Could Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Be a Serious Alternative to Batteries?

A laser shines light on nano thin film inside a canister, releasing hydrogen that can feed a fuel cell.

- By Eric Tegler

FORMER COMPUTER-CHIP MANUFACTURING engineer Paul Smith founded Plasma Kinetics in 2008. The Arizona-based startup has developed solid-state hydrogen storage, essentially transferring the gas onto a proprietary film wound in many layers inside a canister. He says the tech could challenge batteries in both efficiency and environmental friendliness.

When unspooled and run past a laser-the film moves from one reel to another, like movie film through a projector-the solid-state storage medium releases 99.99 percent pure hydrogen, which could power electrical grids, hydrogen fuel cells, cars, or hydrogen-injected diesel trucks.

Plasma Kinetics asserts that its storage system is 30 percent lighter, 7 percent smaller, and 17 7 percent less expensive than a lithium-ion battery per kilowatt-hour. Those claims have reportedly attracted capital from the likes of Toyota, though Smith declined to confirm any investments.

Due to these successes, Plasma Kinetics had to put its plans (and patents) on hold for nearly a decade because the Department of Defense wanted to gain a lead in applying Smith's methodology to missile tech and other military applications. Now, the startup's hydrogen storage tech may have the chance to challenge the battery business and the trillions of dollars sunk into it worldwide.