Aluminium – Water hydrogen generator for domestic and mobile application

• Published in: Applied energy 2023-03, Vol.334, p.120693, Article 120693
• Main Authors: Zhuk, A.Z., Shkolnikov, E.I., Borodina, T.I., Valiano, G.E., Dolzhenko, A.V., Kiseleva, E.A., Kochanova, S.A., Filippov, E.D., Semenova, V.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Hydrogen Energy; Hydrogen Generator; Hydrogen production; Hydrothermal Oxidation of Aluminium; Metal Fuel
• ISSN: 0306-2619
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.120693

•Energy independent, fully automated Hydrogen generator of the original design is presented.•The average rate of hydrogen evolution was more than 30 ml/sec*g Al at the hydrogen yield 95–99 %.•Hydrogen releases at the reaction of activated Al with water of initial temperature 70–100 °C.•Al was activated by Bismuth (3.5 wt%) and Tin (1.5 wt%) in a vibrating mill in dry argon atmosphere.•Hydrogen cost is estimated by 5–8 USD/kg H2. The study reports a novel hydrogen generation system. The system comprises Al based hydrogen generating composition with a reduced content of activating additives and an original fully automated Al-water hydrogen generator with capsule supply of hydrogen generating composition. The hydrogen generating composition was synthesized by means of mechanochemical activation of aluminum powder. Bi − 3.5 wt%. and Sn − 1.5 wt%. were used as activating additives. The combination of the proposed hydrogen generating composition and the design features of the generator made it possible to provide a high rate of hydrogen evolution (more than 30 ml/sec*g) and a hydrogen yield of 95–99 %. A high rate of hydrogen evolution was ensured by maintaining a temperature of at least 70 °C in the reaction zone. The heat of the aluminum oxidation reaction was utilized to maintain the necessary temperature. Based on the obtained experimental data, an assumption about the mechanism of the initial stage of the Al oxidation reaction was made. Some feasibility estimations of the hydrogen generation system are presented as well.