National Center for Hydrogen Technology – Developing Strategic

Technologies for Today and our FutureDr. Gerald H. GroenewoldDr. Gerald H. Groenewold

DirectorDirector

Mountain States Hydrogen Business CouncilMountain States Hydrogen Business Council4th Annual Hydrogen Implementation Conference – July 22–24, 20084th Annual Hydrogen Implementation Conference – July 22–24, 2008

© 2008 University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center. All rights reserved.

Presentation SummaryPresentation Summary

• Introduction to the EERC

• The hydrogen opportunity

• NCHT – Seizing the opportunity through Partnerships

• CO2

• Water

• Moving forward

What Does the EERC Do?

• The EERC is recognized as one of the world's leading developers of:– Cleaner, more efficient and innovative energy technologies to guarantee

clean, reliable energy supplies for the United States and the world.– Environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and soil.

• The EERC is a research, development, demonstration, and commercialization (RDD&C) center.

• The EERC vigorously maintains a nonadvocacy position. • The EERC enhances any guarantee.• The EERC is NOT an academic enterprise.

“… the road to energy independence runs right through Grand Forks and up to the front doors of the EERC.”

–U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan

EERC Research, Development, EERC Research, Development, Demonstration, and CommercializationDemonstration, and Commercialization

Over 245,000 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities.

EERC FacilitiesEERC Facilities

Providing Strategic Solutions to Providing Strategic Solutions to Real-World ProblemsReal-World Problems

The EERC provides practical, cost-effective solutions to today's most critical energy and environmental issues and challenges.

Our research portfolio includes the

following:• Clean coal technologies• Coalbed methane• Underground coal gasification• Emission control

– SOx, NOx, air toxics, fine particulate, and CO2

• Mercury measurement and control• CO2 sequestration• Global climate change• Energy and water sustainability• Energy-efficient technologies• Distributed power generation –

various fuels• Hydrogen technologies

• Alternative fuels

– Ethanol, biodiesel, biojet, and strategic fuels for the military

• Biomass

• Wind energy

• Water management

• Flood prevention

• Waste utilization

• Contaminant cleanup

• Advanced analytical technologies/extraction technologies

• Pesticides and neurological diseases

Invention vs. InnovationInvention vs. Innovation

““Don’t invent somethingDon’t invent somethingthat nobody wants!”that nobody wants!”

–– Thomas Edison Thomas Edison

The EERC receives The EERC receives no state-appropriated funding no state-appropriated funding

for RDD&C that is not for RDD&C that is not competitive.competitive.

Willingness to Assume RiskWillingness to Assume Risk

Worldwide Clients Worldwide Clients

Since 1987, the EERC has had more than 1000 clients in all 50 states and 50 countries.

Client Specs:•  Government clients: 87•  Academia: 51 •  International market: 129•  Private corporations: 750

EERC Quick FactsEERC Quick Facts

• Total value of current EERC contract portfolio is $224 million.

• The EERC had 443 active contracts in FY08.

• In FY08, over 80% of contracts were with private sector partners.

• Total employment of over 320 highly skilled scientists, engineers, and support personnel, with about 20 new open positions.

EERC Centers of ExcellenceEERC Centers of Excellence

• Coal Utilization Technologies Center

• Emission Control Technologies Center

• The National Center for Hydrogen Technology

• Center for Climate Change and CO2 Sequestration

• Center for Air Toxic Metals® (CATM®)

• Centers for Renewable Energy and Biomass Utilization

• Water Management Center

• National Alternative Fuels Laboratory® (NAFL®)

• Supercritical and Subcritical Extraction Technologies Center

• Coal Ash Research Center

The EERC’s Centers of Excellence are leading the world in providing expertise in scientifically advanced energy systems and the prevention and cleanup of air, water, and soil pollution.

