Integrated anode-less PEM fuel cells (iaPEM-FC) - beyond hydrogen
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Abstract
Due to their great versatility, fuel cells have the possibility of powering everything from small microchips on mobile phones (small voltage) to vehicles (medium voltage) to space shuttles and submarines (high voltage applications). However, despite their potential, the strict requirement of a highly pure hydrogen feed presents difficult challenges regarding storage, safety and economical purification, compromising the widely-accepted view of hydrogen as a competitive alternative to fossil fuels in a renewable energy future. This project will produce a step-change technological evolution of the existing PEM fuel cells by switching the anode process to indirect hydrogen. The resulting technology will be part of a revolution in energy supply where energy from waste, energy surplus, industry energy recycling will complement and surpass fossil fuels. It will transform our understanding of the H2-economy, broadening the concept into renewable hydrogen vectors such ammonia reservoirs (urea, farm waste, municipal waste streams, industrial waste, etc.) and carbohydrate reservoirs in the future (waste streams, cellulosic materials or neoteric fuels from carbon dioxide) providing a renewable, affordable, accessible and non-polluting energy.
Planned Impact
This proposal has been designed with impact at the core, focused on a technological evolution of the PEM fuel cell systems. It is expect to benefit the UK and international academic community, energy industry and manufacturing sectors. It will also bring a wide-range of societal benefits including environmental sustainability, economy and education. The Case for Support contains a detailed academic impact plan. The roadmap to promote and ensure these impacts is described in the Pathways to Impact.
Energy demand and supply in the modern world result in huge challenges in terms of (i) how to balance over-production from renewables and (ii) how to harness energy from waste. When employing direct chemical-to-electrical energy conversion, (battery or fuel cell) many modern devices are able to operate without further transformation. However, transport of electricity is a major loss factor and therefore delocalised electricity production is desirable. One particularly exciting development in this field is the "reactive membrane" taking waste of complex fuels via chemical transformation to hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas is then without any storage converted to electricity. This technology has the promise of (i) safety with operation conditions compatible with domestic or industry settings, or remotely at the point of energy need, (ii) rapid demand spike response time with a membrane dimensioned to very quickly deliver hydrogen gas flow as required, and (iii) versatility in terms of fuel sources. The project will initially develop proof-of-principle devices for operation with ammonia fuels (from municipal or farm waste) but then also consider other types of fuels with corresponding novel catalyst systems.
It will benefit:
(i) Lead-users: In the course of the project new industry links will be developed with priority towards the UK energy sector (Johnson-Matthey, Intelligent Energy, ITM-Power, Arcola Energy).
A symposium will be organised at Bath towards the end of the project to bring together international players in the field of energy technologies.
(ii) End-users: The capability of producing energy from waste will simultaneously overcome two of the most pressing challenges to fuel the modern lifestyle. It will synergistically provide renewable energy while decreasing the energy demands of the current waste water treatments in an efficient and sustainable manner. As part of a broader energy revolution, this technology will have a long-term effect on the protection of the environment, global quality of life and well-being.
Energy demand and supply in the modern world result in huge challenges in terms of (i) how to balance over-production from renewables and (ii) how to harness energy from waste. When employing direct chemical-to-electrical energy conversion, (battery or fuel cell) many modern devices are able to operate without further transformation. However, transport of electricity is a major loss factor and therefore delocalised electricity production is desirable. One particularly exciting development in this field is the "reactive membrane" taking waste of complex fuels via chemical transformation to hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas is then without any storage converted to electricity. This technology has the promise of (i) safety with operation conditions compatible with domestic or industry settings, or remotely at the point of energy need, (ii) rapid demand spike response time with a membrane dimensioned to very quickly deliver hydrogen gas flow as required, and (iii) versatility in terms of fuel sources. The project will initially develop proof-of-principle devices for operation with ammonia fuels (from municipal or farm waste) but then also consider other types of fuels with corresponding novel catalyst systems.
It will benefit:
(i) Lead-users: In the course of the project new industry links will be developed with priority towards the UK energy sector (Johnson-Matthey, Intelligent Energy, ITM-Power, Arcola Energy).
A symposium will be organised at Bath towards the end of the project to bring together international players in the field of energy technologies.
(ii) End-users: The capability of producing energy from waste will simultaneously overcome two of the most pressing challenges to fuel the modern lifestyle. It will synergistically provide renewable energy while decreasing the energy demands of the current waste water treatments in an efficient and sustainable manner. As part of a broader energy revolution, this technology will have a long-term effect on the protection of the environment, global quality of life and well-being.
