PITTSBURGH, PA - Taking a step closer toward its vision
of ultraclean, highly efficient power generation, the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE) will collaborate with a Colorado firm on a $15 million
advanced research project to further develop coal-to-hydrogen production
technology supporting DOE’s zero-emissions FutureGen plant of tomorrow.
Eltron Research Inc., of Boulder Colo., will conduct scale-up and advanced
research on metal, alloy, or ceramic-metal membranes to separate hydrogen
from carbon dioxide in a stream of synthetic gas produced in coal gasification.
Based in part on materials patented by Eltron, the membrane technology
is significant to FutureGen because hydrogen derived from the process
can be used to increase the efficiency of fuel cells and to fuel future
hydrogen turbines, while, at the same time, separating carbon dioxide—a
greenhouse gas—from the plant’s gas stream. DOE’s cost
share of the project is just over $12 million. The project will be managed
for DOE by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Building on membrane work first funded by DOE in early 2000, Eltron
will conduct its research in three phases over 5 years. Initially, Eltron
will strengthen its membrane to improve hydrogen flux and carbon dioxide
sequestration potential. In phase 2, Eltron will scale up its membrane
and impurity management system. In phase 3, the company will use a prototype
system to separate an estimated 200 pounds of hydrogen per day, not unlike
a commercial-size separation unit. All phases are expected to lead toward
the design of a pre-commercial-size unit capable of separating an estimated
4 tons of hydrogen per day.
Eltron will be joined by an industrial partnership that includes Praxair,
Tonawanda, N.Y.; CoorsTek, Golden, Colo.; Emery Energy Company, North
Salt Lake, Utah; and Noram Engineering & Construct, Vancouver, Canada.
Praxair will provide economic analyses and coal gas feed impurity management,
CoorsTek will explore the cost-effective commercial-scale fabrication
of membrane composites, Emery Energy will host field testing of membrane
modules, and Noram will address engineering design and construction issues
related to commercialization.
DOE initially expects to build a 275-megawatt prototype plant to serve
as a large-scale engineering laboratory where clean power processes, carbon
capture, and coal-to-hydrogen technologies can be tested. Advanced membranes,
such as those under development by Eltron, are essential to reduce the
cost of hydrogen production. As hydrogen becomes more affordable, it will
increasingly find its place in the transportation sector, including hydrogen-driven
cars; central power stations; and distributed power units.
The ultimate goal would be a decrease in the nation’s reliance
on imported fuels and an energy-producing infrastructure emitting no greenhouse
gases or other pollutants.