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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S25005/01
Title: An alternative technology for low temperature hydrogen production
Principal Investigator: Alpay, Dr E
Other Investigators:
Stepanek, Professor F
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
BNFL Engelhard Corporation
Department: Chemical Engineering
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Faraday (PreFEC)
Starts: 04 December 2003 Ends: 03 December 2006 Value (£): 70,650
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Catalysis & Applied Catalysis Reactor Engineering
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals Energy
Related Grants:
GR/S24985/01 GR/S24992/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The work aims to develop a novel technology for hydrogen production through Steam Methane Reforming. The concept of adsorption enhanced reaction utilised to overcome the reaction equilibria, and thus considerably reduce the operating temperature necessary for a particular production rate, and provic in-situ separation (concentration) of hydrogen gas. However, unlike previous studies in this area, the continuous flow of adsorbent within a packed or structured reactor is considered. Adsorbent regeneration is carried out outside the reactor, thus decoupling the reaction and regeneration phases, and enabling a steady-flow (non-periodic) process analogue for adsorption enhanced reaction. The novel process can be viewed as the adsorptive-reactor equivalent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process, but in which the adsorbent is the transported medium. Like the FCC process, the benefits of this process are exp to be substantial, with the excellent control of adsorbent residence time in this case, the continuous supply of feed to a single unit, and an integrated ene supply system. The work at ICSTM will focus on process modelling and optimisation so as to: (i) guide the experimental studies, e.g. optimal operating conditions and choice of catalyst and adsorbent combinations, (ii) evaluate catalyst arrangements other than a packed bed, such as parallel-passage and monolith arrangements, and (iii) to provide a detailed economic evaluation of identified process configurations.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk