This reactor produces high-purity hydrogen with inputs of readily available coal gases and water using a magnetically stabilized iron/silica porous structure, increasing efficiency and lowering production costs. Hydrogen is an energy-dense, clean fuel that releases only water upon combustion. The most common fuel for fuel cells, high-purity hydrogen is an essential element for making green liquid fuels (such as methanol) for combustion engines. Production of low-cost, high-purity hydrogen can help prevent energy crises and limit the spread of environmental pollutants. Although it is the most abundant chemical element in the universe, hydrogen is not available for immediate use as an energy source. It is possible, however, to liberate hydrogen gas from water and then immediately trap it from reactive metals at high temperatures via a chemical looping process that uses coal gases to enable the process to progress in a cyclic manner. Coal gasification converts raw coal into methane and syngas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide also called coal gas). Chemical looping then produces high-purity hydrogen using steam in the oxidation step, and syngas in the reduction step. Highly concentrated carbon dioxide suitable for sequestration is produced during the reduction step, and the recovered reactive material is ready for the oxidation reaction in the next cycle. Researchers at the University of Florida have improved on the stability, reactivity, and efficiency of hydrogen production via the looping process by developing magnetically stabilized reactor beds that split water and are regenerated using coal derived syngas.
A device that inexpensively isolates clean hydrogen gas for energy from abundant water resources using coal-based syngas as an input
University of Florida researchers have developed a unique, high-porosity, magnetically stabilized iron/silica structure that can be used to produce high-purity hydrogen at high temperatures with significant throughput using an established iron-based chemical looping process. By applying an external magnetic field to stabilize fluidized iron/silica particles, the researchers can create natural spaces between the iron particles in order to exploit sintering. These spaces expand the surface area with which the gas can maintain contact during the necessary chemical reactions at high temperatures. These high porosity, very well controlled sintered structures are prepared in such a way that they maintain their shape during the hydrogen production looping processes at high temperatures. The system, which boasts improved hydrogen output, is compatible with standard methods for carbon capture and storage. This same reactor technology can also be used with carbon-neutral solar-based hydrogen production.
