Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have demonstrated a laboratory-scale hydrogen reforming system based on the internal combustion engine. The system produces hydrogen from natural gas (methane) at relatively low temperature in a process that can be scaled up or down to meet specific needs.

Georgia Tech professor Andrei Fedorov (l) and research assistant Yuzhe PengGeorgia Tech professor Andrei Fedorov (l) and research assistant Yuzhe PengThe process also internally adsorbs carbon dioxide, a byproduct of the methane reforming process, so it can be concentrated and expelled from the reactor for capture, storage or utilization.

Providing hydrogen at the point of use eliminates the issue of hydrogen transport. The research team foresees using this method for residential fuel cells or neighborhood power plants, electricity and power production in natural-gas powered vehicles, among other possibilities

The CO2/H2 Active Membrane Piston (CHAMP) reactor operates at temperatures much lower than conventional steam reforming processes, consuming substantially less water. It could also use fuels such as methanol or bio-derived feedstock. The technology could produce hydrogen wherever natural gas is available, which would resolve the challenge of hydrogen distribution.

Unlike conventional engines that run at thousands of revolutions per minute, the reactor operates at only a few cycles per minute depending on the reactor scale and required rate of hydrogen production. The volume and piston speed in the CHAMP reactor can be adjusted to meet hydrogen demands; in practical use, multiple reactors could operate together to produce a continuous stream of hydrogen.

Key to the reaction process is the variable volume provided by a piston rising and falling in a cylinder. As with a conventional engine, a valve controls the flow of gases into and out of the reactor as the piston moves up and down.

The next steps are building a pilot-scale reactor and working out the economics for commercialization.

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