News: Researchers Use Noise for Fuel

Noisy roads may soon be capable of generating fuel for the cars driving on them, thanks to a team of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The humble glass of water contains powerful, clean energy in the form of hydrogen – but getting the stuff out is extremely difficult.

But, according to New Scientist, the researchers have discovered a way to use crystals made of zinc oxide that absorb vibrations and develop areas o strong negative and positive charge, which in turn separate the molecules in water, releasing hydrogen and oxygen gas.

Using a process called the piezoelectrochemical effect, the team grows tiny fibres of the crystals, which flex between 5 and 10 degrees when exposed to ultrasonic vibrations, such as sound, which generates an electrical field strong enough to separate the molecules.

The technology could conceivably be deployed in areas suffering from high-levels of noise pollution, such as highways, converting the ambient sound into usable energy.

“This is like a free lunch,” says lead researcher Huifang Xu told the magazine. “You are getting energy from the environment just like solar cells capture energy from the sun.”