Publications
Bell T
(2020)
Hydrogen production from ammonia decomposition using Co/?-Al2O3 catalysts - Insights into the effect of synthetic method
in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Hu Z
(2019)
A MOF-templated approach for designing ruthenium-cesium catalysts for hydrogen generation from ammonia
in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Hu Z
(2018)
Ru-Based Catalysts for H2 Production from Ammonia: Effect of 1D Support
in Topics in Catalysis
Kanyanee T
(2020)
Indirect (hydrogen-driven) electrodeposition of porous silver onto a palladium membrane
in Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry
Kirste K
(2021)
COx-free hydrogen production from ammonia - mimicking the activity of Ru catalysts with unsupported Co-Re alloys
in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
Kirste KG
(2020)
XAS investigation of silica aerogel supported cobalt rhenium catalysts for ammonia decomposition.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
Lara-García H
(2019)
COx-free hydrogen production from ammonia on novel cobalt catalysts supported on 1D titanate nanotubes
in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
Madrid E
(2021)
Indirect Formic Acid Fuel Cell Based on a Palladium or Palladium-Alloy Film Separating the Fuel Reaction and Electricity Generation
in ChemElectroChem
| Description | The main outcome of this work is the exploration of renewable H2-riched compounds as H2 vectors including their decomposition into H2 as well as its purification using inkjet printing membranes. New chemistries have been developed for the first-time printing of alloy membranes. This technology would potentially enable the use of these membranes in manufacturing processes (e.g. fuel cell) |
| Exploitation Route | We have been in close communication with Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells however, further fundamental research would be needed to demonstrate feasibility before it can be taken forwards at an industrial level. |
| Sectors | Energy |
| Description | We have used the outcomes of this project for a number of public engagement activities, specially in the framework of the Cambridge Science Festival. Specifically we have explained to children and the general public the role of ammonia as a carbon-free storage material similar to fossil fuels but without detrimental CO2 emissions associated to it. In this project we investigated the integration of producing H2 in-situ by ammonia decomposition with its use in a PEM fuel cell. We successfully developed a number of catalysts for ammonia cracking with a special focus on low temperature activity. Further research will be needed to demonstrate that a new catalytic layer can be integrated with a separation layer (e.g. membrane). We discovered that at low temperatures, the commercial Ag-Pd membrane can be unstable. These findings will be expected to trigger new research on hydrogen purification technologies for a range of operating conditions or more robust fuel cell components to resist impurities poisoning. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2018 |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Title | Research data supporting "The potential of Green Ammonia for Agricultural and Economic Development in Sierra Leone" |
| Description | These data provides the input information to construct a spacial model for rice production and consumption in Sierra Leone and resolve the mass balances, cost equations and energy storage capacity. Information includes a table of current hydroelectric sites, the 48 population centres in which the country is divided in the model, the rice production and area of each of these centres, total rice consumption, current fertliser prices, estimation of agricultural yields, coffee cultivation and amount of fertilisers applied for rice cultivation |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | These data provides the input information to construct a spacial model for rice production and consumption in Sierra Leone and resolve the mass balances, cost equations and energy storage capacity useful for other researchers to build similar models. |
| URL | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/315825 |
| Title | Supporting Data Exceeding single-pass equilibrium with integrated absorption separation for ammonia synthesis using renewable energy - redefining the Haber-Bosch loop |
| Description | Selected annotated data results as presented in "Exceeding single-pass equilibrium with integrated absorption separation for ammonia synthesis using renewable energy - redefining the Haber-Bosch loop." This excel workbook contains the crucial but not exhaustive data for ammonia catalysts and absorbents as presented in the associated publication. This dataset is intended to be supplementary to the associated publication rather than self-contained. Fig 1d,1e,3c: This excel sheet contains the data for testing of the catalyst Ru/Cs/CeO2 with varying N2:H2 ratios. In addition to three profiles of conversion with temperature, equilibrium lines and the best fit kinetic model are included. Details of the kinetic model can be found in the associated article. Also included are the conversion profiles with temperature for several other catalysts. All catalysts were tested at 21 barg in a flow reactor where the data measurement consisted of the change of flow through the system due to reaction. Fig2c: This sheet contains the condensed data for comparison of three ammonia absorbents. The absorbents are compared in terms of the amount of ammonia removed per gram absorbent per pressure of ammonia over time. Further details of the absorbent characteristics can be found in the associated article. Fig2d: this sheet contains the performance data for the absorbent MnCl2/SiO2 at four different temperatures over time. The absorbent performance is measurement by the amount of ammonia removed per gram of absorbent. Also included in this sheet are the best fit model for absorption kinetics. Details about the kinetic model can be found in the associated article. Fig3b 1-3 to 2-1: These sheets contain the data for a combined catalyst and absorbent system in which at time zero gas flow from a catalyst bed is diverted to an absorbent bed and second catalyst bed in series. The change in flow with time is a measurement of the amount of ammonia absorbed/produced. The three sheets are divided according to the ratio of N2:H2 (1:3, 1:1, 2:1). Also included in these sheets are the model predictions when utilizing the previously determined kinetic models for catalyst and absorbent independently. Details of the experimental/kinetic methodology can be found in the associated publication. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Provides information about catalysis and absorbents for ammonia synthesis used by other researchers in their models. |
| URL | https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/318030 |
| Description | Johnson Matthey |
| Organisation | Johnson Matthey |
| Department | Johnson Matthey Catalysts |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We are providing a new technology ofr the manufacturing of taylor catalysts with control on nanoparticle size and dispersity. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Advice Industrial expertise Steering direction of research |
| Impact | JM has strongly supported our latest proposal for the renewal of the NanoCDT in Cambridge |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Justin Hargreaves |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Department | Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The understanding of new catalytic concepts developed during this project has been used to establish this new collaboration about N-activation systems where both groups are developing new sustainable catalysts for ammonia decomposition. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have expertise on nitrogen activation catalytic system, a complementary area to our own catalytic systems. |
| Impact | I have participated in a symposium organised by Dr Hargreaves at the University of Glasgow. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Karina Mathisen |
| Organisation | Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) |
| Department | Department of Chemistry |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provision of materials as well as characterisation and catalytic tests |
| Collaborator Contribution | Deep understanding of the relationship between metal components in catalysts via characterisation using XAS |
| Impact | Multi-disciplinary collaboration |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Karina Mathisen (NTNU, Norway) |
| Organisation | Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Exchange of materials to test their activity in the ammonia decomposition reaction |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to new materials Access to advanced synchrotron based characterisation techniques to understand the mechanism of reaction |
| Impact | Materials science, chemistry and engineering |
| Start Year | 2017 |