Hydrogen Handling Materials

1
Hydrogen Handling Materials

• Dr Ian Whyte
• Project Manager
• Ian.Whyte_at_itienergy.com

2
Objective and Strategy

• To develop a family of innovative low-cost
  materials that can store and release hydrogen
  under mild thermodynamic conditions (room to
  moderate temperature and pressure)
• Collaborate with international RD partners for
  further development of the technology
• Engage with industrial partners for identifying
  and developing one or two early stage
  application(s)

ITI-Energy is committed to funding up to 1.7
million ( 2.5 million) over June 2005 March
2007
3
Bon Accord Programme Overview
Sponsors

• ITI Energy
• Alterg SA (DS Huguenin, Primaveris)
• O. Bordelanne

Scientific Advisers
Management Team

• Pr Pethrick
• Pr Walsh

• Dr Ian Whyte
• Dr Len Berlouis
• Dr Mark D. Spicer
• Dr Olivier Bordelanne

Strathclyde University (RD Centre)
RD Contractors
(ENSM-SE, CNAM, Ni-Tech)
Potential Collaboration Partners
Major RD Organizations
Device Developers
Product Manufacturing

• Application tests
• Fundamentals

• H2 storage container
• Electrodes

• Fine chemicals/chemistry
• Catalysts

4
Management Research Team

• Dr Ian Whyte (Business Development Mgr. and
  Programme Mgr.)
• - PhD in Electrochemical Engineering, University
  of Southampton (1991).
• - 15 years experience in the electrochemical,
  materials and energy technology (Regenesys)
• Dr Olivier Bordelanne (Applications Development
  Mgr.)
• - PhD in Physical Chemistry of Materials,
  University of Bordeaux (France).
• - 6 years RD experience in the field of metal
  oxides
• Dr Len Berlouis (Laboratory Manager)
• - PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of
  Southampton.
• 24 years RD experience in the fields of
  electrochemistry, materials characterisation and
  hydrogen storage
• Dr Mark D Spicer (Fundamentals Manager)
• - PhD in Coordination Chemistry, University of
  Southampton
• 20 years experience in spectroscopy and
  structural techniques applied to complex chemical
  systems
• Dr Clotilde Jubin (Researcher Univ.
  Strathclyde)
• - PhD in inorganic chemistry and Catalysis,
  University Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris
• 5 years RD experience in the field of synthesis
  and charaterisation of metal oxides
• Dr Brian Mc Millan (Researcher Univ.
  Strathclyde)
• - in Electrochemistry, University of Strathclyde
• 4 years RD experience in the field of
  electrochemistry and optics
• Dr Pik Leung Tang and Jim Morrow (Researchers
  Univ. Strathclyde)

5
Bon Accord Programme Execution
Programme Management Business Development
RD Centre Strathclyde Univ.
Applications development Process Scale-up
Technology Dev. strategy
EXAF Daresbury
Electrochem.
Storage Spec.
Process scale-up
Product synthesis
New RD partnerships
Catalysis
Material Structure
Storage test device CNAM
Product charact.
Sensors
Storage Mechanism
H2 isotopes
Product performance Strathclyde Univ, ENSME
New family of products
6
H2 / Material Interactions
M
H
M
M
M
M
H2
M
H
H
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
H
M
M
H
H
M
M
M
Physisorption i.e. carbon Solid H2 ? SH2
Chemical bonds creation i.e. alloys Solid H2 ?
SH2
Hydrogenated species insertion Solid H2 ? SH2
Chemical bonding is not easily reversible and
materials costs are high
Gas physisorption requires high pressures or very
low temperatures
? Reversible storage near STP ? Potential high
energetic densities ? Low cost materials
7
Bon Accord materials family

