Heat-actuated metal hydride hydrogen compressor testing

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5470215· OSTI ID:5470215

Piraino, M; Metz, P D; Nienke, J L; Freitelberg, A S; Rahaman, R S

Electric utilities use hydrogen for cooling turbine generators. The majority of the utilities purchase the gas from industrial gas markets. On-site electrolytic hydrogen production may prove advantageous both logistically and economically. In order to demonstrate this concept, Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE and G) and EPRI installed an electrolyzer at the Sewaren (NJ) station. To compress the gas, PSE and G purchased a heat-activated metal hydride compressor from Ergenics, Inc. This report describes closed- and open-cycle tests conducted on this metal hydride hydrogen compressor. Test systems, plans, methodologies, and results are presented. A brief discussion evaluates these performance results, addresses some of the practical problems involved with electrolyzer-compressor interface, and compares the costs and benefits of metal hydride versus mechanical hydrogen compression for utility generator cooling.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA); Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA). School of Chemical Engineering Practice
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5470215
• Report Number(s): BNL-38317; ON: DE86014183
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
080201* -- Hydrogen-- Chemisorption Storage
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200101 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Cooling & Heat Transfer Equipment & Systems
COMPRESSORS
COOLING
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
LYSIS
NONMETALS
TESTING