Nature Of Hydrogen Demand for Fuel Cells And NMRL

1
Nature Of Hydrogen Demand for Fuel Cells And
NMRLs Experience on Onsite Hydrogen Generation

• S Roy Choudhury, J. RangarajanNaval Materials
  Research Laboratory, Ambernath-421506

2
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

3
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

4
H2 quality

• Impurity tolerance increases with increase in
  operating temperature of fuel cells

5
Low temperature acid FCs

• Phosphoric acid fuel cell
• Operates at 130-2000C
• CO tolerance lt 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
6
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
7
High temperature FCs

• Molten Carbonate FCs
• Can take high CO
• S Cl in ppm level

• Solid Oxide FCs
• Can take CO as fuel
• S Cl in ppm level

8
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.

9
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

10
Fuel cell program in NMRL
11
Fuel cellOur 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

12
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
13
NMRLs 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

14
NMRLs experience in onsite hydrogen generation
for fuel cells
15
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
Naptha, diesel etc.
NMRLs interest
16
storage of H2 for possible fuel cell applications
Compressed gas
Metal hydride NaAlH4 etc.
Occluded H2 C SWNT, Organo-metallic framework etc.
Chemical hydrides
Low temperature storage
NaBH4 , CaH2
High pressure light weight storage
NMRLs interest
17
H2 Content requirement
1 kWatt power H2 consumption (lpm _at_ 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
Material H2 wt H2 lit/lit _at_NTP
CH3OH 18.75 5250
CNG 50.00 8
CaH2 9.52 2133
NaBH4 21.05 4715
Comp H2 _at_200atm 100.00 200
considering powder density1 considering powder density1 considering powder density1
18
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 lt0.5

• 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

19
Pilot methanol reformer 8-10 lpm hydrogen
output for process design and scale up studies
(1997)
Compact reformer 1999 (80 lpm hydrogen)
Evolution of methanol reformer at NMRL
Bukhari reformer 2003 2-5 lpm of
hydrogen Instrument free, very compact, zero
powered / rotating device
20
High capacity methanol reformer , 50nM3/hr 2003
hydrogen, suitable to 60kW PAFC power pack
Evolution of methanol reformer at NMRL
Process design of reformer NMRL Detail
engineering, control systems and installation
Xytel India Commissioning - NMRL
21
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

22
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

23
NMRLs 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 - 120.05 V DC upto 100 watt (max)
• Size 52x27x25 cm (12Kg)
• Hydrogen source by hydride cracking
• Hydrogen source by compact catalytic burner based
  reformer

24
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

25
Generally Hydrogen is produced in industry at the
expense of utility

• For fuel cell application utility is generated at
  the expense of hydrogen

26
Thank you