EERC Demonstrates Hydrogen Production at Ethanol Facilities

ENERGY TECH

"Ultimately, numerous cost savings can be realized through integration of heat, power, and distillation systems within an ethanol plant," said Wocken. "Additionally, if coupled with a fuel cell, overall plant efficiency could be improved."

by Staff Writers
Bismarck ND (SPX) Jan 19, 2007
The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota is leading a project to demonstrate the production of hydrogen at existing and future ethanol facilities in a unique, economical way, providing a near-term path toward a hydrogen economy. The hydrogen produced could be used on-site in fuel cells to provide additional power for the plant or as fuel for hydrogen vehicles.

"Hydrogen production integrated with an ethanol facility will provide an important source of renewable energy for both stationary and transportation fuel cell applications in a hydrogen-based economy," said Chad Wocken, EERC Research Manager. "This technology will help facilitate regional and national growth in hydrogen utilization."

Under the multiyear contract, the EERC's Centers for Renewable Energy and Biomass Utilization are testing the technical feasibility of integrating hydrogen production with ethanol production. Activities include optimizing the ethanol-reforming process, demonstrating utilization of the produced hydrogen for power generation, optimizing the design for future ethanol plants, and conducting a full economic evaluation of the technology.

The information gathered from these efforts will be used to better define system integration, energy input, and the operational conditions required to produce hydrogen at an ethanol facility. The hydrogen becomes either a low-cost energy source for the facility or a value-added product enhancing the overall facility's economics.

"The EERC's renewable energy programs are leading the nation in expanding the use of agriculture products and by-products for the production of electricity, heat, and fuels," said EERC Director Gerald Groenewold. "This program is focused not only on the ethanol industry, but also on the future energy path of the United States."

Project partners include the U.S. Department of Energy, the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company, and H2Gen Innovations.

ENERGY TECH

New Fuel Cell Design Adds Better Control While Reducing Complexity

Princeton NJ (SPX) Jan 19, 2007
When Princeton University engineers want to increase the power output of their new fuel cell, they just give it a little more gas - hydrogen gas, to be exact. This simple control mechanism, which varies the flow of hydrogen fuel to control the power generated, was previously thought impossible and is a potentially major development in fuel cell technology.

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