New technology turns waste into a clean hydrogen

The benefits of the invention

Hydrogen is considered to be one of the most important sources of future energy, but conventional gasping methods often cannot provide high purity. This restricts its use in industry and raises the need for more advanced production solutions.

In solving this problem, KTU and LEI scientists have developed a two -tier processing system consisting of a high -flow gasement device and a catalytic reactor.

In order to extract hydrogen from waste, it is first necessary to turn it into gas where hydrogen becomes one of the main ingredients. This is achieved by applying the gasement process.

« Governing is advanced, promising and eco -friendly technology, and during this process, waste is heated in a controlled steam and oxygen environment to produce synthetic gas, » says KTU researcher dr. Samy Yousef.

Synthetic gas is a gas mixture consisting mainly of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. This gas can be used as a source of energy or continued to process pure hydrogen.

Tried: dr. According to Yousef, experimental results have shown that this technology has an effective effect on various conditions. / KTU, Photo by LEI

Works effectively

Despite the advantages of technology, one of the main problems of gasping is the resin, which not only reduces the efficiency of the process and damages the equipment, but also interferes with the extraction of hydrogen by stopping substantial chemical reactions.

In order to solve this problem, synthetic gas is directed to a catalytic routine reactor, which uses special catalysts that break down the resin into smaller molecules. These catalysts promote chemical reactions that increase hydrogen levels in synthetic gases – it can amount to up to 60 %. The total gas volume, which makes this method more efficient and greener alternative to fuel production.

According to scientists, one of the most important factors in this technology is the choice of catalysts in the rifle reactor. As a result, researchers have tried both commercially available and the catalyst created in the laboratory.

« Experimental results have shown that this technology has an effective effect on a variety of conditions. Catalco 57-4gq was the most effective among the catalysts.

Various waste

Unlike traditional gasification technologies that require high energy consumption or complex pressure regulatory processes, this new methodology operates at atmospheric pressure. This allows you to reduce the need for expensive infrastructure and increase process security.

This method is versatile and can be applied to various organic and industrial waste: plastic, textile, biomass residues – recycling.

Compared to the most widely used hydrogen production, steam methane ribiform (SMR), the new method is distinguished by higher energy efficiency and lower environmental pollution.

« SMR technology uses natural gas – non -renewable fossil fuel – and releases a large amount of carbon dioxide, so it is not sustainable in the long term. Our method allows us to produce hydrogen from waste, turning it into economical and renewable raw material, » Yousef notes.

Although the initial examination was intended to process medical waste, this technology may be more widely applied. « This method is versatile and can be adapted to a variety of organic and industrial waste: plastic, textile, biomass residues – recycling. The waste must be properly collected, sorted and pre -processed before recycling to ensure their uniform composition and size;

The technological progress of this innovation has reached the fifth level of technological readiness (TRL5). This level means that the method has already been tested in an environment imitating real industrial conditions.

« Stage TRL5 confirms that technology has been tested using reactors that are close to industrial models by its operation, and the work is currently underway to complete the system, » says Yousef.

Further research and process optimization could open the way for commercial application of this technology to sustained hydrogen industrially in the near future.