Hydrogen Compression Cooling via Waste Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrogen production methods, such as steam reforming, are costly and energy-intensive, and the use of fossil fuels leads to high carbon dioxide emissions, while water electrolysis, although more sustainable, faces challenges with energy efficiency and high investment costs in hydrogen management systems.
Innovation Solution
A dihydrogen production system incorporating an electrolyser, compressor, and cooler with a thermal storage module using phase change materials and an expansion valve for efficient cryogenic energy conversion, optimizing the heat exchange process to reduce energy consumption and investment costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If water electrolysis is used for hydrogen production, then carbon dioxide emissions are reduced, but energy costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful waste heat generated during hydrogen compression into a beneficial cooling resource. The heat exchanger uses this waste heat to pre-cool the hydrogen before compression and to cool the compression chamber, transforming an energy loss into a useful cooling function that reduces overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter of the hydrogen throughout the compression process. By cooling the hydrogen before compression and during compression, the system optimizes the compression work required and manages the thermal effects, thereby reducing the total energy input needed for the compression operation.
2Quantity of substance
If hydrogen is compressed to high pressure for storage and distribution, then volumetric density increases, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary cooling of the hydrogen before it enters the compression chamber. This pre-cooling reduces the initial temperature of the hydrogen, which decreases the work required for compression and allows achieving higher volumetric density with lower energy input.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention recovers the waste heat from compression and uses it for beneficial purposes (pre-cooling and chamber cooling), thereby converting the harmful thermal effect into a useful resource that reduces the net energy consumption of the compression process.
3Reliability
If hydrogen is cooled to low temperature for distribution, then safety and handling improve, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses the waste heat from compression to provide the cooling function, transforming an energy loss into a useful cooling resource. This eliminates or significantly reduces the need for external cooling energy input while achieving the desired low temperature for safe hydrogen distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the compression process and cooling process into a single integrated system. The heat exchanger couples the hot compressed hydrogen with the incoming hydrogen, allowing heat transfer that cools the outgoing hydrogen without requiring external cooling energy.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a system (1) for producing dihydrogen, comprising: an electrolyser (2) suitable for performing water electrolysis and for producing dioxygen and dihydrogen; a dihydrogen compressor (3); a dihydrogen cooler (4); a main circuit (10) of dihydrogen from the electrolyser (2), on which at least the compressor (3) and the cooler (4) are successively arranged; and an auxiliary circuit (20) of dioxygen and residual water vapour from the electrolyser (2), the system being characterised in that it also includes: a condenser of said residual steam; the cooler (4) comprises an expander, an exchanger and a heat-storage module; the condenser, the expander and the exchanger being successively arranged on the auxiliary circuit (20), the exchanger establishing a heat exchange between the dihydrogen compressed by the compressor (3), the dioxygen expanded by the expander and the heat-storage module.