Abstract
Nowadays, we face a series of global challenges, including the growing depletion of fossil energy, environmental pollution, and global warming. The replacement of coal, petroleum, and natural gas by secondary energy resources is vital for sustainable development. Hydrogen (H2) energy is considered the ultimate energy in the 21st century because of its diverse sources, cleanliness, low carbon emission, flexibility, and high efficiency. H2 fuel cell vehicles are commonly the end-point application of H2 energy. Owing to their zero carbon emission, they are gradually replacing traditional vehicles powered by fossil fuel. As the H2 fuel cell vehicle industry rapidly develops, H2 fuel supply, especially H2 quality, attracts increasing attention. Compared with H2 for industrial use, the H2 purity requirements for fuel cells are not high. Still, the impurity content is strictly controlled since even a low amount of some impurities may irreversibly damage fuel cells’ performance and running life. This paper reviews different versions of current standards concerning H2 for fuel cell vehicles in China and abroad. Furthermore, we analyze the causes and developing trends for the changes in these standards in detail. On the other hand, according to characteristics of H2 for fuel cell vehicles, standard H2 purification technologies, such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA), membrane separation and metal hydride separation, were analyzed, and the latest research progress was reviewed.
Highlights
Energy resource depletion and global warming are severe challenges of our modern society
To further improve the separation efficiency, it is necessary to continuously conduct studies on the novel and highly selective adsorption materials, long-lasting and low-cost membrane materials, anti-poisoning metal hydride materials with a low regeneration energy consumption, as well as new separation and coupling processes based on the materials mentioned above
carbon monoxide (CO) closely binds to the active site of Pt catalysts, decreasing the effective electrochemical surface area used for H2 adsorption and oxidation [15]
Summary
Energy resource depletion and global warming are severe challenges of our modern society. The authorities in many countries have strongly supported the production of fuel cell vehicles, and this initiative will inevitably become the future developmental direction in the automotive industry. Concerning the promotion of H2 fuel cell vehicles, Japanese and South Korean companies were pioneers in large-scale mass production, successfully launching various mass-produced vehicles, such as Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity, and Hyundai Nexo [3]. Automotive Industry Corporation of China launched the fourth fuel cell vehicle using a Roewe 950 vehicle with a 400 km driving range without refueling, demonstrating its capacity for small-scale production [4]. H2 production technologies, such as coal gasification, natural gas steam reforming, methanol reforming, and water electrolysis, are very well established in China [7]. Efficient H2 purification technologies that enable the removal of impurities from H2 and provide high-qualify H2 for fuel cell vehicles are of the utmost importance for developing the H2 fuel cell vehicle industry
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