University of Birmingham develops low-temperature hydrogen production method
In Canada, Mugglehead Magazine reported that researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new hydrogen production method that could significantly reduce the cost and energy demands associated with generating the clean fuel.
The team said that the approach may allow factories to produce hydrogen using industrial waste heat instead of relying on extremely high temperatures or fossil fuels.
The research team used a perovskite catalyst to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen at temperatures ranging from 150 to 500 °C. Existing thermochemical systems generally require temperatures between 700 and 1000 °C for water splitting. Furthermore, many current catalysts require regeneration temperatures as high as 1300 to 1500 °C between operating cycles.
Professor Yulong Ding from the university’s School of Chemical Engineering led the project. He explained that the lower operating temperatures could allow hydrogen production facilities to sit closer to renewable energy sites and heavy industrial operations.
Ding also suggested local hydrogen production could reduce transportation and storage problems that currently limit broader adoption of hydrogen fuel technologies. Transporting hydrogen remains expensive because the gas requires specialized storage systems and infrastructure.
The researchers published their findings in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy on April 30. Additionally, the project involved collaboration with the University of Science and Technology Beijing.
Category: Research
