Star Scientific has raised over $100 million over two decades. Early on they were working on muon catalyzed fusion but they seem to have transitioned to non-combustion heat generation from hydrogen.
The are using some thin-film catalyst that generates heat when exposed to hydrogen and oxygen.
The Hydrogen Energy Release Optimiser (HERO) converts hydrogen into continuous industrial heat without combustion.
The technology utilizes hydrogen and oxygen gas, combines them in the presence of the HERO catalyst, and produces vast amounts of usable heat. Water is the only other output.
Star Scientific won the inaugural World Hydrogen Awards’ Industrial Application category for innovation. It was also awarded the 2020 S&P Platts Global Energy Awards’ Emerging Technology of the Year.
The company recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Philippines Government centered on HERO. The MoU will help drive the country’s energy self-sufficiency using hydrogen as a fuel source.
Star Scientific has always been very secretive about the specifics of their various science and technology processes. The prior work with muon fusion did not amount to anything. This new work also does not look consistent. The video demonstration does not match up with a process that is ready for industrial-scale applications.
In December, 2021, Australian hydrogen research and development company, Star Scientific, announced its technology will be used to provide heat for industrial-scale sanitation in a pilot with Mars Food Australia.
The HERO technology 18-month pilot with Mars Food Australia and not-for-profit Central Coast Industry Connect Limited. The pilot will see Star Scientific’s HERO technology, which is driven by a catalyst reaction that generates temperatures of over 700 degrees celsius without combusting hydrogen, used to generate heat for industrial-scale sanitation in food manufacturing. Precisely how the hydrogen technology will be integrated though is still being finalized, with Star Scientific telling pv magazine Australia it is in a process of “translational research” before it confirms the exact configuration of the pilot.
The new claims are more modest than the old muon fusion claims but a lot of time has passed without proven successful commercial usage. There are plenty of more mundane hydrogen combustion systems already in use in industrial applications.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
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