Hydrogen heroes

Hydrogen heroes

Publication Date:06-July-2006
03:30 PM US Eastern Timezone
Source: The Engineer


UK-based Intelligent Energy (IE) has developed the first
hydrogen-generation system that converts liquid synthetic diesel into
hydrogen, which can then used to produce electricity and heat in a fuel
cell. It was developed with South African company Sasol that makes
synthetic diesel fuels using the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process. FT
processing converts gases from coal such as carbon monoxide and
hydrogen into liquid synthetic fuel, which is then refined.

The Hestia system reverses this process by converting the synthetic
diesel into its constituent parts producing hydrogen. IE claimed the
technology will mean hydrogen can be more easily transported and stored
as conventional fuel before it is converted. The hydrogen is then
purified to a level that can be used in fuel cells, using a micro
pressure-swing purification system. Each unit can produce the
electrical equivalent of 10kW of hydrogen when used with IE's combined
heat and power fuel cells.

The unit is designed to be used in refuelling stations for hydrogen
vehicles in the future. According to Hazen Burford, IE's head of US
operations, the system will solve many of the problems associated with
the hydrogen fuel economy.

'Hestia will make hydrogen more accessible,' said Burford. 'It is much
more effective to transport hydrogen as an FT liquid, than as a gas.
Although the energy content of hydrogen is high, it is a light gas so
is not that efficient. Many of the problems arise due to the difficulty
of compressing the hydrogen and storing it effectively - using FT
fuel gets round this problem.'

IE plans a number of demonstrations - it already uses the system to
power its Long Beach facilities in California - and the system is
likely to be launched in the US in the next few years. Burford said the
company was already working with gas companies in South Africa and
Norway and has also been in early talks with major UK gas companies to
see how the system could be used.


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