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A. Hydrogen production systems
B. Fuel cell design, testing and technology validation
C. Fuel Cell - based applications
It is one of our main targets to develop and implement a portofolio of
Hydrogen production technologies at small and medium scale. The Hydrogen Production activity is thought
to be focused on developing hydrogen production technologies that enable the introduction and long-term
viability of hydrogen as an energy carrier for transportation and stationary power.
Goal: to investigate, develop and/or implement low-cost and efficiently
high-purity Hydrogen production technologies from diverse source, putting in the forefront renewable source.
The Hydrogen production group is planned and implement technologies for producing hydrogen
in a distributed manner from natural gas and by water electrolysis, but also is developing centralized renewable
production options that include water electrolysis integrated with renewable power (e.g., wind, solar, hydroelectric,
geothermal), solar-driven high-temperature thermochemical water splitting cycles, direct photoelectrochemical water splitting
and biological processes.
It must be emphasis that a methane steam reformer-based Hydrogen production pilot facility is
functional at Ramnicu Valcea which could be used in the future for investigation for optimization of the process. Main topics
which are planned to be developed in the next years are:
a. Methane reforming:
- develop a low-cost methane reformer membrane reactor to deliver high-purity hydrogen for small PEMFC stacks;
- modeling a distributed SMR-based hydrogen production network and perform experimental simulations;
- demonstrate the reability and durability of the SMR system built on-site;develop an integrated Ceramic Membrane System for Hydrogen Production.
b. Water electrolysis:
- explore and compare system-level integration issues surrounding multiple electrolyzers of proton exchange membrane (PEM) and
alkaline technologies that also produce hydrogen gas at different pressures to gauge their efficiencies, responsiveness and performance;
- demonstrate PEM electrolyzer operation at moderate pressure and determine the optimum operating pressure for low-cost hydrogen production;
- developing a conceptual design of a PEM electrolyzer with decreased capital costs and increased efficiency.
c. Thermochemical water splitting:
- identify and characterize new semiconductor materials that have the possibility of meeting the criteria for a viable photoelectrochemical (PEC)
hydrogen-producing device;;
- evaluate the potential of the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle for large-scale hydrogen production using nuclear energy and perform
an integrated lab-scale (ILS) experiment to demonstrate closed-loop operation of the Cu-Cl cycle;
- demonstrate the feasibility of hybrid cycles base on termochemical reactions and electrolysis for hydrogen production - proof-on experiments.
d. Integrating renewable source with water electrolysis:
- model, evaluate, test and optimize the renewable electrolysis system performance for dedicated hydrogen production and electricity/hydrogen cogeneration;
- gain operational experience with a hydrogen production facility, including the compression of gas and the use of a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion
engine to generate electricity during peak demand hours;
- create synergies from coproduction of electricity and hydrogen by providing consistent support of the electric grid via off-peak storage of hydrogen.
e. Cross-cutting issues:
- evaluate safety systems and system controls for the safe operation of hydrogen production technologies;
- develop computer application for modeling and controlling hydrogen production systems;
- scoping standards and codes for hydrogen production.
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