Cidaut technological capabilities - Hydrogen

Hydrogen

Research and development of hydrogen technologies

Cidaut is a pioneer in the research and development of hydrogen technologies in our country. We research and develop technologies for the production of clean hydrogen and its subsequent application in transportation and buildings. We have experimental facilities, tools and theoretical models for research in hydrogen technologies, biomass, propulsion systems and biofuels...

Hydrogen production

Our complete infrastructure where electrochemical devices based on the use of H2 are characterized and validated, covers the testing scope from single cells to fuel cells, including stacks:

  • On-site hydrogen generation facility through electrolysis and pressurized hydrogen storage (up to 55 kg H2)
  • Electrical load emulation up to 250kW
  • High precision and high sampling frequency V, I measurement equipment (1-2MHz)
  • Equipment for carrying out high-power complex impedance tests (current ripple amplitude 60 Amps peak-peak) on stacks
  • Other installation auxiliaries: gas lines to work with a mixture of gases as anodic and cathodic current; 200kW cooling tower for thermal dissipation, security PLC and gas control unit.
  • Thermofluidomechanical design of components (refrigeration, pressure loss, durability, balance, reagents, etc.)
  • Selection of materials for the different elements (corrosion, conduction, manufacturing, sealing)
  • Selection and development of manufacturing methods (stamping, molding, electrodeposition, coating)
  • Development of plant balance equipment for electrolyzers to optimize performance depending on the application
  • Development of operation strategies for electrolysis systems.
  • Energy integration in electrolysis systems to improve energy efficiency.

 

CIDAUT designs, develops and manufactures systems for the production of hydrogen from wet reforming of renewable substances, such as biogas or bioalcohols. This development focuses on: 

  • Thermofluidomechanical design of components 
  • Selection of materials for the different elements (corrosion, conduction, manufacturing, sealing)
  • Selection and development of manufacturing methods 
  • Development of operating strategies for the reforming system.
  • Energy integration to improve the energy efficiency of the renovation process.

Storage/Transport

  • Development of carrier synthesis processes (Methane, Methanol, NH3), and their subsequent transformation and use in different thermochemical and electrochemical applications: synthesis of Methanol, Methane and NH3 from H2 renewable; total or partial transformation to obtain H2; mixtures of H2, NH3, N2 for use in fuel cells (with higher purity requirements), and in combustion engines (where H2/NH3 mixtures are a very advantageous fuel). 
    • Catalytic synthesis processes of methanol, methane and NH3
    • Catalytic decomposition processes methanol and NH3 to H2
    • Validation of H2 separation technologies
    • Integration of decomposers and power plant (MCIA, TG, PEMFC)
    • Combustion of NH3 and H2/ NH3 mixtures
    • NH3 safety facilities (storage and use)
  • Development of pressure H2 storage devices.

Uses of hydrogen

CIDAUT develops stacks and fuel cells tailored to the expected use requirements. This development focuses on:

  • Thermofluid-mechanical design of the bipolar plates (cooling, pressure loss, durability, reactive balance, etc.)
  • Integration of MEAS for specific operation requirements (low Pt, contaminant resistance, durability, etc.)
  • Selection of materials for the different elements (corrosion, conduction, manufacturing, sealing)
  • Selection and development of manufacturing methods (stamping, molding, electrodeposition, coating)
  • Development of fuel cell plant balance equipment to optimize performance depending on the application

With the aim of replacing conventional electricity generation systems with fuel cell-based electrical systems (trams, tourist vehicles, river boats, port cranes, domestic cogeneration, etc.), CIDAUT works in the following areas:

  • Sizing adjusted to the use of the elements to be integrated (batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, converters, electric motors).
  • Development of control strategies (duration, benefits)
  • Packaging and integration of components in available space
  • Behavior simulation and validation at scale

The decarbonization of the industry involves reducing the use of fossil fuels and searching for alternatives that do not emit CO2 and other pollutants into the environment. Along these lines, the use of H2 as fuel is postulated, as well as mixtures of H2 with other gases such as natural gas (NG) and ammonia (NH3). The technology offered by CIDAUT means:

  • Evaluation of the properties of H2 and mixtures with NG, NH3 and the degree of fuel substitution depending on the application requirements.
  • Design of combustion systems and modifications using thermofluiddynamic (CFD) and thermochemical simulation tools for different degrees of mixing of H2, NG, NH3 and study of the impact of the introduction of H2 in new or existing facilities.
  • Experimental evaluation of burner designs and validation of the implemented simulation models.
  • Definition of the implementation in thermal equipment and thermal engines.
  • Risk assessment and definition of security strategies.

CIDAUT has:

  • Combustion cells of different scales.
  • Multispectral camera to determine combustion species (TELOPS IRC-FAST-Multiespectral M350 16 GB).
  • Commercial and proprietary fluid-dynamic and thermochemical design codes.

Test facilities

The HyCID experimental laboratory includes equipment for the research and development of hydrogen technologies linked to both electrochemical and thermochemical processes.

  • On-site hydrogen generation facility using alkaline electrolyzer for the production of 8,6 Nm3/h of H2 and hydrogen compression and storage system at a pressure of 30-400bar (up to 55 kg of H2).
  • Instrumented gas supply lines H2, CO2, O2, air, N2 for different experiment configurations.

The objective of this laboratory is to carry out tests and developments for the use of electrochemical H2 from a scale of monocells, stacks or complete fuel cells with their entire plant balance. These are testing facilities for energy systems based on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Equipment:

  • Electrical load emulation up to 250kW
  • AVL PUMA® Fuel CellTesting Fuel Cell Testing Interface
  • Equipment for electrochemical studies of single cell and stack up to 5 kW
  • High precision and high sampling rate (1-2MHz) LV measurement equipment
  • Equipment for high power complex impedance testing (current ripple amplitude 60 Amps peak to peak) in stacks
  • 200kW cooling tower for thermal dissipation, safety PLC.

The objective of this laboratory is to carry out tests and developments linked to thermochemical processes with H2, as is the use of H2 as fuel from a thermal point of view, such as in the development of conversion processes to carriers (ammonia and methanol), as well as their subsequent use or reconversion to H2. Equipment:

  • H combustion boiler2 and GN+H mixtures2 and heat exchange system: cylindrical hearth 1,5 meters long and 0,5 m in diameter provided with a refractory lining to withstand the high temperatures of internal combustion (up to 1.800ºC). It includes five large viewing windows for combustion analysis using the multispectral thermal imaging camera.
  • Multispectral camera for combustion analysis: TELOPS IRC-FAST-Multiespectral M350 16 GB. It allows the scene to be divided into eight spectral bands instead of a single broadband image for the analysis of different species. It has different filters to analyze the distribution of species during the combustion process.
  • Gas analyzer: MicroGCAgilent 990 with two carrier gases (Ar and He) and four channels to provide a greater spectrum of measurement compounds such as CO2, CO, CH₄, C hydrocarbons2-C₄, H2S, N.H.3, H2, N2, O2, polar compounds such as ethanol, methanol, acetone and acetic acid. It allows the measurement of gases containing NH3 and its quantification has been incorporated.