Cooking has traditionally relied on combustion, which is not a very efficient way in a common domestic kitchen. The combustion products are inhaled by the cooks to have adverse health effects over time. Hydrogen, as a clean fuel, is slowly gaining attention as a potential cooking fuel, either through combustion or a fuel cell. In a domestic setup, storage of hydrogen poses serious safety hazard. This design idea – we name it HyChen – solves the problem of hydrogen storage to enable efficient use of fuel cell generated electricity for cooking.

HyChen removes the need for a permanent hydrogen storage by means of a fuel that can be easily harnessed reusing human and other domestic waste. The ultimate achievement is a clean and sustainable cooking setup.

HyChen extracts ammonia from human and other domestic waste (urine, certain food waste etc.), which is then stored (less complicated than hydrogen). On demand, the stored ammonia is directly fed to a fuel cell or converted to hydrogen before feeding to the fuel cell, depending on the fuel cell type. If converted to hydrogen, that will not require a permanent storage as it will be used real time. The fuel cell provides electricity that powers an electric cooking appliance. As a byproduct clean water is obtained that can be utilised for various purposes.

The recently emerging products are focusing on using hydrogen and not sourcing a sustainable fuel, generated near the point of use. This is the primary novelty our product brings to the table.

HyChen is intended for all kitchens providing a sustainable and clean option.

Since the product can be used in any and every kitchen, the market potential is enormous, virtually all the homes on this planet.

The product would be manufactured in three modules, to be assembled at the user’s place: 1) An ammonia extraction module, 2) a fuel cell module, 3) a kitchen module will electricity and water supply. Module 1 shall have a very important product novelty and hence should be manufactured keeping close control. The other two modules can be totally left to third parties, while concentrating and specializing in module 1 manufacturing and installation.

Since hydrogen storage and its associated safety systems can be eliminated by this design, the overall initial cost of the system is expected to be lower than the hydrogen-based solutions that are emerging in the market. The operating cost will be be very less compared to hydrogen as it would be sourced from domestic waste.