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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
At the technical center of the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) in Rostock, a methanol steam reformer supplies a fuel cell with high-purity hydrogen in continuous operation and at comparatively mild temperatures. It is the first demonstration plant in the low-temperature range for such processes, not much larger than a wardrobe and thus compact enough to supply regional areas with climate-neutral, off-grid electrical energy, for example. The plant was developed in collaboration with Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg, project developer ATI Küste, and two automation and plant engineering companies in Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin.
The plant passed its functional test with 800 hours of continuous operation. According to the project coordinator, LIKAT chemist Dr. Sebastian Wohlrab, it uses the reformer to catalytically convert methanol and water into hydrogen (H2), which in turn is purified directly and thus fuels a connected fuel cell.
The joint project, called MEGA (MEthanol reformer with innovative gas purification), was funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics. The demonstration plant is part of a sustainable concept for the climate-neutral supply of electrical energy, especially to rural areas. "And it is independent of both the power grid and wind and sunlight," says Dr. Henrik Junge, under whose leadership the necessary catalysts were developed at LIKAT.
Chemical Storage for Hydrogen
Hydrogen from renewable sources has great potential for the energy transition, but it still proves to be difficult to transport and store, as Wohlrab and Junge explain. Alternatively, H₂ can be chemically stored in methanol, which is much easier to transport and store than gaseous hydrogen.
"The idea behind our concept is to close a cycle," says Dr. Junge. On the one hand, this involves generating hydrogen through electrolysis using electricity from wind and solar power and storing it with CO₂in methanol. On the other hand, it involves recovering the hydrogen from the methanol during periods of calm winds and darkness and using it in fuel cells to generate electricity. The now completed project focused on the second step, the release of high-purity hydrogen through low-temperature steam reforming, and now demonstrates the practicality of the process.
According to the two chemists, it will soon be possible to produce the methanol directly at LIKAT from carbon dioxide, ultimately realizing the complete cycle of climate-neutral chemical energy storage and utilization based on hydrogen. The new methanol synthesis plant is already under construction in the technical center, just a few meters away from the steam reformer.
Ruthenium-based Bi-catalytic System
The methanol steam reformer has several advantages over conventional processes. "Firstly, thanks to a new bi-catalytic system based on ruthenium, we have succeeded in keeping the temperature in the reactor below 150 degrees Celsius," says Henrik Junge. Until now, significantly higher temperatures have been the norm.
The second special feature is the high purity of the hydrogen produced. Normally, hydrogen produced by such processes contains disruptive amounts of CO₂and carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon monoxide in particular has a negative effect on the operation and service life of fuel cells, as Dr. Junge explains. For low-temperature fuel cells, currently the most powerful of their kind, the CO content must not exceed ten ppm (parts per million). Sebastian Wohlrab: "Our plant complies with the required parameters at all times thanks to an integrated adsorber."
Contribution of Different Areas of Expertise
LIKAT brought together a wide range of expertise to successfully complete this joint project. The catalysts used, ruthenium complexes, are the core of the reformer and were mainly synthesized and optimized by a doctoral student at the institute, Hendrick Kempf. Process chemists at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg upgraded the catalyst for the continuous process by applying it to a solid carrier in a liquid phase using special technologies. According to Dr. Junge, the two reactor tubes in the plant contain "seven kilograms of aluminum oxide doped with 130 grams of our ruthenium catalysts."
ATI Küste GmbH combined two adsorbent materials in a compact pressure swing adsorber that removes hydrogen from CO2 and CO. In order not to exceed the CO limit value in the further process, the chemists connected a small shift reactor as an additional protective module for the fuel cell.
The Berlin-based company Sigmar Mothes Hochdrucktechnik (HDT) built key components of the demonstration plant. The comprehensive plant control system was developed by automation systems manufacturer GESA in Teuchern, Saxony-Anhalt. Dr. Wohlrab was responsible for setting up the plant at the LIKAT technical center. Under the supervision of Dr. Stefan Peters and Dr. Alejandra Carbajal, employees in his department, the plant was finally put into operation. It underwent tests based on various scenarios, including the addition of methanol and water and the temperature regime. Its trial run was monitored in shift operation.
Hope for the Energy Transition
Dr. Junge: "Based on these results, companies are now in a position to develop a sustainable product with our assistance." Apart from occasional maintenance, such a plant would run independently.
"A good fifteen years ago, there were only a handful of groups working on the fundamentals of chemical hydrogen storage for future energy supply." Now, numerous laboratories around the world are working in this field. Concepts such as this one represent the global hope for a climate-neutral energy supply.
Dr. Sebastian Wohlrab: Sebastian.Wohlrab@catalysis.de
Dr. Henrik Junge: Henrik.Junge@catalysis.de
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