Hydrogen, storage and production: evolution and H2 technologies

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Obamot
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Hydrogen, storage and production: evolution and H2 technologies




by Obamot » 03/06/11, 16:14

Finally the 'hydrogen revolution' we expected !? Summary:

Storing hydrogen by using Co2 to make formic acid, in order to more easily produce and store energy in the form of “chemically encapsulated hydrogen”, this is the feat achieved by EPFL researchers. This is the discovery of the Grail, since the return of hydrogen no longer presents a danger ... No, we are not on April 1: we will not see the 100% water engine, but the formic acid engine (HCOOH or CH2O2) yes, most certainly.

The end of the greenhouse and nuclear nightmare
This discovery thus makes it possible to convert thermal energy / electricity into a “fuel”, then by the reverse process to recover electricity or heat. With the decisive advantage, that it is not dangerous to store like hydrogen was in pressurized cylinders. In addition, formic acid has a "Flash point" has a much higher temperature than gasoline.

Image

Electricity from a wind turbine or PV panels can therefore be stored in the form of formic acid (by capturing the passage of Co2, which we are trying to get rid of ...) probably in the form of a battery , or even available in jerrycan (two packaging evoked by EPFL).

So, when there is no sun or no wind, we can use formic acid by releasing the hydrogen it contains as an energy source! Different scenarios are then possible to store transport produce heat and / or electricity.

Wind, offshore solar plants / deserts, etc.: a new rational use of solar
The system presented can be used both in a car and for an individual installation, in a house, etc.

Image

Almost unnoticed a few months before Fukushima, here is a discovery which must have weighed heavily in the decision of the respective Swiss and German governments to leave nuclear power! And that is bound to change the world:

Storage of hydrogen via formic acid

Ideal solution to accumulate energy from renewable sources such as solar or wind, and also power the car of tomorrow.

Announced yield> 60%

Video:

Or:


Full text of EPFL, Alain Herzog © 01.12.10 wrote:Formic acid in the engine
Catalysis producing hydrogen from formic acid

Do ants hold the key to the fuel of the future? Formic acid allows more efficient and secure storage of hydrogen. An ideal way to accumulate energy from renewable sources or propel the car of the XNUMXst century.

Image

Hydrogen is often referred to as the future alternative to fossil fuels. Ecological and efficient, it nevertheless has many drawbacks. Extremely flammable, it must be stored in bulky pressurized bottles. So many obstacles to its use, that EPFL scientists and their colleagues from Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse have removed: once transformed into formic acid, hydrogen can be stored easily and safely. An ideal solution to accumulate energy from renewable sources such as solar or wind, or power the car of tomorrow.

Hydrogen is easily produced from electrical energy. Thanks to a catalyst and CO2 present in the atmosphere, scientists have transformed it into formic acid. Rather than a heavy cast iron bottle filled with hydrogen under pressure, they thus obtain a substance with very low flammability and liquid at room temperature.

In November 2010, second step. The EPFL laboratories have managed to provoke the opposite phenomenon: through catalysis, formic acid returns to the state of CO2 and hydrogen, which can then be transformed into electrical energy. A functional, space-saving prototype with a power of 2 kilowatts is already developed. Two companies have purchased a license to develop this technology: Granit (Switzerland) and Tekion (Canada).

Store renewable energy

"Imagine for example that you have solar cells on your roof," explains Gabor Laurenczy, professor at the Laboratory of Organometallic and Medicinal Chemistry and head of Catalysis Group for Energy and the Environment. In bad weather or overnight, your formic acid battery gives you back the overflow of energy accumulated when the sun was shining. ”In such a configuration, the process makes it possible to restore more than 60% of the electrical energy of departure.

This solution is extremely safe. Formic acid continuously releases very small amounts of hydrogen, "just what you need right now for your electricity consumption," notes the researcher.

Another advantage compared to conventional storage, the process makes it possible to store almost twice the energy at equal volume. Indeed, a liter of formic acid contains more than 53 grams of hydrogen, against barely 28 grams for the same volume of pure hydrogen pressurized at 350 bars.
researchers worked on an iron-based catalysis process - a readily available and inexpensive metal, in comparison with "noble" metals such as platinum or ruthenium. As in all catalysts, no material is degraded during the process.

Formic acid at the pump

It is undoubtedly in the automotive field that the invention presents the most interesting potentials. Currently, the prototypes produced by certain major brands store hydrogen in conventional form, with the problems that we know: danger of explosion, large volume occupied by the pressurized tank, difficulties to refuel quickly ...

2008st century vehicles could run on formic acid. This solution makes hydrogen storage not only safer, but also more compact and easier to fill at the pump - formic acid is liquid at room temperature. “Technically, it is entirely doable. Moreover, major manufacturers contacted us in XNUMX, when the barrel of oil reached peaks, says Gabor Laurenczy. In my opinion, the only obstacle is economic. ”It will take a few more years before perhaps being able to refuel at the first anthill crossed on the way.


