Hydrogen Production from Sustainable Synthesis Products

Hydrogen-based, sustainable synthesis products from power-to-X processes – such as ammonia, methanol, and dimethyl ether – will be key energy carriers in the energy system of the future. These hydrogen carriers enable the storage and transportation of renewable electricity, which is subject to local and seasonal fluctuations. Their conversion back into hydrogen closes the hydrogen value chain.

New and efficient conversion processes through catalytic reforming will be crucial for the use of synthesis products in all sectors. Large-scale catalytic reforming processes installed in harbors or industrial areas or smaller-scale catalytic reforming processes at the end user’s site or vehicles will enable the conversion of sustainable synthesis products into hydrogen. The department of Sustainable Synthesis Products focuses on thermochemical processes for hydrogen production.

We offer:

 

 

Your benefits:

 

  • We optimize your thermochemical processes: cost-efficient, sustainable, scalable.
  • Our test environments provide you with accurate, reliable, and reproducible results.
  • Our characterizations give you a deep understanding of the kinetic and thermodynamic relationships.

Development and design of innovative reactors and reforming processes for thermochemical hydrogen production

Reactor development for catalytic ammonia reforming
© Fraunhofer ISE
Reactor development of an e-cracker for catalytic ammonia reforming.

We offer comprehensive services in the development and design of innovative reactors and reforming processes for thermochemical hydrogen production. The focus is on hydrogen-based, sustainable synthesis products from power-to-X processes, such as ammonia, methanol or dimethyl ether, but also LOHCs. The design of the catalytic reactors can be supported by flow simulations with Ansys Fluent®. The construction and operation of test plants on a pilot plant scale serves to validate our own prototypes such as e-crackers or new customer concepts. Specific questions on catalyst activity and stability of materials can be addressed for high temperatures and operating pressures. Our research and know-how ensure that you always benefit from the latest technological developments in thermochemical hydrogen production.

 

CatVap®  Technology:

Fuel-flexible Heating Technology to Reduce Emissions from Combustion Engines

More Info about CatVap

 

Characterization of Reforming Catalysts

© Fraunhofer ISE
Test bench for the reaction-kinetic analysis of thermochemical hydrogen production.

We eveluate homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts in our highly developed test rigs. We use parallelized high-throughput reactor systems, fixed-bed reactors and batch reactors. State-of-the-art measurement techniques enable us to examine the processes taking place in the reaction down to the last detail. Using fiber optic temperature measurement, we can measure and understand the thermal behavior in the reactor with millimeter precision. At the same time, advanced analytical methods allow us to analyze products locally along the reactor, even in dynamic reforming processes. Based on this data, we carry out detailed catalyst screenings and generate customized kinetic models to precisely describe the reaction behavior. We also use state-of-the-art measurement techniques such as NAP-XPS or µXRF to analyze the processes on the catalyst surface in order to evaluate catalyst stability and understand deactivation mechanisms.

Construction and 24/7 Operation of Pilot-scale Test Environments

© Fraunhofer ISE / Foto: Joscha Feuerstein
In-house construction of a test bench at Fraunhofer ISE.

We plan, design, automate and operate test benches to investigate our processes under industrially relevant conditions. Based on our in-depth understanding of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the processes, we are able to implement customized plant designs in a CE-compliant manner. Through the operation of these plants, we collect detailed data for a successful, experimentally validated scale-up.

Research Projects on the Topic Hydrogen Production from Sustainable Synthesis Products

 

AmmoCatCoat

Ammonia reforming with electrically heated catalyst supports coated with biomass-based carbon materials

 

StoRelH2

Efficient and cost-effective hydrogen storage and transport with liquid organic hydrogen carriers

 

LNG2Hydrogen

TransHyDE Project: Making LNG Terminals Suitable for Hydrogen-based Energy Carriers

 

Attract: Flex-C-Cat II

Sustainable Carbon Supports for Hydrogenation Catalysis and their Characterization by Near Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (NAP-XPS)

More Information on this Topic

R&D Infrastructure

Lab for Sustainable Synthesis Products

Research Topic

Sustainable Synthesis Products

Business Area

Hydrogen Technologies