Hydrogen Production and Delivery
Most of the hydrogen in the United States is produced by steam reforming of natural gas. For the near term, this production method will continue to dominate. Researchers at NREL are developing advanced processes to produce hydrogen economically from sustainable resources. These R&D efforts include:
- Fermentation
- Biological Water Splitting
- Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
- Conversion of Biomass and Wastes
- Solar Thermal Water Splitting
- Renewable Electrolysis.
Fermentation
NREL scientists are developing expertise with pretreatment technologies to convert lignocellulosic biomass into sugar-rich feedstocks including hemicelluloses and cellulose that can be fermented directly to produce hydrogen, ethanol, and high-value chemicals.
Researchers are working to identify a consortium of Clostridium that can ferment hemicellulose directly to hydrogen. Moreover, researchers are bioprospecting efficient cellulolytic microbes, such as Clostridium thermocellum, that can ferment crystalline cellulose directly to hydrogen to lower the feedstock cost. Once a model cellulolytic bacterium is identified, its potential for genetic manipulations, including sensitivity to antibiotics and ease of genetic transformation, will be determined. NREL's future fermentation projects will focus on developing strategies to generate mutants that are blocked selectively from producing waste acids and solvents through fermentation to maximize hydrogen yield.
Learn about NREL's capabilities in producing hydrogen by fermentation.
Related presentations and publications:
- Fermentation and Electrohydrogenic Approaches to Hydrogen Production. Pin-Ching Maness, Shiv Thammannagowda, Lauren Magnusson, and Grant Pennington. Excerpt from the Department of Energy's 2010 Annual Progress Report. (February 2011)
- Hydrogen Production from Cellulose in a Two-Stage Process Combining Fermentation and Electrohydrogenesis. Elodie Lalaurette, Shivegowda Thammannagowda, Ali Mohagheghi, Pin-Ching Maness, and Bruce Logan. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Volume 24. (June 2009)
Contact: Pin-Ching Maness
Biological Water Splitting
Certain photosynthetic microbes produce hydrogen from water in their metabolic activities using light energy. Photobiological technology holds great promise, but because oxygen is produced along with the hydrogen, the technology must overcome the limitation of oxygen sensitivity of the hydrogen-evolving enzyme systems. Researchers are addressing this issue by screening for naturally occurring organisms that are more tolerant of oxygen, and by creating new genetic forms of the organisms that can sustain hydrogen production in the presence of oxygen. A new system is also being developed that uses a metabolic switch (sulfur deprivation) to cycle algal cells between a photosynthetic growth phase and a hydrogen production phase.
Related presentations and publications:
- Comparing Photosynthetic and Photovoltaic Efficiencies and Recognizing the Potential for Improvement. R. Blankenship, D. Tiede, J. Barber, G. Brudvig, G. Fleming, M. Ghirardi, M. Gunner, W. Junge, D. Kramer, A. Melis, T. Moore, C. Moser, D. Nocera, A. Nozik, D. Ort, W. Parson, R. Prince, and R. Sayre. Science. Volume 332. (May 2011)
- Design of a New Biosensor for Algal Hydrogen Production Based on the Hydrogen-Sensing System of Rhodobacter Capsulatus. Matt Wecker, Jonathan Meuser, Matthew Posewitz, and Maria Ghirardi. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Volume 36. (August 2011)
- Biological Systems for Hydrogen Photoproduction. Maria Ghirardi, Paul King, Kath Ratcliff, Sharon Smolinski, Pin-Ching Maness, and Michael Seibert. Excerpt from the Department of Energy's 2010 Annual Progress Report. (February 2011)
- Truncated Antenna Mutant of Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Can Produce More Hydrogen than the Parental Strain. Sergey Kosourov, Maria Ghirardi, and Michael Seibert. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Volume 36. (February 2011)
- Photosynthetic Electron Partitioning Between [FeFe] Hydrogenase and Ferredoxin: NADP+-Oxidoreductase (FNR) Enzymes in Vitro. Iftach Yacoby, Sergii Pochekailov, Hila Toporik, Maria Ghirardi, Paul King, and Shuguang Zhang. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Volume 108. (June 2011)
Contacts: Maria Ghirardi 303-384-6312
Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
The cleanest way to produce hydrogen is by using sunlight to directly split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Multijunction cell technology developed by the photovoltaic industry is being used for photoelectrochemical (PEC) light harvesting systems that generate sufficient voltage to split water and are stable in a water/electrolyte environment. The NREL PEC system produces hydrogen from sunlight without the expense and complication of electrolyzers, at a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 12.4% lower heating value using captured light. Research is underway to identify more efficient, lower cost materials and systems that are durable and stable against corrosion in an aqueous environment.
