Abstract
This paper reports on an experimental evaluation of the hydrogen separation performance in a proton exchange membrane system with Pt-Co/C as the anode electrocatalyst. The recovery of hydrogen from H2/CO2, H2/CH4, and H2/NH3 gas mixtures were determined in the temperature range of 100–160 °C. The effects of both the impurity concentration and cell temperature on the separation performance of the cell and membrane were further examined. The electrochemical properties and performance of the cell were determined by means of polarization curves, limiting current density, open-circuit voltage, hydrogen permeability, hydrogen selectivity, hydrogen purity, and cell efficiencies (current, voltage, and power efficiencies) as performance parameters. High purity hydrogen (>99.9%) was obtained from a low purity feed (20% H2) after hydrogen was separated from H2/CH4 mixtures. Hydrogen purities of 98–99.5% and 96–99.5% were achieved for 10% and 50% CO2 in the feed, respectively. Moreover, the use of proton exchange membranes for electrochemical hydrogen separation was unsuccessful in separating hydrogen-rich streams containing NH3; the membrane underwent irreversible damage.
Highlights
Hydrogen shows great potential regarding future energy prospects, especially in the potential low-carbon energy system known as ‘the hydrogen economy’
Similar to the results reported here, Vassiliev et al [68] reports on the possible chemical incompatibility between the other organic fuels and the electrolyte in HT
Results of studies carried out with Nafion membranes to determine the effect of ammonia on the performance of LT-fuel cells (FCs) have revealed that substantial deactivation effects were observed in the presence of ammonia in the feed gas, the cell performance was recoverable, with time, when neat hydrogen is introduced to the anode side [67]
Summary
Hydrogen shows great potential regarding future energy prospects, especially in the potential low-carbon energy system known as ‘the hydrogen economy’. Hydrogen could increase renewable energy usage, to a large extent, due to its ability to allow flexible storage of intermittent renewable energy [5]. For this reason, hydrogen is seen as a key solution to the global climate change [2], with the global ambition to maintain the increase in the average global temperature to 99.97%) is required [8]
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