Ten Key Challenges/Issues Facing the Ten Key Challenges/Issues Facing the Global CommunityGlobal Community

1. Population growth2. Population growth3. Population growth4. Population growth5. Population growth6. Population growth7. Population growth8. Population growth9. Population growth10.Energy and water

U.S. Energy Consumption by Fuel Type 2005U.S. Energy Consumption by Fuel Type 2005 (Source: U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration)(Source: U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration)

Fuel Type Energy (quad. Btu) Percent

Coal 22.8 22.5

Natural Gas 19.8 domestic

3.8 imported

23.6 total

19.5 domestic

3.8 imported

23.3 total

Oil 13.2 domestic

26.6 imported

39.8 total

13 domestic

26.2 imported

39.2 total

TOTAL U.S. FOSSIL ENERGY CONSUMPTION

86.2 85.0

Nuclear

(no new facilities in 30 years)

8.4 8.3

Renewable

(largely hydroelectric and wood burning)

6.8 6.7

TOTAL U.S. ENERGY CONSUMPTION 101.4 100

““Predictions are hard, Predictions are hard, especially about the future.”especially about the future.”

– – Yogi BerraYogi Berra

Why Hydrogen?Why Hydrogen?

Source:: DOE

* Hydrogen production from waste heat and low-cost electricity.

*

Hydrogen Production is Not Hydrogen Production is Not NewNew

• Over 9 million tons of hydrogen is produced annually in the United States today.

• The two primary hydrogen uses currently are for producing fertilizers and for hydrocracking petroleum.

• The EERC is not reinventing the wheel; instead, we are working on better tires.– Hydrogen from renewable sources– Coal-to-hydrogen– Handling product impurities– Developing and demonstrating hydrogen uses– Etc.

Hydrogen Economy IssuesHydrogen Economy Issues

• Transportation issues– Hydrogen storage– Hydrogen production– Fuel cell cost

• Power generation and infrastructure issues– Difficulty in obtaining insurance– Codes and standards– Hydrogen delivery

• Public acceptance– Education and outreach

“There is nothing more frightening than ignorance in action.” — Mark Twain

Hydrogen SafetyHydrogen Safety

Hydrogen Flammability TestingHydrogen Flammability Testing

Source: Rocky Mountain Institute

Hydrogen Leak Fire Gasoline Leak Fire

Tests at Miami University• 3000 ft³/min of hydrogen was leaked from a vehicle tank and

set on fire.• An increase of only 1°–2°C on the inside of the car.• The outside vehicle temperature rose no higher than the

temperature of a car sitting in the sun.

Evolution of the Hydrogen Evolution of the Hydrogen EconomyEconomy

The evolution of the hydrogen economy is not a paradigm shift—it is a fuel transition—analogous

to the evolution to natural gas.

NicheVehicles

Off-RoadVehicles

SmallFleets

Light-DutyVehicles

All GroundTransportation

MobileRefuelers

DistributedProduction

Centralized andDistributedProduction

ExtensiveDistribution

Systems(pipelines)

Hydrogen Economy

Transition to HydrogenTransition to Hydrogen

Today

Utilization

Hydrogen Is Ready for Deployment

Production

Natural Gas to HydrogenNatural Gas to Hydrogen

• For hydrogen production from natural gas to replace even one-third of gasoline use for transportation, all of the natural gas currently used (6.9 trillion cubic feet) for the generation of electricity in the United States would be required.1

– Represents 30% of all natural gas usage

– Results in the production of 46 billion kg of H2 or the equivalent of 46 billion gallons of gas.2

– In 2007, the United States consumed 142 billion gallons of finished motor gasoline.1

• Currently, 8 billion kg of H2 is produced in the United States each year, and about 95% of the hydrogen is derived from natural gas reforming.3

1. Source: Energy Information Association (tonto.eia.doe.gov).2. Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Production via Natural Gas Steam Reforming, NREL, 2001.3. U.S. Department of Energy, Fossil Energy (www.fossil.energy.gov)

Coal-to-Hydrogen OpportunityCoal-to-Hydrogen Opportunity

• Coal can be a cornerstone for the diverse hydrogen supply mix, with integration of hydrogen production into coproduction of power and synthetic fuels.

