The fruits of his thinking began emerging today when New Scientist magazine reported he has sought widespread patents on a technique for making a reinforced metal fuel tank that vents hydrogen gas safely after an accident.

The invention is aimed at the eventual use of hydrogen fuel cells to power vehicles, he told NZPA.

Though hydrogen fuelled cars are clean in terms of emissions, the gas was highly volatile.

Mr Goggin has sought patents for his idea of sealing a slit round the edge of the fuel tank with a material designed to give way under a heavy impact.

If there is a crash, the weak seal splits, allowing the gas to vent rapidly and safely into the air, preventing a fireball if there are sparks or flames.

He has sought patents in New Zealand, Japan, Europe, and the United States, but has provided for the coverage to be extended.

Mr Goggin said that though methane and other feedstocks were currently being used for fuel cells, the days when vehicles carried around tanks of hydrogen were still a long way off.

Because machinery to make the tanks would need specialised tooling, their manufacture would probably only be profitable when there was large-scale use of hydrogen in vehicles.

Mr Goggin said he was preparing patent applications for another invention, in the biotech sector.