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Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy

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29-01-2022 | Original Paper

Design and performance evaluation of a prototype hydrogen generator employing hydrolysis of aluminum waste

Authors: Romeo Moreno-Flores, Félix Loyola-Morales, Edgar Valenzuela, P. J. Sebastian

Published in: Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy | Issue 2/2023

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Abstract

This work presents for the first time an integrated hydrogen generation system with storage based on aluminum waste from soda cans to supply hydrogen on-demand to a PEM (proton exchange membrane)-type fuel cell for reliable electricity generation. The raw material that feeds the hydrogen generator consists of distilled water, aluminum from soda cans and sodium hydroxide to remove the oxide layer that passivates the aluminum, a technique known as alkaline activation. The design of the generator was done based on the analysis of the mass and energy balance and its experimental verification. The stainless-steel prototype consisted of a vessel with a capacity of 2.1 L batch reactor, which delivers the gas produced to a column of water to scrub the gas. The three components function as a temporary gas storage system while the fuel is delivered at a regulated pressure. The NaOH container has a maximum storage capacity of 0.45 L, enough for 21 g of aluminum to react and produce 25.7 L (at 0 °C and 10⁵ Pa) of hydrogen; the reaction yield in the generator was 97%. Through the evaluation of the electrical performance at a home-made 9 cm² PEMFC and extrapolation to 45 W, it was calculated that the generator can supply H₂ to the cell for 53 min at that power.

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Title: Design and performance evaluation of a prototype hydrogen generator employing hydrolysis of aluminum waste
Authors: Romeo Moreno-Flores
Félix Loyola-Morales
Edgar Valenzuela
P. J. Sebastian
Publication date: 29-01-2022
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy / Issue 2/2023
Print ISSN: 1618-954X
Electronic ISSN: 1618-9558
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-022-02276-3

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