via Northwestern University
New technique seamlessly converts ammonia to green hydrogen
Northwestern University researchers have developed a highly effective, environmentally friendly method for converting ammonia into hydrogen. Outlined in a recent publication in the journal Joule, the new technique is a major step forward for enabling a zero-pollution, hydrogen-fueled economy.
The idea of using ammonia as a carrier for hydrogen delivery has gained traction in recent years because ammonia is much easier to liquify than hydrogen and is therefore much easier to store and transport. Northwestern’s technological breakthrough overcomes several existing barriers to the production of clean hydrogen from ammonia.
“The bane for hydrogen fuel cells has been the lack of delivery infrastructure,” said Sossina Haile, lead author of the study. “It’s difficult and expensive to transport hydrogen, but an extensive ammonia delivery system already exists. There are pipelines for it. We deliver lots of ammonia all over the world for fertilizer. If you give us ammonia, the electrochemical systems we developed can convert that ammonia to fuel-cell-ready, clean hydrogen on-site at any scale.”
Haile is Walter P. Murphy Professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering with additional appointments in applied physics and chemistry. She also is co-director at the University-wide Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern.
In the study, Haile and her research team report they are able to conduct the ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion using renewable electricity instead of fossil-fueled thermal energy because the process functions at much lower temperatures than traditional methods (250 degrees Celsius as opposed to 500 to 600 degrees Celsius). Second, the new technique generates pure hydrogen that does not need to be separated from any unreacted ammonia or other products. Third, the process is efficient because all of the electrical current supplied to the device directly produces hydrogen, without any loss to parasitic reactions. As an added advantage, because the hydrogen produced is pure, it can be directly pressurized for high-density storage by simply ramping up the electrical power.
To accomplish the conversion, the researchers built a unique electrochemical cell with a proton-conducting membrane and integrated it with an ammonia-splitting catalyst.
“The ammonia first encounters the catalyst that splits it into nitrogen and hydrogen,” Haile said. “That hydrogen gets immediately converted into protons, which are then electrically driven across the proton-conducting membrane in our electrochemical cell. By continually pulling off the hydrogen, we drive the reaction to go further than it would otherwise. This is known as Le Chatelier’s principle. By removing one of the products of the ammonia-splitting reaction — namely the hydrogen — we push the reaction forward, beyond what the ammonia-splitting catalyst can do alone.”
The hydrogen generated from the ammonia splitting then can be used in a fuel cell. Like batteries, fuel cells produce electric power by converting energy produced by chemical reactions. Unlike batteries, fuel cells can produce electricity as long as fuel is supplied, never losing their charge. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that, when consumed in a fuel cell, produces water as its only byproduct. This stands in contrast with fossil fuels, which produce climate-changing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
Haile predicts that the new technology could be especially transformative in the transportation sector. In 2018, the movement of people and goods by cars, trucks, trains, ships, airplanes and other vehicles accounted for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. — more than any other economic sector, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Battery-powered vehicles are great, but there’s certainly a question of range and material supply,” Haile said. “Converting ammonia to hydrogen on-site and in a distributed way would allow you to drive into a fueling station and get pressurized hydrogen for your car. There’s also a growing interest for hydrogen fuel cells for the aviation industry because batteries are so heavy.”
Haile and her team have made major advances in the area of fuel cells over the years. As a next step in their work, they are exploring new methods to produce ammonia in an environmentally friendly way.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Hydrogen fuel production
- World’s first hydrogen station for commercial trucks opens – is it too late?
FirstElement Fuels has opened the world's first large-scale hydrogen fueling station for heavy-duty commercial trucks at Port of Oakland.
- Really Cold Hydrogen Could Bring Driving Range Parity with Diesel
The time it takes to fuel a hydrogen-powered fuel cell truck is already on par with diesel. But there is still a yawning gap when it comes to comparable driving range.
- Nikola’s Hydrogen-Truck Fueling Strategy
Nikola’s Hyla Energy division is using modular hydrogen refueling stations to help bridge the chicken-and-egg gap between supply and demand for fuel-cell-electric trucks.
- California Welcomes First Big-Rig Hydrogen Fuel Station in U.S.
The country’s first commercial hydrogen fuel station for big-rig trucks is up and running at the Port of Oakland, a step toward what hydrogen proponents see as a clean new future for long-haul ...
- 3 Hydrogen Stocks That Could Be Multibaggers in the Making: April Edition
InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips There are some multibagger hydrogen stocks that investors should have on their ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Hydrogen fuel production
[google_news title=”” keyword=”hydrogen fuel production” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Converting ammonia into hydrogen
- In the rush to decarbonize, the shipping industry is exploring alternative fuels
The shipping industry is finally embracing greener fuels, but which one, or ones, will they land on? By Chris Baraniuk / Hakai Magazine | Published Apr 27, 2024 12:00 PM EDT This article was ...
- Can steelmaking be made climate friendly?
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded nearly $1.5 million to the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute to develop carbon-free methods of readying iron mined in the state ...
- 6 Best Green Hydrogen Stocks and ETFs to Watch
Green hydrogen is made with renewably generated electricity used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen using a tool called an electrolyzer. Fuel cells essentially perform the reverse operation to ...
- Greener marine operations will require leaner crews and smaller ships
In an exclusive interview with Max Hartvigsen and Oliver Hibbert of Ocean Infinity, we delve into the company's multi-faceted approach to revolutionising green shipping operations. Greener marine ...
- Hanwha Ocean invests into ammonia technology with Amogy
Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has partnered with sibling company Hanwha Aerospace to use technology from ammonia-to-power business Amogy in a fuel cell system to power ships with ammonia. The ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Converting ammonia into hydrogen
[google_news title=”” keyword=”converting ammonia into hydrogen” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]