• The United States has more than one-quarter of the world’s coal reserves, with a supply that will last over 250 years at current mining rates.

• About 12% more coal would need to be mined and converted to hydrogen to serve one-third of the transportation demand.

Tremendous opportunity to increase domestic energy supply without adding transmission capacity includes hydrogen, power, advanced tactical fuels for the military, fuels for energy markets, and specialty chemicals.

Teamed with carbon management, coal-to-hydrogen technology can help meet the main goals of a hydrogen economy (energy security, environmental benefits, and economic advantages).

The United States Is Poised to The United States Is Poised to Support a Hydrogen EconomySupport a Hydrogen Economy

Coal is the bridge to the hydrogen economy

The National Center for The National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT)Hydrogen Technology (NCHT)

The EERC was designated in November 2004 as the National Center for Hydrogen Technology.

The EERC has more than 50 years of experience with hydrogen production and fuel cell technologies.

National Center for Hydrogen TechnologyNational Center for Hydrogen Technology

The National Center for The National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT)Hydrogen Technology (NCHT)

Current and pending contracts in the NCHT include nearly $60 million in funding for the following programmatic areas:

• Hydrogen from coal• Hydrogen on demand• Battlefield hydrogen (JP-8)• Biomass-to-hydrogen program• Integrated hydrogen and

ethanol production• Wind-to-hydrogen• FutureGen• Materials for hydrogen utilization• Hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles

The Market Must Pull Technology

H2

EERC – NCHTDOE, DOD, USDA

Ind

ust

ry

Over 70 partnerships to

date.

NCHT – Strategy of PartnershipsNCHT – Strategy of Partnerships

Aboriginal Cogeneration Company

Advanced Biomass Gasification Technologies

Agricultural Utilization Research Institute

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Appareo Systems

Ballard Power Systems

BMC Construction

BNI Coal Company

Basin Electric Power Cooperative

Bobcat Company

CEO Praxis Inc.

Chippewa Valley Ethanol Producers

City of Grand Forks

Corning

CRI-Criterion, Inc.

Dakota Gasification Company

Dakota Westmoreland Corporation

Diversified Energy

Dynetek

Enersis

ePower Synergies, Inc.

Fisher Motors

General Hydrogen

Grand Forks Army National Guard

Hydrogen Program Partners

Grand Forks Air Force Base

Great River Energy

H2Gen Innovations

HT Veramix

Hydrovolt Energy Systems, Inc.

Hyster Company

Idatech

Kraus Global Inc.

Lorzig Ceramics

Microbeam Technologies, Inc.

Minnesota Corn Growers Association

Minnesota Corn Research Council

Minot Area Chamber of Commerce

Minnesota Power Company

Minnkota Power Cooperative

Montana-Dakota Utilities

Nextech Materials

North American Coal Corporation

North Dakota Army National Guard

North Dakota Association of Rural Cooperatives

North Dakota Centers of Excellence

North Dakota Corn Utilization Council

North Dakota Department of Commerce

North Dakota Industrial Commission

Nuvera Fuel Cells

Porvair Filtration Group

Prairie Public Broadcasting, Inc.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Inc.

Red River Valley Research Corridor

Resurfice Corporation

Rio Tinto

SGL Carbon

Siemens Power Generation

Sud Chemie, Inc.

TXU Power

ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc.

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Army

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering

Research Laboratory

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S. Department of Energy

United Technologies Research Center

Verendrye Electric Cooperative

Worldwide Environmental Energy Systems, Inc.

Xcel Energy

NCHT-Selected Projects

Distributed ProductionDistributed ProductionLiquid Fuels to HydrogenLiquid Fuels to Hydrogen

“Traditional” Concept

On-Demand High-Pressure Reforming Concept

Construction EngineeringResearch Laboratory (CERL)

Significantly reducing costs by removing the need for H2 compression and large-scale storage.

This technology is currently moving toward commercial deployment.