• Core-Shell structure material with
• Core Metal oxide/hydroxide/oxyhydroxide with
  fluorite structure. Metal selected from among Ce,
  Pr, Th.
• Shell Catalyst comprising metal
  oxide/hydroxide/oxyhydroxide of Ni, Cu, Co...
• Scope for doping
• Effect of doping explored through numerous
  samples
• Large field requiring further investigation

8
Key characteristics of BA materials

• Established properties
• Intimate coupling bulk/catalyst.
• Materials not calcined.
• Specific surface area 150 m2/g.
• Not hydride-type material.
• Under investigation
• Exact nature of hydrogen species within the
  material.
• Impact of surface area on the storage capacity

9
Storage Performances
Desorption rate

• Values obtained from calibration of the TPD/MS
  emission peaks using Pd foil (Strathclyde).
• Results confirmed by a number of other
  institutions (Thermo Electron in Milan, ENSM-SE)

10
Performance of reference materials

• Reversible storage capacity evaluation
• LT peak reversible (up to 0.5 wt, lt 120C, 25
  cycles)
• Reversibility of HT peak (up to 2.5 wt, 200
  250 C) under investigation
• Activation conditions optimization
• map completed for 3 reference compositions
• Poisoning
• work in progress in ENSM-SE
• test for H2O, CO, CO2, H2S, CH4, NH3
• Product data sheet
• H2 storage - partly completed
• Battery electrode - spec defined
• Catalysis - under construction

11
Fundamentals

• Material Structure Fine Characterisation
• XAFS at Daresbury complete
• Various methods being investigated
• Raman spec., in situ XRD, XPS, HREM
• Neutron diffraction planned as EPSRC grant
• Stored species, localisation storage mechanism
• Several mechanism concepts put forward
• Based on literature and macro-scale experiments
• Will be investigated through XAFS
• Modelling work postponed to next phase
• New generation of products
• Results with dopants complex (activation
  conditions)
• Work shelved until core products better
  understood

12
Process scale-up

• Identify and evaluate options
• Several 100g batches produced in Strathclyde on
  spec
• Effect of process conditions mapped resulting in
  simplified recipe and better understanding of
  product
• Partnership for process scale-up
• Several options under discussion
• Production cost evaluation
• Evaluation completed, based on above recipe -
  indicates lt 15 /kg

13
Application areas

• Hydrogen storage
• Small size containers e.g. buffer storage for FC
  or electrolysers
• Hydrogen dispensing stations
• Electrochemistry
• H2 reservoir materials for battery electrodes
• Anode materials for fuel cells
• Catalysis
• Water gas shift / Formic acid
• Hydrogenation at mild temperature (lt200 deg C)
• Hydrogen Sensor
• Trapping of H2 or its isotopes

14
Applications development

• Proof of concept H2 storage device
• CNAM storage bottle ready
• Test in progress
• Electrochemical evaluation of the materials
• Work in progress in Strathclyde and ENSM-SE
• Desk study on required spec by Catella Generics
• Catalysis
• Proposal by ENSM SE approved
• Sensors
• Proposal by ENSM SE finalised

15
Partnerships

• Major Companies
• M-Co1 successful visit to Strathclyde in
  September
• M-Co2 successful visit to Strathclyde in October
• M-Co3 contact established on catalysis / FC
  electrodes
• M-Co4 re-open discussion after mechanism
  clarified
• Specific application Co.
• Visit to Pure centre (buffer storage)
• S-Co1 Storage re-open discussion after CNAM
  tests
• S-Co2 Catalysis re-open discussion after
  ENSM-SE tests
• R D organisations
• Catella Generics contract completed
• TLK - Karlsruhe additional test with D2 in
  progress
• Fraunhofer Freiburg / ZSW Ulm Scale-up with ZSW
  

16
Potential collaboration areasfor new partners

• Additional characterisation
• structural
• application specific
• Development of products for specific applications
• as per previous slides
• application tests
• Development of manufacturing process
• Increased surface area and (possibly) smaller
  particle size
• Large scale production

17
Development Concept
18
Questions?