[ storage & transport ]
using formate and bicarbonate salts in a catalytic cycle :
Cat .
The process involves the chemical charging of hydrogen on bicarbonate salt ( a commercially available material commonly known and used as ‘ baking soda ’) using metal a catalyst , and converting it into an aqueous solution – the hydrogen-charged liquid – containing water and formate salt , another commercially-available material commonly used for non-corrosive de-icing of airplanes wings .
When and where needed ( and it could be months after and thousands of kilometers away from the charging location ), the stored hydrogen can then be extracted on demand from the charged liquid instantly , converting it back into the original discharged liquid , ready for new hydrogen loading .
Non-toxic , non-flammable , non-explosive
Both charged and discharged liquids are waterbased , non-toxic , non-flammable , and nonexplosive materials .
The formate-salt-solution hydrogen carrier can be stored and transported in standard water tanks , water pipes , and even plastic tanks or leveraging existing oil infrastructure , setting new standard in terms of safety , operations , maintenance , and regulation . The result : significantly lower CapEx costs for hydrogen infrastructure .
Unparalleled energy efficiency
Charging is done at 35 ° C and 10 to 20 bar , and discharging at 50 ° C and atmospheric pressure , 1 bar . These close-to-ambient conditions require a very small amount of energy , 2 – 2.5 kWh per kilogram of hydrogen stored and released , which represents around 94 % energy efficiency .
Some other most modern technologies require temperatures of 300 ° C or even higher , low liquefaction temperatures ranging from -33 to -253 ° C , and / or compression levels hundreds of times higher than atmospheric pressure . These extreme conditions lead to energy consumption of 13 , 14 , or even 40 kWh ( more than the energy content of 1 kg of hydrogen !) to store and release one kilogram of hydrogen .
20 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 11 | August 2023