Using methanol as a raw material, water-hydrogen machines mark the beginning of industrialization

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Using methanol as a raw material, water-hydrogen engines mark the beginning of industrialization. Author/Source: Science and Technology Daily; Date: 2019-07-03; Clicks: 2. Dr. Liu Ke, an foreign member of the Australian Academy of Engineering and director of the Institute for Clean Energy at Southern University of Science and Technology, along with several experts and academicians, visited the \"Greater Bay Area Water-Hydrogen Academy\" at the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences China Science Center, which has just been established in Dongguan. This newly established \"Greater Bay Area Water-Hydrogen Science Academy\" is located at Guangdong Hejide Energy Technology Co., Ltd. in Zhangmutou Town, Dongguan. 　　Liu Ke bent down to take a close look at the \"water-hydrogen machine\" developed and produced by Hejide Company. It is a device that generates hydrogen by catalytic reforming of methanol and water, and then produces electricity using fuel cells. So, a few years ago they were still called “alcohol-hydrogen machines”; the name “water-hydrogen machine” came into use after Jieji De registered the entire series of “water-hydrogen” trademarks in 2016 – the reasons for this will be explained later. 　　Liu Ke was developing hydrogen fuel cells in the United States over a decade ago. Former head scientist at GE’s global R&D center, returned to the United States after working for renowned multinational companies such as UTC; he also served as vice president at Topsoe, a internationally famous catalyst company headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. After returning to China, he successively served as the deputy director and chief technology officer of the Beijing Institute of Low-Carbon Clean Energy, as well as the vice president of Shenhua Research Institute; he is currently working at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen. In 2013, she received the 30th International Pittsburgh Coal Conversion Innovation Annual Award. She led the development and demonstration of the world’s first on-board gasoline-based hydrogen production system for use in fuel cell vehicles. She served as chairperson of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Summit organized jointly by the International Hydrogen Energy Association and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for three consecutive years (2002–2004). She was also in charge of the development of several major projects, including the first commercially available device for separating trace mineral elements and the first diesel engine that could burn 100% methanol. When it comes to the \"water-hydrogen machine\" (which he prefers to call an alcohol-hydrogen machine), Liu Ke truly knows the ins and outs of the matter, as he has personally been involved in and witnessed the path taken by developed countries such as the United States in investing heavily in hydrogen energy, including both the successes and failures along the way. 　　He examined the size of computer chassis, as well as the \"battery packs\" used to charge electric vehicles; he looked at the power supply systems that supply energy to communication stations; he inspected the power generation modules that can be combined to form power plants. In particular, he took a close look at the system in which methanol is used to produce hydrogen in cars, which is then used to power electric vehicles through hydrogen fuel cells, and asked detailed questions about the technical specifications involved… Liu Ke told reporters that over a decade ago, when he was working at UTC, the company collaborated with Nissan and Shell Oil to develop the world’s first fuel cell vehicle powered by hydrogen generated from gasoline through on-board conversion. As the system director of this project, he led teams of engineers from the three aforementioned multinational companies; with costs exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars, they created the world’s first fuel cell vehicle that generates hydrogen using gasoline. The vehicle still uses gasoline; inside the vehicle, gasoline reacts with oxygen in the air and water vapor produced by the fuel cells to produce hydrogen, which is then used to power the fuel cells. The success of this project was a major news story in the U.S. industry in 2003. He said that it is much more difficult to produce hydrogen from gasoline through online conversion than to produce hydrogen from methanol through online reforming. Why? Because gasoline contains sulfur. Additionally, the conversion temperature for gasoline is 850 degrees Celsius, while that for methanol is over 300 degrees Celsius; moreover, methanol contains no sulfur. Methanol is much cleaner than gasoline. We developed the technology for producing hydrogen through the online conversion of gasoline over a decade ago, so there’s no reason why we can’t do the same with methanol. But why wasn’t methanol chosen for this project back then? It was because the \"shale gas revolution\" had not yet taken place, and natural gas was too expensive, which made the cost of methanol high as well. At Heji De Company, Liu Ke saw the complete range of products for the methanol-to-hydrogen power generation technology route that he had long advocated for. 　　He said this would be the “most reliable” direction for hydrogen energy applications. Liu Ke firmly shook hands with Xiang Hua, the developer of the \"water-hydrogen machine\"! This was undoubtedly a handshake worth recording in the history of the development of methanol-based hydrogen production for power generation. The reporter asked Liu Ke about the prospects of the current technology used for large-scale hydrogen production in China and around the world – that is, the technique of compressing hydrogen into high-pressure tanks in vehicles through hydrogen refueling stations or other pipelines. Liu Ke had clearly thought long about this issue; he said that the hydrogen used in hydrogen refueling stations is compressed to a pressure of 700 kilograms per square centimeter. Since hydrogen is the substance with the lowest volumetric energy density in the world, its energy density can only be increased by compression. But please remember, what does 700 kilograms