Development of a Highly Efficient Solid State Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor

With the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and a global requirement to develop a sustainable economy, hydrogen-based energy is becoming increasingly important. In the transportation sector, on-board storage of pure hydrogen may be required at pressures up to 10,000 psi, with compression of the hydrogen fuel ranging to 12,000 psi or even higher. However, the level of maturity of current hydrogen compressor technology is not adequate to meet these requirements. Existing compressors are inefficient and have many moving parts, resulting in significant component wear and therefore excessive maintenance. This project will develop an efficient, low-cost, solid-state electrochemical hydrogen compressor (EHC) based on Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) technology. Phase I will design, fabricate, and demonstrate an advanced, low-cost, solid-state, PEM hydrogen compressor cell capable of compressing hydrogen from 50 psi to 2,000 psi. In Phase II, the effort will be extended to develop electrochemical cell architectures capable of compressing hydrogen up to 12,000 psi. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The successful execution of this project should enable the conversion of low-pressure hydrogen, derived from on-site sources, to high purity high-pressure hydrogen for vehicular refueling. In addition, the proposed EHC should find use in industrial applications, such as refinery and ammonia plants. Moreover, the technology will be scalable, allowing the construction of solid-state compressors that can move large volumes of hydrogen through pipelines to meet infrastructure demands. Altogether, a multi-billion dollar market potential exists.