Hydrogen is an attractive candidate as a vector for storage and transport of energy in the context of an increased use of renewable and clean energies. The production and use of energy based on hydrogen technology is particularly important for small-scale portable (and potentially scalable for stationary) applications. In this project the process of catalytic (controlled) combustion of hydrogen will be investigated in the various aspects that could lead to a final integrated configuration with a H2 generation system for portable applications. For that the project will take advantage of the synergy of integrating two researcher groups from the PAI: i) The TEP217 group, specialists in storage and generation of hydrogen based on metal hydrides, complex hydrides and hydride composites reactive systems; and in the use of catalysts and additives to control and improve the kinetics of these processes. ii) The FQM342, specialist group for the fabrication of porous ceramics of high interest as catalyst supports for harsh combustion environments. Further collaboration is completed with the participation of the company Abengoa Hidrógeno SA that will be involved as sub-contractor as specialist in systems for the production and storage of hydrogen.
In particular we will work on this project in the following lines:
1.- Development of catalysts and supports for catalytic combustion. Typically porous biomorphic silicon carbide ceramics and classic noble metal catalysts, as well as new low cost catalysts to be developed in the project.
2.- Development of reactors needed for the study of the catalytic combustion. Typically hydrogen flows from a few ml/min to the scale of a H2 generator already available in the range 0.5 to 1.5 L/min.
3.- Coupling the catalytic combustion system with a portable hydrogen generation systems that we have developed in previous projects.
4.- Application of the sputtering technology in an exploratory manner in this project to deposit the catalyst materials for the H2 catalytic combustion on porous substrates.
5.- Microstructural and chemical characterization of the supports and catalysts in the nanoscale to follow the procedures of synthesis and evolution in operation.