This initiative addresses scientific and engineering issues where advancements must be made to realize the potential benefits of a hydrogen economy. It uses the INEEL's portfolio of research and applied engineering capabilities and projects and its significant operations infrastructure – to address this historic priority – as it focuses on hydrogen production, separation, storage and use.

Researching Production and Purification

Currently, most hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of methane in large centralized facilities. This hydrogen production is conducted very efficiently and on a large scale. Future hydrogen production technologies will enable local and regional production and distribution systems. In the long-term, hydrogen will have to be produced without releasing carbon dioxide, and by using feed sources that don't depend on volatile suppliers.

Diesel Reformer (862 KB)

This one-of-a-kind diesel reformer for hydrogen production is undergoing testing at the INEEL.

The INEEL is participating with SOFCo EFS in its 500 kWe Integrated Fuel Processor (IFP) Program, which is part of the Ship Service Fuel Cell Program of the U.S. Navy, to design, fabricate and test a first-generation integrated fuel processor for producing hydrogen-rich gas from NATO-76 fuel. The IFP purifies the hydrogen to the quality needed for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell operation. The process uses SOFCo EFS's autothermal reforming technology, and when completed, will provide clean electric power on board Navy ships as part of their fuel cell electric power generation system.

Renewable Energy
Hydrogen can also be produced using renewable energy. One method involves biomass gasification. The INEEL is working with a Salt Lake City business - Emery Energy - on their unique gasifier concept that integrates features of entrained flow and fixed-bed gasifiers.

Nuclear Energy (4.1 MB)
The current growth in hydrogen demand is already sufficient to justify the development of new, environmentally responsible methods to produce hydrogen using nuclear energy. As the transportation sector is revolutionized, the worldwide demand for hydrogen could eventually rival that for electricity. As the lead laboratory for DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, the INEEL is ideally positioned for assuming a major role in the development of technologies for the production of hydrogen using nuclear energy. The advantages of using nuclear energy for hydrogen production include decreased or no carbon dioxide emissions, and independence from imported fossil fuels. The INEEL has projects investigating the two most promising methods of using nuclear energy for hydrogen production - high temperature electrolysis, and thermochemical cycles for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Membrane Separation
In a project funded by DOE Fossil Energy, INEEL along with team lead ITN Energy Systems (Wheat Ridge, CO) and other team members are working to develop a unique composite membrane structure for high temperature hydrogen separation.

Researching Storage

Impermeable Composite Tank Liner
The INEEL ha worked with partner Quantum Technologies and the University of California at Los Angeles on an innovative concept for an electrochemically active liner for conformable composite hydrogen storage tanks to resolve the problem of hydrogen permeation.

Sodium Borohydride Regeneration
An aqueous solution of sodium borohydride allows a safe and convenient means of providing a source of hydrogen on board a vehicle. Millenium Cell, Inc. has developed technology for release of gaseous hydrogen from the borohydride solution. The missing link for this technology is an economical method for the regeneration of borohydride from the borate byproduct formed in the hydrogen generation step. INEEL is working on borohydride regeneration with DOE funding.

Carbon Materials
The INEEL has worked on advanced carbon materials (intercalated graphite) to increase the amount of hydrogen that can be stored on a vehicle, since the interior volume of the graphite is made available for hydrogen adsorption.

Researching Hydrogen Infrastructure and Use

Fuel Cell Fabrication A Bechtel-sponsored Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) development project has designed a revolutionary, low-cost, planar SOFC "stack." The structural framework of this fuel cell stack is largely provided by a unique nickel-aluminide (NiAl) bipolar plate make by combustion synthesis. The electrodes can operate at high temperatures without oxidation of the bipolar plate.

Vehicle Fueling and Testing
The hydrogen fueling station and vehicle testing activities being evaluated by the INEEL are supported by the DOE EERE Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity. Objectives include evaluating the safety and reliability of operating vehicles on hydrogen and blended hydrogen fuels, and evaluating the vehicle/infrastructure interface. Partners include Arizona Public Service (APS) and Electric Transportation Applications Corp. Hydrogen vehicle activities managed by the INEEL include dynamometer, closed track, emissions, and fleet operations testing along with data collection, analysis and dissemination.

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