Integrated Membrane Water Gas Shift Reactor for Hydrogen Production

As petroleum and natural gas supplies decrease and costs increase, there is great interest in producing clean fuels from biomass and from coal, the nation¿s lowest-cost and most abundant fossil fuel resource, while sequestering carbon. The separation of hydrogen from syngas is an enabling technology for both clean coal and biomass energy systems. This project will develop a water-gas-shift (WGS) membrane reactor that allows for the production of pure hydrogen from biomass and coal derived syngas. By combining the WGS reaction with the selective removal of one of the reaction products (H2), the reaction will be thermodynamically driven in a forward direction. Thus, a single reactor can be operated, simultaneously, at higher temperatures and with high conversion without the requirement of multiple stages and high cost. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: If successful, the proposed technology would represent a significant advancement in one of the critical steps required to achieving low cost, renewable hydrogen. In addition to serving the energy market, the proposed technology also would have application to the electronic, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries