HyPER project using sorbent-enhanced steam reforming for low-carbon production of H2 from natural gas

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

Some newer experimentation for steam reforming for manufacturing hydrogen from natural gas.  Some of you may be surprised to know that one of the projects I worked on last year was the mechanical design of a natural gas steam reforming standalone unit for producing hydrogen from natural gas.  No, I can't talk about it, as it is proprietary.

HyPER project using sorbent-enhanced steam reforming for low-carbon production of H2 from natural gas

An international collaboration led by Cranfield University will examine the potential for the low-carbon production of hydrogen from natural gas. The HyPER project (Bulk Hydrogen Production by Sorbent Enhanced Steam Reforming) will construct a 1.5 MWth pilot plant at Cranfield University to test the innovative hydrogen production technology that substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

With £7.5 million funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Energy Innovation Program (earlier post), the project also involves US-based research and development organization GTI and Doosan Babcock, a specialist in delivery of low-carbon technologies. The project centers on a novel hydrogen production technology invented by GTI.

Following on from a successful first phase, the pilot plant will be constructed at Cranfield University in 2020 and become operational in 2021.

GTI’s innovative hydrogen production technology inherently captures CO2 during the hydrogen production process and shifts the chemical reactions to favor the production of more hydrogen. The outputs are high-purity streams of hydrogen and carbon dioxide which can be then stored, sold or transported to where it is needed.

The process for the direct production of hydrogen from natural gas that will be used in the project is compact yet scalable to very large plants. It has the potential to produce high-purity hydrogen at an up to 30% lower cost than conventional steam methane reforming methods that require CO2 capture as an additional expensive process step.

Conventional technology is also limited in the portion of CO2 emissions that can actually be avoided with reasonable economics. A key benefit of the new process is that it could be more economical and efficient than other technologies as the product streams are pressurized.  ...

 

PDF: 

Phase_1_-_Cranfield_-_HyPER.pdf

 

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

"Synthesis gas" (CO + H2) from methane is pretty developed technology - this isn't too exciting.

Now, if you can cheaply separate your H2 and CO2 (and sequester* the CO2) you could gain profitability from carbon taxation.

As mentioned by others here you could just dump the H2 back into the natgas network (to a point).  Then you just market "clean energy" and collect profit from carbon taxes or rich people who want to feel better.

CO2 sequestration can also increase oil yield from older wells - might even be able to make some cash from that.

I can't see this being more profitable than just using/burning nat gas without some other market driver.

[KeyboardWarrior + 527]

On 2/19/2020 at 2:50 PM, Enthalpic said:

can't see this being more profitable than just using/burning nat gas without some other market driver.

I very much disagree. The fertilizer industry will be very interested in this. If the process can be scaled up well, the Haber process just got a 70% resultant efficiency. 

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by KeyboardWarrior

[KeyboardWarrior + 527]

Also, I love how the advantage is supposed to be "lower carbon emissions". Yea, go to hell. The advantage is profitability via less gas for more hydrogen. I swear, chemists have no sense of reality unless they're chemical engineers, and even they stretch my patience. I'm going to be one! 

Also, not raging against you Enthalpic. You're special. I'm talking about the way that its inventors are proclaiming it. 

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by KeyboardWarrior