The carbon dioxide reacts and dissolves, leaving pure hydrogen and additional sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in the catalyst.

CO2(g) + 2 OH(aq) --> CO32(aq) + H2O(l)

The problem of portable Hydrogen to power PEM fuel cell vehicles can therefore be solved if we were to transport CO in our vehicles, in the form of liquid carbon monoxide.

Liquid CO is no more poisonous than gasoline, if it is ingested. A sensible person would never do so, thus the toxicity of liquid CO is mute.

Carbon Monoxide is simple to liquify, it does so at –192 Celsius, at 1.003 atm, yielding a liquid with a density of 8.0 kg/cm3. It can be transported in tanker trucks, or in pipelines. Since it is of little commercial use at the present time, very little infrastructure is present. However, it can be handled much in the same way that liquid Carbon Dioxide is, since it has similar properties.

If drivers can fuel up with liquid CO at a fuel station, and later simply apply water to the evaporated CO on board the vehicle, we would have achieved an excellent Hydrogen generating capacity, thereby solving the Hydrogen on-board storage problem. Only a pure PEM hydrogen powered vehicle produces zero emissions.

Since caustic soda absorbs Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere, the redundant waste from the on-board catalysts could be used to absorb excess CO2 from polluted air, thereby aiding in reducing greenhouse gases and ameliorating global warming.

Atlanta, GA
September 26, 2005