Sep 28 2010
Successful testing of an experimental hydrogen plant at Tecnimont KT’s Chieti test site in Italy brings highly efficient hydrogen production a step closer. The novel hydrogen plant uses membrane technology to achieve substantial energy saving. Hydrogen separation membranes were provided by the Energy research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN). Several months of testing in an integrated plant have shown both the feasibility of the innovative concept and excellent performance of ECN’s Hysep membrane technology.
The hydrogen plant is based on Reformer and Membrane Modules configuration (RMM) and integrates membrane separation and reaction modules. The advantage is a lower operating temperature of the process. Instead of the 850-900 oC required in the traditional plant, the RMM process operates well below 650 oC. With its partners Tecnimont-KT have now demonstrated the process on a 20 Nm3/h hydrogen scale.
ECN delivered a 0.4 m2 membrane module to perform the tests. These membranes are a novel technology based on thin-film Pd layers on ceramic supports. During the experiments the two most important performance indicators where closely monitored: the flux (or hydrogen yield per m2 of membrane) and the purity of the product. Both were shown to be high. More importantly, they remained high during the whole experiment which included 500 hours of operation and more than 50 thermal cycles. While testing at this scale and under actual process conditions is in itself already a one-of-a-kind, the stable performance shown in these tests is unique.
The hydrogen separation membrane technology developed at ECN is based on low-cost starting materials and standard fabrication technologies. Good results have been achieved in the lab both using membranes for purification and integrating reaction and separation. Long-term stability testing and testing under process condition are necessary steps in bringing the technology to a commercial stage. Field tests, such as those carried out by Tecnimont-KTI and partners, are essential to demonstrate the membrane technology as a market-ready technology.