Northwestern University researchers find method that uses only renewable electricity; green hydrogen is pure and does not need separation
Here’s an article posted in Lab Manager.
According to the article,
- A novel technique, discovered by researchers at the Northwestern University, seamlessly converts ammonia into green hydrogen using only renewable electricity, presenting a game-changer in the realm of renewable energy
- The process offers a significant leap towards sustainable practices, addressing environmental concerns associated with traditional ammonia production.
- By eliminating the carbon footprint tied to ammonia production, this technique contributes to a cleaner and greener energy ecosystem.
Here are a list of advantages that this new method has over traditional methods:
- Temperature: The new technique operates at lower temperatures (250°C) compared to traditional methods (500-600°C)
- Pure Hydrogen Generation: The process produces pure hydrogen without the need to separate from unreacted ammonia or other products, thus avoiding extra steps and cutting energy losses.
- Electrochemical Cell: The transformation is accomplished using an electrochemical cell with a proton-conducting membrane and an ammonia-splitting catalyst, guaranteeing a more efficient and precise reaction.
- Le Chatelier’s Principle: The reaction is driven forward by continually pulling off the hydrogen, which is known as Le Chatelier’s principle. This ensures that the reaction goes further than it would otherwise, resulting in higher efficiency.
- Cost-Effectiveness: The lower operating temperatures and energy requirements of the new technique make it potentially more cost-effective compared to traditional methods.
These advantages make the new technique a significant improvement over traditional methods for converting ammonia into green hydrogen.
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
High-Purity Hydrogen Production Using Helbio’s Ammonia Cracker
- Helbio unveiled an “ammonia cracker” prototype delivering ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion rates greater than 99.3%, with a hydrogen purification unit removing 100% of ammonia traces, enabling feed of a PEM fuel cell with fuel quality according to ISO 14687:2019.