Catalytically active plate heat exchanger for flexible hydrogen release from perhydro benzyltoluene
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In the future energy system, hydrogen is expected to play an important role as a large-scale energy storage option. The liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) technology enables safe and long-term hydrogen storage using the existing tank infrastructure available from the current fossil fuel products. On-demand hydrogen release from LOHC systems followed by its use in fuel cells or combined cycle power plants (CCP) can provide green electricity to the grid in a load flexible manner. However, to serve fast load changes in the grid, highly dynamic LOHC dehydrogenation reactors with fast response times are required. In this study, we demonstrate a catalytic plate reactor (CPR) derived from the design of conventional plate heat exchangers for the continuous and dynamic dehydrogenation of perhydro benzyltoluene. The surface of corrugated heat exchanger plates in the size of 15 × 15 cm has been catalytically activated by spray-coating and laser texturing techniques. These activated plates have been investigated in continuous operation under different stationary reaction conditions (290–340 °C; 2.5–5 bar a and 1–3 g H12-BT min −1 ) achieving technical relevant degrees of dehydrogenation (DoDHs) above 80 %, activities up to 0.27 mg H2 cm −2 min −1 and stable hydrogen release for several hundred hours of operation. Furthermore, the new CPR exhibited short hysteresis times when feed flow or reaction temperature were dynamically changed demonstrating impressively its suitability for on-demand hydrogen provision. Finally, the CPR was successfully operated following the dynamic load profile of a technical relevant CCP scenario. • Catalytic plate reactor allows efficient and on-demand release of H 2 from LOHCs. • Activated heat exchanger plates reach >80 % hydrogen yield in stable operation. • The reactor shows fast response to dynamic changes in flow and temperature. • Reactor allows to follow dynamic load profiles of a combined cycle power plant.
Authors: P. Nathrath, T. Hein, M. Li, F. Lederle, P. Wasserscheid, E.G. Hübner, P. Schühle
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,730
Awards: Verbundvorhaben: LOReley - Leistungsdichte H2-Freisetzung in LOHC-Reaktoren mittels effizienter Flächenkatalysatoren, Teil-VH: Laserstrukturierung von Katalysatorträgern für die LOHC-Dehydrierreaktion, SINATRA: FAIR-H2 - Ziel dieses Projektes ist die effiziente Herstellung von hochreinem Wasserstoff aus Abfallbiomasse in einem milden, dezentral anwendbaren Verfahren, das über das Zwischenprodukt wässrige Ameisensäure verläuft., Verbundvorhaben: LOReley - Leistungsdichte H2-Freisetzung in LOHC-Reaktoren mittels effizienter Flächenkatalysatoren, Teil-VH: Katalysator- und Reaktorentwicklung für leistungsdichte LOHC-Reaktoren
OpenAlex ID: W7116045091