of compression mean? The pressure in car tires is only 5–6 kilograms. Industrial coal-to-oil production requires hydrogen, and hydrogen containers need steel plates that are over ten centimeters thick. For on-vehicle hydrogen storage tanks, carbon fiber is used because steel is too heavy. However, carbon fiber is currently expensive, and a large amount of energy is lost during the compression of hydrogen; high operating costs are recognized as a common issue across the industry worldwide. Furthermore, hydrogen is the gas with the widest explosive range in the world (4%–73%). Below 4% is safe; above 73%, it will only catch fire but not explode. Between 4% and 73%, it will explode even in the presence of sparks. Therefore, in cities where a large number of cars are parked in enclosed spaces such as underground garages, canned hydrogen is not suitable as an energy source for widespread use by the public. In open areas, hydrogen leaks are not a major issue, as it rises into the sky once it leaks. They conducted experiments in the United States: a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle was parked there, and a high-powered rifle was used to puncture the hydrogen tank from a distance; a plume of fire shot upward. The temperature in the cabin did not rise instantly, giving the driver and passengers enough time to escape. However, in a confined space, hydrogen is the gas that spreads the fastest and can cause explosions over the widest range. In an underground garage, if a hydrogen tank vehicle leaks and the concentration of hydrogen reaches 4%, a dozen vehicles with electric sparks will explode; if there are many hydrogen tank vehicles in the garage, the entire building will be destroyed. Some say that the tanks are safe, but there are always connection points between the hydrogen tanks and the fuel cells; if any of these connections leak, it can lead to catastrophic consequences. The recent explosions of hydrogen storage tanks in South Korea and hydrogen refueling stations in Norway are all due to these reasons. Hydrogen is also the smallest molecule and the gas that leaks most easily. Over the years, most oil refinery fires have also been caused by hydrogen leaks. Therefore, Liu Ke suggests that legislation should prevent hydrogen-powered vehicles from being parked in underground garages. Another issue is the difficulties in building hydrogen refueling stations. Liu Ke is the project leader for hydrogen stations at the U.S. Department of Energy. When designing hydrogen stations in the United States, a safety distance is required; residential buildings are not allowed to be within a certain range. They did an estimate in Shenzhen: if a hydrogen refueling station capable of serving 300 vehicles per day were to be built there, and based on today’s safety standards, such a station would require around 8 mu of land. In Shenzhen, one mu of land is worth 100 million yuan, so building such a station would cost 800 million yuan – an amount that could never be repaid given the high land prices there. If a hydrogen refueling station is built in the suburbs, half an hour’s drive away, and it takes an hour to travel back and forth to refuel, then no one will buy such cars. 　　The development of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in the United States has cost hundreds of billions of dollars since the 1990s, yet these problems have not been properly resolved. So currently, China is in a period of great enthusiasm for hydrogen energy; on the one hand, huge amounts of money are being invested, but on the other hand, the overall systematic approach to hydrogen energy development has not yet been fully understood, which can lead to deviations in the strategic direction of industry development. 　　The reporter asked Liu Ke again: Since you believe that methanol is the best material for hydrogen production, is its cost acceptable and are its sources reliable? Liu Ke said that methanol is currently the best material for hydrogen production in the world, thanks to the \"shale gas revolution\" around the globe. 10 years ago, natural gas in the United States reached as high as $17 per million British thermal units. And at that time the whole world was in panic, wondering what to do without natural gas. Then the \"shale gas revolution\" happened; by 2010, the world discovered reserves of natural gas that would last for 200 years. The price of natural gas in the United States dropped sharply from $17 per million British thermal units to $1.5 per million British thermal units, and it is now around $2.5–$3 per million British thermal units. It was the \"shale gas revolution\" that caused oil prices to plummet from 140 dollars to around 35 dollars, with recent prices fluctuating between 50 and 65 dollars. 　　Natural gas is the best raw material for producing methanol, and it is cheaper than using coal for this purpose; which means there will be enough methanol available for the entire world to use for 200 years. Convert natural gas into methanol on the spot; the cost of methanol is only 1,750 yuan per ton. Furthermore, in terms of transportation, solids (such as coal) and gases are not suitable. Liquid fuels will always remain the preferred energy source for human transportation, as liquids such as gasoline or methanol can be transported via pipelines on land, have low costs for transoceanic transport (around 1% of the price), and can be stored in tanks for long periods of time. 　　At this point, Dr. Xiang Hua interjected excitedly: \"The two points mentioned by Academician Liu are precisely why I changed the name to ‘water-hydrogen machine’ – to clearly distinguish it from the technical approach involving hydrogen stored in tanks.\" ”At that time, Xiang Hua offered to collaborate with Academician Liu Ke’s team in order to further develop and improve the application of methanol-based on-site hydrogen production for fuel cells in various fields. 　　Recently, **the relevant ministries issued a document designating methanol as a key direction for clean energy. 　　Water-hydrogen engines using methanol as a raw material have quietly begun the process of industrialization. 　　With the strong support of Academician Liu Ke and the experts and academicians of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, the first rays of light for the industrialization of hydrogen energy in China will rise from here.