Related presentations and publications:
- Cobalt-Phosphate (Co-Pi) Catalyst Modified Mo-Doped BiVO4 Photoelectrodes for Solar Water Oxidation. Satyananda Kishore Pilli, Thomas Furtak, Logan Brown, Todd Deutsch, John Turner, and Andrew Herring. Energy and Environmental Science. Issue 12. (October 2011)
- Nanoporous Black Silicon Photocathode for Hydrogen Production by Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. Jihun Oh, Todd Deutsch, Hao-Chih Yuan, and Howard Branz. Energy and Environmental Science. Issue 5. (April 2011)
- Semiconductor Materials for Photoelectrolysis. John Turner, Todd Deutsch, Heli Wang, Yanfa Yan, Mowafak Al-Jassim, and Le Chen. Excerpt from the Department of Energy's 2010 Annual Progress Report. (February 2011)
- Photoelectrochemical Materials: Theory and Modeling. Yanfa Yan, Wanjian Yin, Muhammad Huda, Su-Huai Wei, Mowafak Al-Jassim, and John Turner. Excerpt from the Department of Energy's 2010 Annual Progress Report. (February 2011)
- Accelerating Materials Development for Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Hydrogen Production: Standards for Methods, Definitions, and Reporting Protocols. Zhebo Chen, Thomas Jaramillo, Todd Deutsch, Alan Kleiman-Shwarsctein, Arnold Forman, Nicolas Gaillard, Roxanne Garland, Kazuhiro Takanabe, Clemens Heske, Mahendra Sunkara, Eric McFarland, Kazunari Domen, John Turner, and Huyen Dinh. Journal of Materials Research. Volume 25. (January 2010)
Contact: John Turner 303-275-4270, Todd Deutsch 303-275-3727
Conversion of Biomass and Wastes
Hydrogen can be produced via pyrolysis or gasification of biomass resources such as agricultural residues like peanut shells; consumer wastes including plastics and waste grease; or biomass specifically grown for energy uses. Biomass pyrolysis produces a liquid product (bio-oil) that contains a wide spectrum of components that can be separated into valuable chemicals and fuels, including hydrogen. NREL researchers are currently focusing on hydrogen production by catalytic reforming of biomass pyrolysis products. Specific research areas include reforming of pyrolysis streams and development and testing of fluidizable catalysts.
Related presentations and publications:
- Distributed Bio-Oil Reforming. Stefan Czernik, Richard French, and Michael Penev. Excerpt from the Department of Energy's 2010 Annual Progress Report. (February 2011)
- Production of Synthesis Gas by Partial Oxidation and Steam Reforming of Biomass Pyrolysis Oils. David Rennard, Rick French, Stefan Czernik, Tyler Josephson, and Lanny Schmidt. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. Volume 35, Issue 9. (May 2010)
- Hydrogen from Biomass-Production by Steam Reforming of Biomass Pyrolysis Oil. Stefan Czernik, Robert Evans, and Richard French. Catalysis Today. Volume 129, Issues 3. (December 2007)
Contacts: Stefan Czernik 303-384-7703, Richard Bain 303-384-7765
Solar Thermal Water Splitting
NREL researchers have demonstrated that highly concentrated sunlight can be used to generate the high temperatures needed to split methane into hydrogen and carbon. Concentrated solar energy can also be used to generate temperatures of several hundred to over 2,000 degrees at which thermochemical reaction cycles can be used to produce hydrogen. Such high-temperature, high-flux solar driven thermochemical processes offer a novel approach for the environmentally benign production of hydrogen. Very high reaction rates at these elevated temperatures give rise to very fast reaction rates that enhance the production rates significantly and more than compensate for the intermittent nature of the solar resource.
Related presentations and publications:
- Rapid High Temperature Solar Thermal Biomass Gasification in a Prototype Cavity Reactor. Paul Lichty, Chris Perkins, Bryan Woodruff, Carl Bingham, and Al Weimer. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Volume 132. (February 2010)
- Development of a Solar-Thermal ZnO/Zn Water-Splitting Thermochemical Cycle. A.W. Weimer, C. Perkins, P. Lichty, H. Funke, J. Zartman, D. Hirsch, C. Bingham, A. Lewandowski, S. Haussener, and A. Steinfeld. (April 2009)
- Solar Thermal Reactor Materials Characterization. P.R. Lichty, A.M. Scott, C.M. Perkins, C. Bingham, and A.W. Weimer. (February 2008)
Contact: Carl Bingham 303-384-7477
Renewable Electrolysis
Renewable energy sources such as photovoltaics, wind, biomass, hydro, and geothermal can provide clean and sustainable electricity for our nation. However, renewable energy sources are naturally variable, requiring energy storage or a hybrid system to accommodate daily and seasonal changes. One solution is to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis—splitting with an electric current—of water and to use that hydrogen in a fuel cell to produce electricity during times of low power production or peak demand, or to use the hydrogen in fuel cell vehicles.
NREL's Distributed Energy Resource Test Facility is an ideal location for examining the issues related to renewable energy sources and hydrogen production via the electrolysis of water. The facility offers the flexibility of interconnecting various renewable sources to electrolyzers and their hydrogen-producing stacks. NREL is testing integrated electrolysis systems and investigating options for improved designs that will lower capital costs and enhance performance of the naturally varying power input from renewable sources to the electrolyzer.
Learn more about NREL's hydrogen production cost analysis, renewable electrolysis research, and the wind-to-hydrogen project, which uses electricity from wind turbines and solar panels to produce hydrogen.
Contact: Kevin Harrison 303-384-7091 or Chris Ainscough 303-275-3781
