Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015

Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cells

for
Hydrogen Energy Storage Systems

Hiroshi Ito, Akihiro Nakano

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
(AIST)

Naoki Miyazaki, Masayoshi Ishida

University of Tsukuba

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 1

 Outline

1. Background / Scope

2. R&D on Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell (URFC)

3. R&D on Hydrogen storage with metal hydride

4. Summary

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 2

 A Synergy between Hydrogen and Electricity

Grid Connected RE-Hydrogen System

 Hydrogen may be used as fuel in
almost every application where
fossil fuels are being used today.

 Hydrogen is useful as an energy

carrier, because energy storage
density is significantly high with
compressed form, liquefied form,
or metal hydride.

Grid Independent RE-Hydrogen System  From sustainability point of view,

a synergy between hydrogen and
electricity and renewable energy
sources is particularly promising.

 Hydrogen production with water

electrolysis must be suitable for
renewable energy sources.

. F. Barbir, Solar Energy 78 (2005) pp. 661-669.

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 3

 Totalized Hydrogen Energy Utilization System (THEUS)

Hydrogen station

To enhance the versatility of hydrogen energy in the industrial, the

commercial, and the transportation sectors through THEUS.

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 4

 Outline

 URFC and MH tank have been evaluated as key components of

hydrogen energy system in stationary applications.

 A bench-scale URFC was installed and would be evaluated as an energy

conversion system.

 MH tank was developed by own and evaluated in a long time operation.

 In particular, we have been focusing on the thermal energy recovery

from the both operations of URFC and MH tank.

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 5

 Overview of Unitized Reversible Fuel Cell (URFC)

URFC System Advantages

Pure Water  Long-term and large quantities of energy
storage compared to current secondary
URFC batteries.
Power Input Electrolyzer
Power Output  Continuous running permits to make a rate
Fuel Cell
(Ely) (FC) of operation double compared to individual
use of FC and Ely.
Heat
H2 H2
Water Hydrogen Storage O2/Air  Acquisition of oxygen as by-products
Unit

Cell reactions Possible applications

Electrolysis  Hydrogen energy storage system for load
Overall : H 2O(l ) → H 2 ( g ) + 1/ 2O 2 ( g ) leveling at buildings
H2 electrode (cathode) : 2H + + 2e− → H 2 ( g ) ↑  Remote hospital
O2 electrode (anode) : H 2O(l ) → 2H + + 1/ 2O 2 ( g ) ↑ +2e−
 Lake water purification
Fuel Cell  Remote UPS system
Overall : H 2 ( g ) + 1/ 2O 2 ( g ) = H 2 O(l )
H2 electrode (anode) : H 2 ( g ) → 2H + 2e
+ −

O2 electrode (cathode) : 1/ 2O 2 ( g ) + 2H + + 2e− → H 2O(l )

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 6

 Installation of a bench-scale URFC

URFC stack

←DC Load

←DC Power

←Chiller
DI water supply

Inside
Overview

• Installed in March 2014

• Supplied from Takasago Thermal Engineering Co.

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 7

 Specifications of bench-scale URFC

System
Input power (rated) 4.5 kW
Electrolysis
Gas production rate H2: 1.0Nm3/h, O2: 0.5Nm3/h
operation
Gas pressure H2: 0.9MPa(G)_max, O2: Atmospheric
Power output (rated) 0.8 kW
Fuel cell
H2 utilization >90%
operation
H2 pressure <0.05MPa(G)

Cell/stack
Membrane Nafion 115
H2 side Pt
Electrocatalyst
O2 side Pt/Ir-black
Active area 250 cm2

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 8

 Schematic draw of gas/liquid flows around URFC
Chiller

Pump-1 Circulation
pump BLW
Blower

H2 Air
Chiller
Membrane
Circulation
Pump-3 pump
humidifier

B
H2 Air / O2
Chiller

DI water
Chiller

Water
purifier

Pump-2
Water drain
Gas (H2)-water Circulation Gas (O2)-water
separator pump separator

Rated power
Component
consumption • Hydrogen is recirculated.
Cooling water pump (Pump-1) 90 W • Air is humidified using a membrane humidifier.
Water circulation pump (Pump-2) 60 W
H2 circulation pump (Pump-3) 26 W
Air blower (BLW) 500 W

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 9

 Electrolysis operation - i-V characteristics

At 40°C At 60°C
19 19
900 kPaG(40°C) 900 kPaG(60°C)

18 500 kPaG(40°C) 18 500 kPaG(60°C)

Cell stack voltage [V]

Cell stack voltage [V]

0 kPaG(40°C) 0 kPaG(60°C)
17 17

16 16

15 15

14 14
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
Current density [A/cm2] Current density [A/cm2]

The effect of temperature on the performance was

relatively large, while the effect of pressure was small.

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 10

 Fuel cell operation
10

9 70 °C
Cell stack voltage [V]

60 °C
8

4
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
Current density [A/cm2]

The cell/stack performance was significantly influenced by the

operating temperature, which should be higher than 60 °C.

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 11

 Continuous operation

Cell temp. H2 pressure

75℃→ ←0.9MPa

Voltage
←22V
Current
100A→ Cell temp. ←60℃

Voltage
7.9V→

Current
←250A

Fuel cell mode Electrolysis mode

Switching Switching
(ca. 5min)
Since the operation interface was well-organized, the system could be operated
and switched easily. Switching time was 5-10 min.
H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 12
 Experimental set-up of MH tank

Metal hydride bed in AIST

Schematic of the experimental set-up

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 13

 Metal Hydride Tank

(Metal hydride alloy)

- Japanese version -
Composition: MmNi5
Total weight: 50 kg
Size：500 μm
Reaction heat ∆h
Absorption： 28.93 kJ/molH2
Desorption： 27.87 kJ/molH2

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 14

 Individual absorption/desorption test results

P-C isotherm Absorption Desorption

Qcw = 6.84 MJ, ε = 89.4 % Qcw = 6.62 MJ, ε = 89.8 %

Operating conditions
（Absorption: 9 hour） Recoverd thermal energy from coolant: Qcw
H2 flow rate: 11.0 NL/min Reaction heat recovery rate：ε = (Qcw/QMHreact)×100
Circulation water : 32 ℃, 1.12 l/min
∵QMHreact = VH2×∆h
（Desorption: 13 hour）
H2 flow rate: 7.6 NL/min H/M=0.18-0.94
Circulation water : 12 ℃, 0.46 l/min MH utilization ratio: 94%
GH2: 5920 NL

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 15

 Absorption-desorption continuous test results

(a) P-C isotherm (b) Temperature of coolant

Reaction heat recovery rate, ε

Day1 AB 87.4 % DS 73.3 %
Day2 AB 75.4 % DS 72.5 %
Day3 AB 76.2 % DS 72.3 %

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 16

 Summary
In this study, we investigated the performance of URFC and MH tank as
key components of hydrogen storage system.

 The bench-scale URFC could operated quite successfully.

 The performance of each operation mode in URFC was comparable

with that of individual apparatus of PEM electrolyzer and PEMFC.

 MH tank was developed and tested in daily cycle operation.

 Reaction heat recovery rate was excellent as over 70 %.

 The connection between URFC and MH tank was completed, and

consolidated test is ongoing.

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 17

 Thank you very much for your attention!

Hiroshi Ito
[email protected]

H. Ito, Japan-Norway Energy Science Week 2015, 28 May 2015, Tokyo 18