【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】931–2023: China’s First Demonstration Units of Solid Hydrogen Storage Systems
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A decade of rapid development in chemical processing equipment – praise for China’s prosperity and strength. By sharing our insights, we can encourage more people to participate and make the discussions more lively. HaiChuan becomes even better with your involvement; we welcome everyone to join in the forum discussions. Everyone should pay attention to safety and know how to handle emergencies. ********************************************* Recently, a groundbreaking technological achievement was unveiled in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, drawing widespread attention from the industry. This is the first domestic demonstration unit of a solid-state hydrogen storage system, developed under the leadership of China Northern Rare Earths (Group) High-Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as China Northern Rare Earths). This system uses rare earth materials as the medium for storing hydrogen, enabling high-density, low-pressure, leak-free, and safe solid-state storage of hydrogen. It provides an efficient and reliable solution for the recovery and reuse of hydrogen for industrial use. Rare earth hydrogen storage materials are functional and energy materials that utilize rare earth elements in combination with other metals to form alloys; under certain temperature conditions, these materials have the capabilities to absorb and release large amounts of hydrogen, exhibit excellent reversibility, and react rapidly. Rare earth hydrogen storage materials are mainly divided into two categories: LaNi5-type hydrogen storage alloys (AB5 type) and La-Mg-Ni series hydrogen storage alloys (AB3 type and A2B7 type). AB5-type hydrogen storage alloys refer to intermetallic compounds formed by combining rare earth elements with transition metal elements in an atomic ratio of 1:5, possessing a CaCu5-type crystal structure. La-Mg-Ni series hydrogen storage alloys possess a superlattice structure formed by the orderly stacking of Laves-type [A2B4] and CaCu5-type [AB5] subunits in a certain ratio along the c-axis. Rare earth hydrogen storage materials can convert hydrogen into solid metal hydrides through chemical reactions for storage; the volume density of hydrogen stored in these materials can reach that of liquid hydrogen, and they possess advantages such as low pressure, no leakage, and safety. It is by leveraging this characteristic that the **Rare Earth Functional Materials Innovation Center** under Northern Rare Earths actively engages in exchanges and collaborations with various stakeholders in the industry, to design and manufacture high-density hydrogen recovery-and-reuse systems with excellent heat management capabilities, providing efficient and reliable solid-state hydrogen storage solutions for industrial hydrogen use. This device is the first of its kind in the country to utilize hydrogen storage materials in recycling systems; to date, 13 patents have been applied for, of which 9 have been granted.
Solid-state hydrogen storage devices function like high-capacity power banks, enabling the high-density storage of unstable renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy. They not only address the issues of volatility and difficulty in utilizing solar and wind power but also help to change the current situation of over-reliance on fossil fuels like coal and oil for hydrogen production, thus contributing to the achievement of carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. ”Liu Wei, deputy director of the Rare Earth Research Institute and general manager of the **Rare Earth Functional Materials Innovation Center, explained. It is understood that the working principle of solid-state hydrogen storage devices involves designing the internal structure of these devices in hydrogen storage systems based on parameters related to heat and mass transfer in rare earth-nickel-based hydrogen storage materials, thereby addressing the issue of slow thermal response speeds in such devices ； By establishing a mathematical model to calculate the response data of the reaction heat regulator, the start/stop conditions are determined, and a PLC-based automatic control system is developed to further enhance the automation level of the reaction heat regulator ； At the same time, high-power hydrogen storage systems are integrated and optimized, with their applications spanning hydrogen recovery and reuse in metallurgy, low-pressure safe storage of hydrogen on a large scale in industrial settings, solid-state hydrogen storage devices for gas stations, and solid-state gas storage systems for mobile vehicles. “To date, the National Innovation Center has completed the construction of a demonstration production line capable of producing 10 sets of solid hydrogen storage systems per year. This facility effectively overcomes the industrialization-related technical barriers related to the kinetics and thermodynamics of efficient hydrogen absorption/release by hydrogen storage alloys under normal temperature and pressure conditions. It helps to unlock the potential of rare earth materials for hydrogen storage, promotes the comprehensive utilization of rare earth resources, optimizes the structure of the hydrogen industry, balances the distribution of hydrogen resources, and enables the development and application of these products in energy storage devices for new energy applications as well as in large-scale wind and solar power systems. ”Liu Wei said. Entering the demonstration production line at the National Innovation Center, one can see solid hydrogen storage products in various configurations – portable, high-capacity, and fixed-type – while technicians are busy tuning the equipment.
The range of solid hydrogen storage devices currently developed and manufactured by the National Innovation Center is suitable for various fixed and mobile applications. Among them, the hydrogen circulation and purification system with a hydrogen storage capacity of 20 kilograms overcomes the limitations of hydrogen-related auxiliary equipment by enabling positive and negative pressure absorption and release functions; it allows hydrogen-using enterprises to temporarily store and purify hydrogen, especially for those that use the neodymium-iron-boron hydrogen fragmentation process to recycle hydrogen ； The 20-kilogram class low-pressure solid hydrogen storage device offers a low-pressure, efficient hydrogen storage solution for hydrogen-using enterprises and hydrogen refueling stations. Compared with high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage, it allows the hydrogen storage pressure to be reduced by about 90% while maintaining the same equipment size and hydrogen storage capacity; moreover, compared with other solid hydrogen storage materials, it provides a hydrogen storage volume density that is about 15% higher ； The 80-kilogram class low-pressure solid hydrogen storage device can be used directly for the safe storage of hydrogen in hydrogen refueling stations and large-scale hydrogen utilization scenarios. Compared with the construction costs of existing hydrogen refueling stations, it can reduce these costs by approximately 30% ； The solid hydrogen storage systems for mobile vehicles in the 3 to 10 kg class that are currently under development can be used in hydrogen fuel electric vehicles, heavy trucks, and special-purpose vehicles. Without changing the amount of hydrogen that can be stored in the tanks, these systems allow heavy trucks to carry 50% more hydrogen, with only a 10% increase in the vehicle’s weight.
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【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Successful development of an integrated control valve for balanced injection and production in offshore heavy oil thermal recovery from 1993 to 2023 https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3640560-1-1.html (Source: Huahai Chuanliu – Haichuan Network)