But in laboratory research, they are already a common fixture.
The element hydrogen offers hope and headaches in equal measure. The most abundant element on the planet is also one of the most attractive for use as fuel. But because it is also the lightest element, it does not naturally occur in pure form. Hydrogen is so crucial in manufacturing, energy supply, and scientific research that new methods to improve production are being eagerly sought.
Hydrogen production is difficult. Generating the gas costs more energy than can be recovered from heat in combustion. And containing and storing this highly flammable gas has been a constant challenge as well.
The leading method of production is steam-methane reforming, which extracts hydrogen from methane gas. This is the leading process for generating hydrogen in large quantities, but produces carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Electrolysis is the other prevalent method, in which electricity applied to water separates hydrogen and oxygen atoms, yielding pure hydrogen and waste oxygen.
For research laboratories, these options traditionally meant relying on third-party gas producers to generate, store, and deliver hydrogen (and other gases) in tanks to be utilized as needed. This has created a well-established supply network that resembles a variety of petroleum-based fuels.
In recent years, however, electrolysis has emerged as a second option. Proton Onsite, a hydrogen energy and gas provider in Wallingford, Conn., uses electrolysis to manufacture on-site, high-purity gas generators called proton exchange membrane (PEMs) electrolyzers. They work by running a current through a solid polymer electrolyte. This electrolyte is a thin, specialized plastic membrane that is permeable to protons when saturated with water, but does not conduct electrons. The process of electrolysis draws a hydrogen ion (the “proton”) from deionized water and brings it through the membrane. Eventually, a number of ions combine at the other end of the membrane to produce hydrogen gas, leaving oxygen on the opposite side.
The Power of PEM
Electrolysis through proton exchange is not new. NASA first used the technology on a significant scale in its Gemini program in the 1960s. But only recently has PEM technology been looked to by the U.S. government and a variety of major foreign firms, such as Mitsubishi Industries, as the basis for a large-scale energy and transportation infrastructure.
As a result of breakthroughs by federally funded research efforts and the work of private industry, such as Proton Onsite, the market for components of PEMs and membrane electrode assemblies used in PEM fuel cells (PEMFC) is growing. The market analysis firm Transparency Market Research predicts a compounded growth of approximately 21.1% from 2012 to 2018, spurred by a general demand for reduced fossil fuel usage and lower carbon emissions. As the technology improves, major players in the fuel cell component marketplace will increase investments.
The R&D segment of the market now represents about 20% of Proton Onsite’s current business. Due to an array of research applications that need high-purity gas, Proton Onsite has developed a dozen different PEMs to suit applications ranging from liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry to atmospheric analysis.
Proton Onsite’s primary laboratory product is the HOGEN hydrogen generator, which provides ultrahigh-purity hydrogen as a carrier gas with consistent composition and predictable low levels of oxygen and nitrogen. The HOGEN GC hydrogen generator is a simpler, less expensive, and less complex PEM geared for gas chromatography. For larger laboratories, the HOGEN S Series 20 and 40 hydrogen generation systems can supply carrier and fuel gas for up to 200 gas chromatographs.
“Many of our clients work in laboratories and facilities that are engaged in R&D, ranging from analytical chemistry and mechanical engineering to meteorological studies. Essentially, we supply technology for any application that requires a constant, pure supply of hydrogen, nitrogen, or zero air,” says Dave Wolff, regional manager at Proton Onsite.
The growth in laboratory use can be explained by convenience. PEMs can replace the need to procure, manage, and secure traditional sources of delivered gas to the facility. Proton OnSites’ patented PEM electrolysis technology produces hydrogen at 200 psig or higher, without the need for mechanical compression, eliminating the need for high-pressure liquid hydrogen tanks or compressed gas storage.
Scientists and researchers typically require hydrogen with ultrahigh purity. They want the gas for fuel and as a reducing agent.
“The on-site gas generator supplies a benchtop by utilizing water, electricity, and air to produce the gases needed for analytical chemistry applications in most laboratories. Between 8 and 10% of facilities each year are moving from gas generated onsite versus delivered gas in cylinders, as the price for delivered gases continues to increase and on-site generated gas costs remain stable. Also, in the case of helium, which is a dwindling natural resource, on-site alternatives are being considered as the gas becomes scarcer,” says Wolff.
Proton Onsite also helps address a crucial question for laboratories being fitted-out for gas supply: centralized utility infrastructure, or a point-of-use approach?
“There are a lot of factors in deciding whether to opt for several smaller generators or one large centralized system,” says Wolff. “To determine what scale will work best for any R&D application, a facility manager must consider redundancy, security, and safety. A manager must also consider long-term needs for the application in question, as a centralized system would benefit an expanding operation. It’s all about economies of scale, so for a decision like this, foresight and a good grasp of the numbers is always the best tool for weighing the options.”
Another major selling point for Proton Onsite is safety. By producing gas at the point of use, facilities circumvent the potential hassle of handling gas-filled cylinders on a regular basis. These cylinders, which are heavy and, in the case of hydrogen, contain highly flammable gas at 2,200 psi, are frequently viewed as one of the more risk-prone features of a typical laboratory.
“With a gas generator, there is no need to employ people to continuously handle cumbersome and dangerous cylinders, and there are few safety codes to adhere to. I would say the best reason to choose an on-site source of gas is precisely because there is no need for extraordinary design or installation measures,” says Wolff.
