Materials Research

EPA Grant Number: X83254101-1

Center: CEER at Alfred University

Investigators: Shelby, James E.

Institution: Alfred University

Project Period: September 1, 2006 – February 28, 2008

Research Category: Congressionally Mandated Center

 

Description: 

Conversion to hydrogen powered fuel cells from the internal combustion engine will result in major improvements in air quality by reducing the enormous amount of smog produced by combustion of petroleum products (environmental impact). This change will require major increases in the production of hydrogen, separation of hydrogen from other gases, and purification of this hydrogen to meet the stringent demands of fuel cells (clean energy). This proposal addresses the recovery and purification of hydrogen from other gases, e.g. produced by wind power or from biomass (renewable energy), via absorption into hollow glass microspheres (HGMS). Since the HGMS will be made from recycled bottle glass, results of this project also provide a new product produced from recycled waste glass, which is currently buried in land fills (recycling).

 

Objectives/Hypotheses: 

This project will demonstrate that very high purity hydrogen can be efficiently recovered from mixtures with methane and other gases by absorption into HGMS held in a diffusion tube and that this gas can be released from the HGMS on demand. Parameters required for efficient separation, the quality of the gas produced, and the stability of the HGMS will be determined.

 

Approach: 

Gas mixtures will be passed through tubing filled with HGMS at varying temperatures, pressures, flow rates, etc. Gases trapped in the HGMS and in the gas stream exiting the tube will be analyzed using residual gas analysis (existing apparatus) for composition and hydrogen purity. Kinetics of removal of hydrogen from the gas stream and release of the hydrogen from the HGMS on demand will be determined using a number of methods, with emphasis on pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) measurements using existing apparatus. 

 

Expected Results: 

The results of this study will provide proof of the concept that HGMS can be used in the recovery and separation of hydrogen from mixed gas streams produced by both renewable (wind, biomass) and non-renewable (coal gasification) sources. If this technique proves viable, it will increase the potential for conversion to a hydrogen-based economy and speed that process, with consequent enormous improvements in air quality, i.e. elimination of the pollution produced by the internal combustion engine in the automotive fleet. The scale of the economic impact of conversion to a hydrogen economy is measured in the trillions of dollars. On a smaller, more direct scale, the results of this work will allow continuation of the design of a remote wind farm in the Pacific Northwest which will be used to produce hydrogen and support for a firm in Ohio seeking to build a new manufacturing facility for producing products from recycled glass.

 

Supplemental Keywords:

hydrogen, hydrogen separation, hydrogen purification, hydrogen production, hollow glass microspheres