SCOPE
Hydrogen production
Maturity Level
TRL 4
Development Level
Laboratory
Hydrogen production from ammonia in structured reactors
Entity:
Processes have been developed for the 3D printing of CeO2-based monoliths incorporating various mono- and bimetallic active centres for the catalytic decomposition of ammonia into gaseous hydrogen and nitrogen. The 3D printed ceria structures show much higher catalytic activity than conventional cordierite monoliths. A kinetic model has been developed for the decomposition of ammonia in a fixed bed reactor. The dehydrogenation of ammonia adsorbed on the catalyst surface is probably the limiting step of the reaction and the decomposition of ammonia is inhibited by the presence of H2.
Challenges met
Due to the problems associated with hydrogen generation and storage in portable and mobility applications (vehicles, trucks, ships, etc.), the use of ammonia for on-site hydrogen production through catalytic decomposition has been proposed.
The use of liquid ammonia to store hydrogen could solve the problems derived from the high energy consumption in the compression stages of pure hydrogen, as well as the embrittlement processes suffered by many of the materials used in its storage.
Scope of application
May have interest in the hydrogen production sector – energy industry, with applications in energy storage and hydrogen vehicles, especially in heavy-duty vehicles and marine transportation, such as ships.
Main publications
- Ilaria Luccentini (Doctoral thesis, 2021) Producción de hidrógeno a partir de amoniaco en reactores de paredes catalíticas. (Hydrogen production from ammonia in catalytic wall reactors.) Thesis director: Jordi Llorca. https://upcommons.upc.edu/handle/2117/360907
- Ilaria Lucentini, Isabel Serrano, Lluís Soler, Núria J. Divins, Jordi Llorca. Ammonia decomposition over 3D-printed CeO2 structures loaded with Ni. Applied Catalysis A: General, 2020, 591, 117382.
Related projects
- HYNTERCAT. Ref. PID2021-124572OB-C31. Title: Hydrogen energy technologies driven by amorphous/crystalline catalyst interface engineering. Funding entity: MICINN. Principal researchers: Lluís Soler and Jordi Llorca.
- MECATEN. Ref. RTI2018-093996-B-C31. Mechanochemical preparation of catalysts for energy applications: methane activation and hydrogen generation. 2019-2021. Funding entity: MICINN. PI: Jordi Llorca.
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