The Latest Bing News on:
Hydrogen generators
- Zepher Flight Labs, NovaSpark Energy to Prototype Hydrogen Generators for Austere Environmentson April 23, 2024 at 4:37 pm
Looking for the latest Government Contracting News? Read about Zepher Flight Labs, NovaSpark Energy to Prototype Hydrogen Generators for Austere Environments.
- BBC South Today news programme highlights carbon useon April 23, 2024 at 12:31 pm
Regional television news programme BBC South Today has broadcast a special edition with a focus on reducing its own carbon footprint. The programme's outside broadcast segment was powered by a ...
- RWE launches consultation for Pembroke Green Hydrogenon April 23, 2024 at 6:42 am
The consultation on RWE’s plans launched on Monday (22 April) and will end on Monday 20 May 2024. RWE is asking the community for its views on the proposals and has launched a consultation where local ...
- TV news programme highlights its own carbon useon April 23, 2024 at 4:36 am
R egional television news programme BBC South Today will broadcast a special edition with a focus reducing its own carbon footprint. The programme's outside broadcast segment will be powered by a ...
- MasterChef Australia promoting hydrogen and biomethane as alternative to gas cookingon April 22, 2024 at 3:22 pm
By sponsoring the latest season of MasterChef, the gas industry is pushing back on the ban of gas appliances like stovetops to promote biomethane and hydrogen — but experts say it's a cynical attempt ...
- Earth Day 2024: Engineer Uses Hydrogen To Save The Internal Combustion Engineon April 22, 2024 at 12:09 pm
To save the Earth and make it a better place for his grandson when he's ready to drive, former GM engineer Mike Copeland has found a way to use hydrogen in old cars.
- Wärtsilä Awarded Prestigious Recognition by Environment+Energy Leader on Earth Dayon April 22, 2024 at 11:38 am
HOUSTON, April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Technology group Wärtsilä has received the Top Project of the Year Award for the Energy Innovation category in the Environment+Energy Leader Awards program ...
- Powering tomorrow: What role do diesel generators play in the future of clean energy solutions?on April 19, 2024 at 11:06 pm
Another approach to make current backup power more sustainable is through generator aftertreatment systems. Aftertreatment systems, in a nutshell, are pieces of equipment that can be applied to a ...
- This is the new ultrathin hydrogen fuel cell: extremely compact and boasting 175 kW of poweron April 18, 2024 at 3:30 am
This is the new hydrogen fuel cell: extremely small and with 175 kW of power, setting the final of the EVs in our highways ...
- Hydrogen combustion engine fires up on road to land speed record runon April 17, 2024 at 11:45 pm
Hydrogen-fueled combustion engines have slowly emerged in the mobility world, designed to run everything from race cars to pleasure boats. The latest hydrogen ICE to rumble to life was born with a ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Hydrogen generators
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Hydrogen generators” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Renewable energy future
- Biden administration is announcing plans for up to 12 lease sales for offshore wind energyon April 24, 2024 at 6:05 am
The Biden administration is preparing to announce plans for a new five-year schedule to lease federal offshore tracts for wind energy production.
- What happens after your country runs on 99 percent renewable electricity?on April 24, 2024 at 5:00 am
While most of the world still runs on dirty fossil fuels, Costa Rica has generated nearly all of its electricity from renewable sources of energy for nearly a decade. For comparison, the US generates ...
- Report reveals jobs boost for renewable energy supply chainon April 24, 2024 at 4:30 am
Around 90% of companies involved in the supply chain for Scotland's renewables sector have hired new recruits to work exclusively in renewable energy in the last 12 months, a new report has found. The ...
- Hawaii’s Ambitious Renewable Energy Plan Is Threatened By HECO’s Uncertain Futureon April 24, 2024 at 3:00 am
Hawaii’s renewable energy sector is stepping up support for policies aimed at financially bolstering Hawaiian Electric Co., which has been battered by accusations that the utility started the fire ...
- The case for a people-centred just energy transitionon April 24, 2024 at 2:23 am
“Through mutually agreed, collaborative efforts and shared resources, Indigenous Peoples’ renewable energy solutions mitigate climate change and foster economic empowerment and social cohesion, paving ...
- Survey shows enormous confidence in Scotland's renewable energy sectoron April 24, 2024 at 2:12 am
A NEW survey has revealed huge confidence in Scotland’s renewable energy future from industry bodies, as the SNP insists Westminster must not hold the country back. Trade body Scottish Renewables ...
- Unconventional technology enhances composites important to automotive, aerospace and renewable energy industrieson April 23, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a method that demonstrates how fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials used in the automotive, aerospace and ...
- State's new law involving Puget Sound Energy aspires to set a course for the futureon April 23, 2024 at 6:30 am
The state's new law involving PSE, passed with narrow voting margins and industry scrutiny, aspires to set a course for a future, decades away, in which natural gas is a thing of the past.
- Gov. Josh Shapiro announces renewable energy initiativeon April 22, 2024 at 1:30 pm
Pennsylvania is the first state in the country to commit to getting half of its energy from solar power, according to the Shapiro administration.
- ‘Unprecedented’ energy record shows future of clean power, expert sayson April 15, 2024 at 5:00 pm
California plans to add 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2035 in order to transition away from polluting energy sources over the next decade. The plan was approved by state energy regulators ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Renewable energy future
[google_news title=”” keyword=”fix the internet” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]