Generation of hydrogen from the hydrogen carriers ammonia and methanol

Fuel cell applications require a compact and simple hydrogen supply. This requires hydrogen to be transported and supplied. Ammonia and methanol have proven to be practicable hydrogen carriers for this purpose. The hydrogen produced from hydrogen carriers by methanol reforming or ammonia cracking must be purified by catalytic processes or by pressure swing adsorption. Both conversion processes are carried out using catalyst technology developed by the IMM.
Ammonia in particular is regarded as a sustainable hydrogen carrier for future mobile and stationary applications: Based on green hydrogen and the use of renewable energy sources, ammonia has the potential to become a climate-friendly hydrogen carrier. The future cost of ammonia has been projected to be lower compared to alternatives such as synthetic diesel, methanol or compressed hydrogen for many mobile applications.
At Fraunhofer IMM, we are developing ammonia-based systems for mobile and decentralized energy supply in various application scenarios:
In the infrastructure of fueling stations, we are targeting at a decentralized supply of hydrogen. We are working on the development of a refueling module based on innovative catalyst technology and microstructured reactor technology.
In the transportation sector, Fraunhofer IMM is working in an international consortium on the development of an ammonia-based propulsion system for shipping and on the supply of combustion engines with the novel hydrogen carrier.