Transcript Nature Of Hydrogen Demand for Fuel Cells And NMRL’s

Nature Of Hydrogen Demand for
Fuel Cells
And NMRL’s Experience on Onsite
Hydrogen Generation
S Roy Choudhury, J. Rangarajan
Naval Materials Research Laboratory, Ambernath-421506
Hydrogen Provision
• Distributed hydrogen retail outlets for
mobile / stationary applications
– Compressed H2 transport by pipelines like
CNG network
– Onsite H2 generation from other feed stocks
•
•
•
•
Coal
Hydrocarbons
Alcohols
Ammonia
Hydrogen Provision
• Online/onboard hydrogen generation
for mobile systems
– Reforming /cracking of hydrocarbon feed
stocks
– Reforming/cracking of alcohols
– Other inorganic/organic feed stocks
Ammonia cracking
Hydride hydrolysis/cracking
H2 quality
Impurity tolerance increases with increase
in operating temperature of fuel cells
Low temperature acid FCs
Phosphoric acid fuel cell
• Operates at 1302000C
• CO tolerance < 2%
• S and Cl in ppm level
Polymer electrolyte fuel
cells
• Operates at 60-800C
• CO tolerance in ppm
level
• S & Cl in ppm level
Limits the primary source of fuel
Low temperature alkaline FCs
•
•
•
•
Operates around 120-1700C
High CO tolerance
CO2 tolerance in ppm level
Cl and S in ppm level
Difficult for terrestrial application
High temperature FCs
Solid Oxide FCs
• Can take CO as
fuel
• S & Cl in ppm
level
Molten Carbonate FCs
• Can take high CO
• S & Cl in ppm level
The Key issues
The Fuel Quality
Fuel cells are advanced power
generation devices
requires quality feedstock, free from
sulfur
The oil refineries have to provide
uniform low sulfur fuels.
The Key issues
The conversion Devices
High cost for CO removal – PEMFC
Low reformer cost – PAFC, SOFC,
MCFC
Compact thermal systems to realize
mini converters
Fuel cell program in NMRL
Fuel cell
Our mission
 To develop totally indigenous fuel
cell for Indian armed forces &
commercial use
 All necessary subsystems like fuel
processor, startup systems etc.
 Spin off benefits
Achievements so far …
 Catalyst
 Electrode
 Acid holder
matrix
 Graphite gas
distributor plate
 Acid management
systems
 Humidifiers
 Thermal systems
 Power conditioners
Online hydrogen generation devices
Hydrogen filter systems
Prototypes :- Fuel cell based power packs with all
accessories
NMRL’s View
Onsite hydrogen generation is the way
to introduce Fuel Cells successfully
• For mobile application – supply purified H2 from onsite
local generation center – PEMFCs, PAFCs
• For stationary application – build onsite H2 generation
plant – PAFCs, SOFC
NMRL’s experience in onsite
hydrogen generation for fuel
cells
Generation of H2 for possible fuel cell applications
From organic feed
stocks
From inorganic
feed stocks
NH3
Alcohols
Hydrocarbons
Hydrazine
methanol
Bio H2
using algae
ethanol
CNG
LPG
NMRL’s interest
Naptha,
diesel etc.
storage of H2 for possible fuel cell applications
Compressed gas
Metal hydride
NaAlH4 etc.
Low
temperature
storage
High pressure
light weight
storage
Occluded H2
C SWNT,
Organometallic
framework
etc.
Chemical
hydrides
NaBH4 , CaH2
NMRL’s interest
H2 Content & requirement
Material
H2 wt %
CH3OH
18.75
H2 lit/lit
@NTP
5250
CNG
50.00
8
CaH2
9.52
2133**
NaBH4
21.05
4715**
Comp H2 100.00
200
@200atm
** considering powder density=1
1 kWatt power
H2 consumption
(lpm @ NTP)
At 100 %
efficiency
5.88
At ~65%
efficiency
(~0.6V cell pot)
9.04
At ~65%
efficiency
(~0.6V cell pot)
With 70%
utilization
13
Hydrogen generation devices
Reformers
 Online generation of
hydrogen by methanol
reforming
 Various configurations,
for 2lpm (100W), 80
lpm (5kW),900 lpm
(60kW) power packs
 Output CO level <0.5%
Hydrogen crackers
 One shot use
 Suitable for subwatt to 100
watt systems
 Different options: super-corroding alloy
/Calcium hydride
hydrolysis
 NaBH4 in caustic base
solution – catalyst
induced hydrolysis
Pilot methanol reformer – 8-10 lpm
hydrogen output for process design
and scale up studies (1997)
Compact reformer 1999
(80 lpm hydrogen)
Bukhari reformer 2003
2-5 lpm of hydrogen
Instrument free, very compact,
zero powered / rotating device
High capacity methanol
reformer , 50nM3/hr –2003
hydrogen, suitable to
~60kW PAFC power pack
Process design of
reformer – NMRL
Detail engineering,
control systems and
installation – Xytel India
Commissioning - NMRL
Hydrogen generator for small fuel cells
Liquid phase refillable cracker-NaBH4 in
caustic
•Catalytic (Pt on IRA-100 resin) hydrolysis
•Capacity 0-2watt
•Protable, orientation free usage,
•Floating type
Super corroding alloy, one shot cartridge
• Capacity 5-25 watt
•Controlled water hydrolysis
CaH2 based, one shot cartridge
• Capacity 50-150 watt
• Controlled water hydrolysis
Thermal systems
• Snadwich type steam heater/cooler for
quick pre-heating and heat removing of
PAFC stacks
Bayonet type forced methanol based
catalytic heater for compact reformer
Capillary action based natural methanol
catlytic burner
Bayonet type natural & fan based
hydrogen heater
Cartridge type humidifier with hydrogen heater
NMRL’s Fuel Cells – Products available for commercial
usage
700-1000 watt PAFC based UPS / generator
with built in compact methanol reformer
 Delivers 220V AC, 700-1000VA
 PAFC battery (35 Kg) Nova-1 / 2
Nominal power of 1000 watt
100 watt self contained power pack
•Output :- 12+0.05 V DC upto 100 watt (max)
•Size 52x27x25 cm (12Kg)
•Hydrogen source by hydride cracking
•Hydrogen source by compact catalytic
burner based reformer
Conclusion
• Hydrogen source, generation methodology &
fuel cell type – critical for successful
application
• Available supply infrastructure can be
catered for hydrogen application
– This is possible through onsite hydrogen
generation
Generally Hydrogen is produced in industry
at the expense of utility
For fuel cell application utility is
generated at the expense of
hydrogen