Source: http://actu.epfl.ch/news/formic-acid-in-the-engine/

[EDIT: m-à-j] A first approach had been made, notably by the Germans, with Professor Dr. Arno Behr of the faculty of chemical and biological engineering in Dortmund, who was already talking about the capture of Co2, in a process involving formic acid:
https://www.econologie.com/des-scientif ... -1243.html
Last edited by Obamot the 04 / 06 / 11, 00: 31, 3 edited once.
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by cortejuan » 03/06/11, 20:34

Hi,

this is an alternative to high pressure storage that scares everyone. A team from my lab created a company a few years ago to manufacture tanks for storing hydrogen, it does not seem to be won especially by users.

In any case, this is a superb idea. EPFL will end up being better than ETHZ ': cheesy:'


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by netshaman » 04/06/11, 11:51

Ah this is a very new bone!
And is it possible to make it using a heliostat without going through PV?
Because 60% of 15%, it is not very much ultimately in return!
Better 60% than 50%!

And then in this way we could do it with us!
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by netshaman » 04/06/11, 15:19

It seems to me that this discovery was made in 2006.
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by dedeleco » 04/06/11, 15:47

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Re: STORED ELECTRICITY: hydrogen and HCOOH = the REVOLUTION




by highfly-addict » 04/06/11, 17:18

Obamot wrote: researchers worked on an iron-based catalysis process - a readily available and inexpensive metal, in comparison with "noble" metals such as platinum or ruthenium.


this is new ....
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by Obamot » 04/06/11, 18:41

Here is the formula of formic acid:

Image Image

Well then, Dedelco and Netshaman, indeed in 2006 ... But at the time this project was useless ... (Or not much).

... so you skipped this passage:

EPFL, Alain Herzog © 01.12.10 wrote:In November 2010, second step. EPFL laboratories have managed to provoke the reverse process : through catalysis, formic acid returns to the state of CO2 and hydrogen, which can then be transformed into electrical energy


I then complete with the Wikipedia text which specifies that in 2006 they used the rare metal that is ruthenium => whereas - as noted by highflyaddict - since 2010 the new process works simply with iron=> and that changes everything :


Wikipedia wrote:Hydrogen storage
Research from the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis in Rostock has shown that it can be used for the storage of dihydrogen to supply fuel to a fuel cell (P_A_C).

In 2006,, a research team from EPFL (Switzerland) presented the use of formic acid as a hydrogen storage solution. A homogeneous catalytic system, based on an aqueous solution of ruthenium catalysts decomposes formic acid (HCOOH) into dihydrogen H2 and carbon dioxide (CO2). Dihydrogen can thus be produced over a wide pressure range (1 - 600 bar) and the reaction does not generate carbon monoxide. This catalytic system solves the problems of existing catalysts for the decomposition of formic acid (low stability, limited lifetime of the catalysts, formation of carbon monoxide) and makes this method of hydrogen storage viable.

[Since November 2010 (!?)] The co-product of this decomposition, carbon dioxide, can be used in a second step to generate formic acid again by hydrogenation. The catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 has been studied at length and efficient methods have been developed. Formic acid contains 53 g · l-1 of hydrogen at room temperature and pressure, which is twice the capacity of compressed hydrogen at 350 bars. Pure, formic acid is a flammable liquid with a flash point of + 69 ° C, which is higher than gasoline (-40 ° C) or ethanol (+ 13 ° C). Diluted from 85%, it is no longer flammable. Diluted formic acid is even listed on the food additives list of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


Netshaman: there is no contraindication to using a heliostat (why would you want there to be one as soon as you have electric current coming out of it?)

[Edit: after discussion with our chemist, who will give me other considerations later]
In principle, your reasoning for recovering only the 60% (of the approximately 18% of a PV panel) seems correct to me, with no further information from EPFL.

But if we take a solar thermal power station, that changes everything since we can reach temperatures high enough to turn turbines (theoretical temperature of> 2 ° C until metal melts ...) So there , who can tell me where are these 000%? => whatever happens, there will always remain more than 100% of the optimum that can be obtained from it => that is to say really much more than what is currently known with any energy sector ( ... except gas which is a finished product?). In comparison, the result from a heliostat will be indeed modest ...

Since basically there is no limit to the exploitation of the thermal solar deposit, this factor must therefore also be taken into account!

Although we have no choice (it seems indeed the best economic alternative known to date) at most, we could imagine making a comparison of the yield compared to the time necessary to reach a PET (Tonne of equivalent oil), and see what would be left after? And simply, how much the whole pross would cost until sold at the pump.

But then for a fair comparison, it should be done with all other energy sources - fossil or not.
Last edited by Obamot the 04 / 06 / 11, 19: 56, 1 edited once.
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by sen-no-sen » 04/06/11, 19:09

Very interesting !
thank you for the information Obamot.

If I understood correctly, it is a question of transforming electricity into hydrogen and combining it with Co2 to make formic acid?
I've just?
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by Obamot » 04/06/11, 19:45

+ the iron-based catalyst (FE FE2 ... I don't know which one) this is correct.
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by sen-no-sen » 04/06/11, 19:50

Obamot wrote:+ the iron-based catalyst (FE FE2 ... I don't know which one) this is correct.


Super!
This will revive the solution of hydrogen as fuel of the future and allow a major change in the field of energy storage.
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