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Development of Highly Efficient Solid State Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor--FuelCell Energy, Inc., 3 Great Pasture Rd., Danbury, CT 06813‑; 203 825‑6057; www.fuelcellenergy.com
Dr. Ludwig Lipp, PhD, Principal Investigator, llipp@fce.com
Mr. Ross M. Levine, Business Official, rlevine@fce.com
DOE Grant No. DE‑FG02‑07ER84772
Amount: $749,979
With the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, hydrogen-based
energy is becoming increasingly important.
However, the production, purification, and compression of hydrogen
represent key technical challenges to the implementation of a hydrogen economy,
especially in the transportation sector where on-board storage of pure hydrogen
may require compression at pressures up to 12,000 psi. Existing compressors are inefficient and have
many moving parts, resulting in significant component wear and, therefore, excessive
maintenance. This project will develop an efficient, low-cost, solid-state
electrochemical hydrogen compressor (EHC) based on advanced Polymer Electrolyte
Membrane (PEM) technology. Phase I
demonstrated a baseline, low cost, solid-state hydrogen compressor cell capable
of compressing hydrogen from 50 psi to 2,000 psi, a 40-to-1 compression
ratio. Phase II will involve a scale-up
of the advanced cell architecture to 6,000 psi capability, development and
demonstration of critical sealing technology, and the evaluation of candidate
membranes that show low power consumption while minimizing parasitic gas
crossover. Ultimately, the 6,000 psi
design will be used to develop electrochemical cell architectures capable of
compressing hydrogen up to 12,000 psi.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee; The EHC should find use in the conversion of low-pressure hydrogen derived from on-site sources to high purity, high-pressure hydrogen for vehicular refueling. In addition, this technology should be scalable, leading to compressors that can move large volumes of hydrogen through pipelines to meet infrastructure demands. In this manner, bulk hydrogen can be effectively delivered to the point-of-use. The technology also should find use in industrial applications, such as in refineries and ammonia plants.