Novel Membranes for Electrochemical Hydrogen Compression Enabling Increased Pressure Capability and High Pumping Efficiency

Climate change and reduction in the cost of renewable energy systems have set the stage for wide-scale decarbonization of the energy economy. Adoption of hydrogen as an energy vector inevitably necessitates the infrastructure of technologies to enable distribution and storage of hydrogen. Xergy’s technological contribution addresses the need to efficiently compress hydrogen gas using electrochemical compression. Compared to traditional mechanical hydrogen compressors, electrochemical compressors should have significantly lower Capital Expense and Operational Expenses at scale. Technical features of electrochemical compression are a solid-state system capable of providing the most efficient compression while being vibration free and noiseless. This makes electrochemical compression more reliable and require less maintenance than conventional mechanical systems. A core component of electrochemical hydrogen compressors is a solid-state ionic membrane that conducts protons. In this program, Xergy along with its partner RPI, is developing a more advanced membrane that exhibits high proton conductivity, very high tensile strength, and the ability to operate at elevated temperatures with minimal humidification requirements. Our concept is to use an ion-pair system – two ionic systems are combined to provide exceptional ionic conductivity; the first immobile ion is anionic, and the second mobile counter ion is cationic. This combination facilitates improved proton transmission over conventional membranes and enhances mechanical resilience due to increased plasticity. Depending on the choice of ionic pair membrane, properties can be tuned to the specific application. In the SBIR phase I effort, Xergy and RPI synthesized 4 different ion-pair membranes and developed composite structures for testing. After considerable performance testing, physical modeling and durability reviews, the team down-selected to one membrane system. We then subsequently tested single cell electrochemical compressors to demonstrate operational feasibility to reduce investment risks and prepare for the SBIR phase II proposals for larger scale systems suitable for prototyping. In this SBIR phase II proposal, Xergy and RPI aim to scale up ionomer and membrane production and build pre-commercial prototypes. The team intends to conduct considerable durability tests in order to demonstrate the viability of this technology for commercial applications. Xergy will test its prototype system on-site at an industrial facility for validation and continue to survey the market for electrochemical compressor utility to determine the proper path for commercialization. Merchant, bulk hydrogen demand is currently a $135 Billion U.S. industry and is growing at an 8% compound annual growth rate. Electrochemical hydrogen compression fills a vital technological gap in hydrogen supply, storage, and its conversion chain. Xergy is a U.S. based technology company, sitting at the forefront of developing and commercializing this critical technology.