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Dr. Nguyen Chan Khê and the new energy cell product (Photo: VTV) |
The Vietnamese scientific community is likely familiar with Dr. Nguyen Chan Khê, the first person to successfully create liquid Nano carbon in Vietnam. Currently, leveraging Nano technology, he has developed a new product known as fuel cells (or energy cells), which can be used to power motorcycles, cars, and more, replacing fossil fuels.
The initial energy cells are produced using Nano technology. The structure of these energy cells is quite simple, consisting of a shell, additives, catalytic electrodes, and a completely new material in the world: proton-conducting membranes.
Dr. Nguyen Chan Khê, Director of the Research and Development Center at the Saigon High-Tech Park, explained that when fuel is introduced to the catalyst, it generates electrons while simultaneously producing protons. Without a proton-conducting membrane, electrons and protons would recombine, leading to power loss. Therefore, a highly efficient proton-conducting material is essential to separate these electrons and protons immediately upon creation. The significant advantage is that we have successfully created a new proton material globally.
Unlike energy cells manufactured in many other countries that operate using thermal energy ranging from 80 to 1,000 degrees Celsius, this technology only requires the proton-conducting membrane to be sufficiently moist for the cell to function. Thus, water serves as the primary operating material for the cell. As a result, the energy cell does not need recharging and is completely non-polluting. Additionally, since it uses 100% local materials, the production cost is significantly lower—hundreds of times cheaper than imported products.
According to Dr. Nguyen Chan Khê, in the near future, fuel cells will replace fossil fuels in many sectors.
Dr. Nguyen Chan Khê, Director of the Research and Development Center at the Saigon High-Tech Park, stated that the first application he envisions is the fuel cell for motorcycles, high-intensity lighting using lab lamps, or even powering cars and small generators for homes during power outages. He aims to create a cell that continuously monitors the liquid level inside; when the cell is nearly dry, it automatically replenishes the necessary substance. This means users will not need to visit stations to exchange cells, unlike current global practices.
Fuel cells have been researched globally for a long time but have not become widely popular due to their high costs—approximately $1,000 for 1 kW of electricity—while producing the same amount of electrical energy from fossil fuels costs only about $400.
The successful development of fuel cells opens a new direction for Vietnam’s energy sector, with hopes that one day, our streets will be free of smoke and pollution, and citizens will worry less about rising fuel prices.