High-Pressure Hydrogen PurificationHigh-Pressure Hydrogen Purification

Electrical Swing Adsorption (ESA)

• ESA is very similar to the commercial process known as pressure swing adsorption, except that the composite is regenerated by passing a low-voltage current through it.

• Low-pressure ESA is being developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for purifying hydrogen gas streams.

• The EERC is working with ORNL to develop ESA for high-pressure applications using high-density activated carbons.

Demonstrating a method for producing a high-purity hydrogen at extremely high pressures to take advantage of high-pressure processes.

Centralized ProductionCentralized ProductionCoal Gasification/Coal to HydrogenCoal Gasification/Coal to Hydrogen

• Advancement of coal gasification for production of hydrogen, synthetic liquids, and power

• Evaluate warm-gas cleanup: – Particulate and trace element control, including

mercury.– Sulfur removal to meet limits required for use of

hydrogen in refineries, chemical production, and fuel cells.

– Test methods of ammonia removal.– Test carbon dioxide separation and removal

technologies in order to produce a clean hydrogen stream and CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or sequestration.

– Test hydrogen separation materials.

Pilot-scale transport reactor (scale-up to Wilsonville, Alabama, system).

Producing economical, high-purity hydrogen from coal.

Compact Reformer for Hydrogen Compact Reformer for Hydrogen ProductionProduction

* Courtesy of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

The EERC NCHT is partnered with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) to develop, demonstrate, and commercialize PWR’s new, compact hydrogen production technology.

Wind-to-Hydrogen (W2H2) ProjectWind-to-Hydrogen (W2H2) Project

• Wind-to-hydrogen demonstration in Minot, North Dakota

• Twin 1.2-MW wind turbines• Stuart Energy electrolysis unit and

filling station• Three IC hydrogen vehicles

Evaluating and demonstrating intermittent hydrogen production from wind and integration with grid.

Hydrogen, Liquid Fuels, and Power Hydrogen, Liquid Fuels, and Power Production from BiomassProduction from Biomass

• Multifuel gasification system

• Integrate for:

– Power production

– Hydrogen production

– Methanol production

– Demonstration system operation at GF Truss Plant

– Next-generation system in design stage

Downdraft Gasifier

Demonstration of a reliable, simplistic, economical method of converting solid fuels into hydrogen, liquid fuels, and power.

Multiple ProjectsMultiple Projects

Materials Development for Hydrogen Materials Development for Hydrogen ApplicationsApplications

• Many hydrogen applications require advanced materials that provide high-temperature tolerance, increased strength, and improved corrosion resistance.

• Traditional welding cannot be used to join this family of alloys.

• Initial joints have outperformed base materials.

The EERC NCHT is working with Siemens Power Generation to develop and apply new joining techniques for specialty materials for hydrogen applications.

NCHT – Strategy includes integration of hydrogen end-use technology development and demonstration with hydrogen production and purification.

Hydrogen End-Use DemonstrationsHydrogen End-Use Demonstrations

COCO22 and Water Are Key Considerations and Water Are Key Considerations

for Future Hydrogen Productionfor Future Hydrogen Production

H2 Economy

Water – Critical Resource

CO2 Separation and Sequestration

Fuel

Carbon management (CO2) is the gatekeeper for long-term fossil energy use:– Oil– Coal– Natural gas

Major OpportunityMajor Opportunity

• CO2 is a resource, not a pollutant.

• The use of sequestered CO2 can enhance oil and gas production.

• CO2 is also a versatile solvent for many industrial applications.

Center for Climate Change and COCenter for Climate Change and CO22

SequestrationSequestration

• The EERC is one of the leading organizations selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine the best ways to manage our country’s CO2 emissions.

• The EERC’s Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership is the largest of seven lead organizations around the nation heading up an effort to meet the President’s Global Climate Change Initiative.

• The EERC PCOR Partnership was awarded $67 million to advance commercialization of climate change technologies to capture and permanently store greenhouse gases. This award is the EERC’s largest single award to date.

