Process and Plant Engineering for Chemical Hydrogen Storage (INW-4)
Process and Plant Engineering for Chemical Hydrogen Storage (INW-4)
INW-4 – Process and Plant Engineering is concerned with overall processes and plants for the production, storage, transportation, and use of chemical hydrogen carriers such as ammonia, alcohols, and ethers, as well as liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC). The use cases focus on the H2 release of the carriers, integrated with H2-consuming processes, power production, and high-temperature applications. For the carbon-based carriers, such as methanol or DME, carbon capture and recycling are always included in the process design. Across all cases, the development of the overall process is guided by the criteria of sustainability, economic efficiency, and ease of technology implementation. Evaluating the processes according to these criteria is integral to the development and enables feedback for improvement at an early stage. Process optimization and design consider both the steady state process and dynamic operation. The success of chemical hydrogen storage depends on integrating hydrogen consumers into the overall system and the load-flexible production of hydrogen carriers, which benefits the system and is thus particularly effective. The development of load-flexible processes and their integration into systems require new approaches in process analysis, process design, control and automation, and the integration of storage systems into the process design. The holistic approach to developing new processes at INW-4 is supported by experimental testing of the technologies and processes at the laboratory, mini-, and pilot plant scales to implement the new technologies in practice.
Institute for a Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW)
Building Brainergy-Park-Jülich / Room 0
+49 2461/61-84176
E-Mail
Secretariat
Departments of the Institute
Experimental Technology Testing
This department develops the INW-4 process plants-from the initial idea to practical implementation- and supports their final operation. Our contribution to plant development covers all phases of process engineering, safety considerations, process automation, sensor technology, analytics, and data processing. In terms of plant size, our spectrum ranges from typical laboratory plants to pilot plants in 40-foot containers. We work closely with researchers from our technology platforms and external partners.
This department offers expertise in integrating evaluation methods and process control aspects into process and plant design. We are convinced that better results can be achieved by considering these aspects during the design phase rather than at the end of the design process, as is often the case.
This department develops and designs processes and equipment for carbon-based hydrogen carriers. The focus molecules are methanol (MeOH), dimethyl ether (DME) and synthetic natural gas (SNG). The technologies investigated range from load-flexible carrier synthesis from CO2 or biogenic sources over transport and storage aspects to the use case integration in industrial context and the existing energy infrastructure. To address these challenges, the department brings together expertise in process simulation, carbon capture, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the modeling of thermophysical properties.
The “Technology Platform Inorganic Hydrogen Carrier” focuses on the development and integration of catalytic processes for the synthesis and cracking of green ammonia.
The “Technology Platform LOHC” focuses on the development and integration of catalytic processes for the storage and release of hydrogen from liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC).
