Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HySelect (Efficient water splitting via a flexible solar-powered Hybrid thermochemical-Sulphur dioxide depolarized Electrolysis Cycle)
Période du rapport: 2023-01-01 au 2024-06-30
HySelect will demonstrate the production of Hydrogen (H2) by splitting water via concentrated solar technologies (CST) with an attractive efficiency and cost, through the Hybrid Sulphur cycle (HyS). HySelect will introduce, develop and operate under real conditions a complete H2 production chain focusing on two innovative, full scale plant prototype core devices for both steps of the HyS cycle: a Sulphuric Acid Decomposition-Sulphur Trioxide Splitting (SAD-STS) reactor and a Sulphur Dioxide depolarized Electrolyzer (SDE). In the course of the work, non-critical materials and catalysts will be developed, qualified and integrated into the plant scale prototype units for both the acid splitting reactor and the SDE unit. Experimental work will be accompanied by component modelling and overall process simulation and culminate with a demonstration of the complete process integrating its key units of a solar particle receiver, a hot particles storage system, a splitting reactor and an electrolyzer into a pilot plant. Testing for a period of at least 6 months in a large-scale solar tower, driven with smart operation and control strategies, will establish the HySelect targeted efficiency and costs. Finally, an overall process evaluation will be carried out in order to assess the technical and economic prospects of the HySelect technology, directly linked to the know-how and developments of the sulphuric acid and water electrolyzers industries.
The ambition of HySelect is to close the technical gaps and provide the missing links in the overall, complete HyS cycle technology concept, for a realistic overall evaluation of the technology and its scale-up. The innovations to be implemented will lead to highly efficient, long-term and cost-competitive CST-driven thermochemical hydrogen production.
The ambition of HySelect is to close the technical gaps and provide the missing links in the overall, complete HyS cycle technology concept, for a realistic overall evaluation of the technology and its scale-up. The innovations to be implemented will lead to highly efficient, long-term and cost-competitive CST-driven thermochemical hydrogen production.
Activities that took place beyond the project management (Project Management Plan and Quality Management Plan) include the setup of the project website, setup of internal team-site as repository and collaboration tool, drafting of Data Management Plan and Dissemination and Exploitation Plan.
On the technical side, the first flow chart of the demo plant was drafted including simulations for mass and energy balances of the key blocks. This is reflected in the submission of Deliverable 2.1 Subsystems requirements for solar platform testing. This flow chart and the relevant calculations serve as the basis for creating the key blocks for implementation of the pilot demonstration plant. The HySelect demonstration plant has been split up into several key blocks i.e. sections or Plant units, each of the investigated in the relevant Work Packages. The results of the work on each technology block, form the basis for dimensioning, capacity and cost estimation for the demo plant. The current state of work is that while significant challenges appear, especially dealing with the projected cost for a full demonstration plant, there exist possible solutions to achieve the targets as laid out in the call for the demonstration of the Hybrid Sulphur cycle with an attractive overall hydrogen production and efficiency.
On the technical side, the first flow chart of the demo plant was drafted including simulations for mass and energy balances of the key blocks. This is reflected in the submission of Deliverable 2.1 Subsystems requirements for solar platform testing. This flow chart and the relevant calculations serve as the basis for creating the key blocks for implementation of the pilot demonstration plant. The HySelect demonstration plant has been split up into several key blocks i.e. sections or Plant units, each of the investigated in the relevant Work Packages. The results of the work on each technology block, form the basis for dimensioning, capacity and cost estimation for the demo plant. The current state of work is that while significant challenges appear, especially dealing with the projected cost for a full demonstration plant, there exist possible solutions to achieve the targets as laid out in the call for the demonstration of the Hybrid Sulphur cycle with an attractive overall hydrogen production and efficiency.
Key results until the end include:
Oxide catalytic materials composition recipes that will ensure significant SO3 splitting conversion at temperatures reachable with current solar receivers. -> Shortlisting available within RP1, see D3.1
SO3 splitting catalytic compositions & porous structures with high oxide content and supply of pilot-scale test batches to chemical companies interested in sulphuric-acid related catalysis
Know-how in other-than-SO3 -splitting catalytic reactions with related industries
Cascaded sulphuric acid decomposition/SO3 splitting reactor
Allothermally-heated shell-and-tube reactor/heat exchanger -> Work in progress
Sulphur dioxide Depolarized Electrolyzer -> Possible manufacturer identified, NDA signed within RP1
SDE bipolar plates with minimal amount/no PGM and anticorrosion properties -> Coating techniques investigation in progress
New membrane materials for long term operation without SO2 crossover
Centrifugal particle receiver and high-temperature particles storage system -> Installed in Solar tower Juelich, cold commissioning in progress within RP1
Eventual Hydrogen production cost < 5 €/kg for a scaled plant in multi-MW size.
Impacts
New breakthrough approach for transferring heat from a solar receiver to endothermic catalytic reactions.
New catalytic ways to perform SO3 splitting via higher- and lower-temperature catalysts in cascade configurations of appropriately engineered and shaped porous structured catalytic oxide bodies.
New Sulphur Dioxide Depolarized electrolyzers with minimal or no quantities of PGMs
New niche market for electrolyser manufacturers.
New synergies for sulphuric acid industry.
Diversification of RE-hydrogen production routes
Reduction in use of critical-PGM materials
Addition of extra renewable hydrogen in the future energy mix.
Oxide catalytic materials composition recipes that will ensure significant SO3 splitting conversion at temperatures reachable with current solar receivers. -> Shortlisting available within RP1, see D3.1
SO3 splitting catalytic compositions & porous structures with high oxide content and supply of pilot-scale test batches to chemical companies interested in sulphuric-acid related catalysis
Know-how in other-than-SO3 -splitting catalytic reactions with related industries
Cascaded sulphuric acid decomposition/SO3 splitting reactor
Allothermally-heated shell-and-tube reactor/heat exchanger -> Work in progress
Sulphur dioxide Depolarized Electrolyzer -> Possible manufacturer identified, NDA signed within RP1
SDE bipolar plates with minimal amount/no PGM and anticorrosion properties -> Coating techniques investigation in progress
New membrane materials for long term operation without SO2 crossover
Centrifugal particle receiver and high-temperature particles storage system -> Installed in Solar tower Juelich, cold commissioning in progress within RP1
Eventual Hydrogen production cost < 5 €/kg for a scaled plant in multi-MW size.
Impacts
New breakthrough approach for transferring heat from a solar receiver to endothermic catalytic reactions.
New catalytic ways to perform SO3 splitting via higher- and lower-temperature catalysts in cascade configurations of appropriately engineered and shaped porous structured catalytic oxide bodies.
New Sulphur Dioxide Depolarized electrolyzers with minimal or no quantities of PGMs
New niche market for electrolyser manufacturers.
New synergies for sulphuric acid industry.
Diversification of RE-hydrogen production routes
Reduction in use of critical-PGM materials
Addition of extra renewable hydrogen in the future energy mix.