Hydrogen generation sees ongoing advances
In an age where energy is costly and sustainability is an imperative, new solutions in this direction are always welcome. The EU-funded project 'New methods for superior integrated hydrogen generation system' (Nemesis) worked on developing a compact hydrogen generator that works on liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon stock. The project team worked on three separate components to realise the project, namely fuel preparation, hydrogen generation and hydrogen conditioning. It succeeded in developing a prototype that produces 10 kg of hydrogen per day, one that could be integrated into fuelling stations and can fuel up to 100 vehicles in 24 hours. After rigorous testing and examination of different operating parameters, further developments and fine tuning of all three modules were achieved. These included heat management, system efficiency and design issues. The team then tested the prototype unit on natural gas and low sulphur diesel. It evaluated system performance against technical targets established from the onset of the project. The successful prototype yielded 5 Nm3/h of hydrogen. A membrane separation unit for hydrogen purification was also successfully developed. Lastly, Nemesis conducted economic assessments, identifying appropriate alternatives for hydrogen and off-gas storage without radically changing infrastructure in existing petrol stations. It estimated expected revenue from a commercial system of the new technology and recommended the appropriate funding scheme. The assessments showed that financing was necessary to implement the technology at existing petrol stations, demonstrating the promise of the system if proper funding schemes are in place. If governments embark on such an initiative with EU support, Europe's roads and cities have the potential to become much cleaner.
