Concept for Temperature-Cascade Hydrogen Release from Organic Liquid Carriers Coupled with SOFC Power Generation

Summary: For a sustainable hydrogen economy, large-scale transportation and storage of hydrogen becomes increasingly important. Typically, hydrogen is compressed or liquified, but both processes are energy intensive. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) present a potential solution for mitigating these challenges while making use of the existing fossil fuel transportation infrastructure. Here, we present a process intensification strategy for improved LOHC dehydrogenation and an example of clean power generation using solid oxide fuel cells. Four LOHC candidates—ammonia, biphenyl-diphenylmethane eutectic mixture, N-phenylcarbazole, and N-ethylcarbazole—have been compared as stand-alone and integrated systems using comprehensive process simulation. “Temperature cascade” dehydrogenation was shown to increase the energy generated per unit mass (kWh/kg LOHC) by 1.3–2 times in an integrated system compared to stand-alone LOHC systems, thus providing a possibility for a positive impact on a LOHC-based hydrogen supply chain.