Hydrogen-Producing Skyscraper Harvests Energy From Bolts of Lightning

Hydrogen power is an exciting alternative energy source because it burns clean and emits only water vapor and heat -- however the tech is crippled by the fact that it takes a lot of energy to produce hydrogen fuel. This eye-popping Hydra Tower aims to solve the hydrogen conundrum in the most logical awesome way possible -- by harnessing bolts of lighting to smash molecules of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The spire's sinuous exoskeleton is made from graphene, a carbon super-material that is 200 times stronger than steel and highly conductive to heat and electricity - the better to channel incredible amounts of energy straight from the sky.

When lighting strikes, the spire’s super-conductive graphene skin channels electricity into a massive array of batteries in the tower’s base. This energy is then used to split water into hydrogen gas through electrolysis. The tower’s twisting form was inspired by the Hydra, a simple freshwater animal. The project also includes a research facility, housing, and recreational areas for scientists and families – which we assume are a pleasure to use when the skyscraper isn’t being blasted with one billion volts of electricity.
Part lightning spire and part futuristic super-tower, the Hyrdra Skyscraper was designed by Milos Vlastic, Vuk Djordjevic, Ana Lazovic, Milica Stankovic, and was an honorable mention in the 2011 Evolo Skyscraper Competition. It’s meant to be implemented in the tropics, where 70% of all lighting occurs – this includes areas like Singapore, Central Florida, Venezuela, and Kifuka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Inhabitat