GE Develops Equipment That Reduces Capital Cost of Producing Hydrogen

GE researchers have built a prototype of an apparatus that they believe could lead to a commercial machine able to produce hydrogen via electrolysis for about $3 per kilogram -- a quantity roughly equivalent in energy content to a gallon of gasoline -- down from today's $8 per kilogram. That could make it economically practical for future fuel-cell vehicles that run on hydrogen.

Hydrogen is made in an electrolyzer with a simple process, water is mixed with a potassium hydroxide electrolyte and flowed through a stack of electrodes. Electricity causes the water molecules to split into hydrogen and oxygen gases, which bubble out of the solution. Today commercial-scale quantities of hydrogen are extracted far more cheaply from natural gas. In a hydrogen economy, natural gas will become very expensive and other uses of natural gas than for vehicle transportation will be given a higher priority.

According to GE improving the efficiency is not the core problem, rather it is reducing the capital cost of the equipment used to produce the hydrogen.  Electrolyzers are currently made of expensive materials and require costly assembly labor.   

The cost of the electrolyzer is reduced by two improvements 1) By making the electrolyzers out of Noryl, that is extremely resistant to the highly alkaline potassium hydroxide and is easy to form and join, manufacturing an electrolyzer could be relatively cheap 2) The reactivity of the electrode's surfaces is improved by spray-coating the electrodes with a proprietary nickel-based catalyst with a high surface area, thus requiring less electode material. 

According to Richard Bourgeois, an electrolysis project leader at GE Global Research, "This  takes enough capital cost out of the whole electrolyzer system, so when you buy this and amortize it over so many years, you compete with gasoline."

GE has demonstrated the equipment in a prototype, and is building a larger production model, that can produce one kilogram an hour, for testing in its labs later this year. The technology also has the potential to be massively scaled up to create a hydrogen gas station. The electrolyzer could be ready for production in a few years.

Since it takes about 5 kg. of hydrogen to fill a fuel cell vehicle with about a 300 mile range, I don't quite see the intended market for the small unit.  Once scenario might be to use it for fueling a few cars in a home, neighborhood or very small business environment.  I have seen reports that it takes 44.5 kwhr to produce 1 kg of hydrogen, at $0.10/kwhr that is comparable to to gasoline prices now. It might be possible to produce hydrogen at night, take advantage of off peak pricing, and store it for use when required. Of course the hydrogen would have to be compressed to whatever pressure is required in the cars fuel storage system and the cost of the equipment would have to be affordable. If all the pieces fall into place it might be a workable deal.

Resource: Cheap Hydrogen Fuel, Technology Review, March 9, 2006

Technorati tags: hydrogen, energy, technology

The Energy Blog: GE Develops Equipment That Reduces Capital Cost of Producing Hydrogen

Comments

[Cervus]

Speaking of storage.

[JesseJenkins]

"I have seen reports that it takes 44.5 kwhr to produce 1 kg of hydrogen, at $0.10/kwhr that is comparable to to gasoline prices now."

I'd like to add something, for those who may be confused by this statement: 44.5 kWh/kg H2 at $0.10/kWh amounts to $4.45 per kg of H2. Given that 1 kg of H2 is roughly the energy equivalent of 1 gallon of gasoline (as the article mentions), that would still be quite a bit more spendy than current gas prices, even at $2.50-$3.00/gallon. However, an H2 fuel cell vehicle is roughly twice as efficient as the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine vehicle we all drive today. That means that you're paying only $2.23 to drive the same distance as you would on a gallon of gasoline, amounting to roughly the same costs, on a per-mile basis at our current gas prices.

However, Jim, you only include the cost of the electricity here, not the amortized capital cost of the electrolysis system, which as the article indicates, is a considerable portion of the cost of a kg of H2. Even at the reduced price potentially offered by GE's new electrolysis system, that would add on another good chunk of change to the price of a kg of H2, likely making it more expensive than gasoline.

Still, there's no telling where gasoline prices will be in a few years, but I'm willing to bet you that they won't be lower than they are now...

[Tyler Hamilton]

Was talking with an energy analyst today about this, and he said the cost of pressurizing the hydrogen is the bigger problem, and that affordably making the hydrogen is only half the feat. Companies such as Hydrogenics (Stuart Energy) have already gone far in reducing cost of production, but compression for storage purposes proves much trickier.

[JOHN DOE]

http://www.savefuel.ca/oxy-hydrogen/index.php?gclid=CPnrx9fBy4gCFQt7WAodUhkIMA

WHAT ABOUT THIS KIT FOR INSTALLATION IN GRAND PRIX
3.1 ENGINE?
WILL IT WORK?

[heavy equipment parts]

The technology also has the potential to be massively scaled up to create a hydrogen gas station.

Luigi Hanway

[Drilling additives]

This post is one of the great post that i have seen...

[photobioreactors]

Phycotech’s mission is to provide its customers with leading edge photo bioreactor technology.

By providing cost effective technology for the production of high quality algal biomass we hope to contribute the continued growth of an algal industry that will play a key role in a more sustainable world.

[Core Drilling Machine]

It is a good progress because the cost of pressurizing the hydrogen is the bigger problem that we were facing..