PCOR Partnership Region

Nine states and four provinces

1,362,089 square miles

The PCOR Partnership has brought together the key stakeholders to make geologic CO2 sequestration a viable

option for carbon management in our region.

Phase III: Demonstration TestsPhase III: Demonstration Tests

Phase III: Williston Basin Project Phase III: Williston Basin Project OverviewOverview

• Capture at least 500,000 tons/yr of CO2 at existing coal-fired power plant in central North Dakota.

• Transport via pipeline to Williston Basin oil field.

• Meet or exceed all of the DOE Phase III objectives.

• Conduct activities to document the efficacy of carbon capture and storage.

• Ultimately monetize credits.

Phase III: Canadian Project OverviewPhase III: Canadian Project Overview

• The PCOR Partnership Phase III Canadian (Fort Nelson) Demonstration Test will develop detailed and previously unavailable insight regarding a wide variety of issues associated with the geological sequestration of CO2. The primary research and development targets are:

– Cost-effective measurement, mitigation, and verification (MMV) approaches for large-scale CO2 sequestration in brine formations will be suggested for deployment and evaluation.

– Modeling simulation approaches to predict and estimate CO2 injectivity, plume areal extent, mobility, and fate within the target formation will be recommended for field testing.

– Approaches to predict the effects of CO2 on the integrity of overlying sealing formations will be suggested for verification and validation with field- and laboratory-based data.

Water Management CenterWater Management Center

““Whiskey is for drinking, water Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.”is for fighting.”

– – Mark TwainMark Twain

Energy and WaterEnergy and Water

• Conventional coal power generation is second only to agriculture as the largest user of water in the United States:– 39% of all freshwater withdrawals in the

United States• 131,900 million gal/day of water is used.• All regions of the United States are

vulnerable to water shortages.• Recent technology developments:

– Flue gas water extraction– Dry and hybrid cooling systems

Continued availability and efficient use of water resources are critical to the future growth of the energy industry.

Annual History of North Dakota Annual History of North Dakota

Coal Mined Coal Mined – – Energy and Water SustainabilityEnergy and Water Sustainability

ND State statistics publicly available at www.oilgas.nd.gov/stats/statisticsvw.asp.

35

0

15

10

25

30

5

1890 20001900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990

M illion S hort Tons

20

Water Content of Flue Gas

A 700-MW coal plant flue gas may contain approximately 1000–2400 equivalent liquid gpm of water.

Varies with coal moisture. Varies with treatment.

The EERC works with industry and technology developers to evaluate and commercialize water solutions.

EERC projects focused on water issues related to energy:

EERC Water ActivitiesEERC Water Activities

• Power plant water capture and minimization

• Great Plains Water Consortium

• CO2 Water Consortium (dealing with water issues tied to CO2 capture and sequestration)

Opportunity for Energy SynergyOpportunity for Energy Synergy

How Do We Get There (?) from How Do We Get There (?) from Here (?)Here (?)

• Technology investment• Education of society• Investment in logistics• Infrastructure development

• We need a national vision.• We need focused regional assessments and

implementation plans for the future.

• West and upper Midwest make up an ideal region for a diverse hydrogen supply system, starting with regional assessments and implementation plans.

Critical NeedCritical Need

• A dramatically enhanced education (not merely training) system which equips the global population with the knowledge and skills essential to understanding our increasingly technologically complex world.

• A trained person is a worker; an educated person is a citizen.

The ChallengeThe Challenge

““Human history more and Human history more and more becomes a race more becomes a race

between education and between education and catastrophe.”catastrophe.”

– – H.G. WellsH.G. Wells

Contact InformationContact Information

Energy & Environmental Research CenterUniversity of North Dakota15 North 23rd Street, Stop 9018Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9018

World Wide Web: www.undeerc.orgTelephone No. (701) 777-5131Fax No. (701) 777-5181

Gerald H. Groenewold, Directorghg@undeerc.org