1. Coal-to-Hydrogen Webinar
Mike Holmes – Deputy Associate Director for Research
Steve Benson – Senior Research Manager
Energy & Environmental Research Center
University of North Dakota
Webinar
August 7, 2008

2. Overview Introduction Why hydrogen Hydrogen from coal Key challenges
Bench- and pilot-scale testing
Carbon management

3. National Center for Hydrogen Technology
The National Center for Hydrogen Technology (NCHT) builds on over 50 years of experience in advanced energy systems and gasification development by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Annual base funding has been provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) since FY2005, along with funding from over 70 partners.
EERC Facilities in Grand Forks, North Dakota

4. Why Hydrogen? It can be obtained from many domestic
resources and can be clean and efficient.
Source:: DOE
Hydrogen can:
Reduce energy dependence
Reduce carbon dioxide
Create jobs
Improve energy efficiency
Reduce pollution

5. Hydrogen Flammability Testing
Hydrogen Safety
Hydrogen Flammability Testing
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.
Hydrogen Leak Fire
Gasoline Leak Fire
Source: Rocky Mountain Institute

6. Fuel Cell Vehicle Market Penetration (Compared to National Research Council/ National Academy of Engineering Hydrogen Report & Oak Ridge Hydrogen Report)

7. GHG: H2 ICE HEV & Battery EV

8. Oil Consumption (US)
US 2030 oil production = 2.72 B bbl/yr (14.3 Quads); US 2006 non-transportation consumption = 2.25 B bbl/year (6.16 M bbl/day) [Ref: AEO 2008]

9. U. S. Energy Consumption by Fuel Type 2005 (Source: U. S
U.S. Energy Consumption by Fuel Type 2005 (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
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
Total energy value for imported oil is greater than the energy value of all coal combusted in the United States or all natural gas used in the United States.
Note: Total renewable energy is ~6% of total U.S. energy—the majority of this is electricity from hydro and wood burning. 9

10. The United States Is Poised to Support a Hydrogen Economy
The hydrogen economy will rely on a diverse mix for the supply of hydrogen.
Coal is a likely cornerstone for that mix, with integration of hydrogen production into coproduction of power and synthetic fuels.
Hydrogen for niche off-road applications has already been shown to be economically and technically feasible; however, wide-scale utilization has many challenges over the next 20 years, reducing the cost of fuel cell vehicles through mass production techniques, development of a suitable high-energy storage system, development of hydrogen production and distribution systems, and public support.
Ice refinisher
Hyster lift truck and the Army National Guard Base with long-term deployment at GFAFB
Developing a new refueling system with military
Coal to hydrogen with Air Products and Siemens Power Generation
Continued work with gasification technologies
Hydrogen production from coal needs to be developed with related purification, storage, transport, and end-use technologies.
Carbon management is a key requirement in hydrogen production from coal.

11. Hydrogen Production Is Not New
Over 9 million tons of hydrogen is produced annually in the United States today.
Currently, the two primary hydrogen uses are for producing fertilizers and hydrocracking petroleum.
The EERC is not reinventing the wheel; instead, we are working on efficient, reliable, clean, and cost-effective technologies for hydrogen
Hydrogen from renewable sources
Coal-to-hydrogen
Handling product impurities
Developing and demonstrating hydrogen uses
Etc.

12. Natural 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.
Resulting 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 are produced in the United States each year, and about 95% of the hydrogen is derived from natural gas reforming.3
Energy Information Association (tonto.eia.doe.gov).
Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Production via Natural Gas Steam Reforming, NREL, 2001.
U.S. Department of Energy, Fossil Energy (

13. Coal-to-Hydrogen Opportunity
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).
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.
Electricity: Freedom Mine (Beulah), Knife River Mine (Beulah), BNI Mine (Center), and Falkirk Mine (Washburn)
Stabilizers–Drilling Fluid: Georesources Mine (Williston) and American Colloid Mine (Haynes)
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. 13

14. Selected Gasification Activities
at the EERC

15. Coal Is the Bridge to a Hydrogen Economy
Hydrogen for niche off-road applications has already been shown to be economically and technically feasible; however, wide-scale utilization has many challenges over the next 20 years, reducing the cost of fuel cell vehicles through mass production techniques, development of a suitable high-energy storage system, development of hydrogen production and distribution systems, and public support.
Ice refinisher
Hyster lift truck and the Army National Guard Base with long-term deployment at GFAFB
Developing a new refueling system with military
Coal to hydrogen with Air Products and Siemens Power Generation
Continued work with gasification technologies 15

16. Centralized Production Clean Coal Gasification to Hydrogen
Producing economical, high-purity hydrogen from coal.
Advancement of coal gasification for polyproduction of hydrogen, synthetic fuels, 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).

17. Conventional Gasification
Air
Coal
Air Separation
Unit O2
Gasification
Steam
Quench Cooler
and Scrubber
Water–Gas Shift
(sour high temperature)
Steam
Acid
Gas
Claus Plant
Sulfur Removal S
Tail
Gas
CO2 Capture
(physical scrubbing)
CO2
Pressure Swing
Adsorption
Power
Generation
Hydrogen
Electricity

18. “Advanced” Gasification System
Air
Coal
Air Separation
Unit O2
Gasification
Steam
Hot-Gas Cleanup
and Sulfur Removal
Mercury Capture
High-Temperature Shift
Membrane Separation
Hydrogen
CO2-Rich Gas O2
O2 Combustor
Turbine
Expander
Power
Generation
Electricity
CO2 H2O

19. High-Temperature Shift
Key Challenges
Air
Coal
Air Separation
Unit O2
Gasification
Steam
Hot-Gas Cleanup
and Sulfur Removal
Mercury Capture
High-Temperature Shift
Membrane Separation
Hydrogen
CO2-Rich Gas O2
O2 Combustor
Turbine
Expander
Power
Generation
Electricity
CO2 H2O

20. Sulfur Removal Results Polishing Bed
99%
99.9%
% Removal
99.99%
99.999%
Freedom
Achieved as low as 0.01 ppm H2S.

21. Mercury Results Metal-Based Sorbent
Red Hills Lignite
410°F
~95% Removal

22. Hydrogen Stream Characteristics
Measured
Normalized
Hydrogen
96.48
96.86
97.48
97.67
96.74
96.76
Carbon Dioxide
0.69
0.54
0.07
Oxygen/Argon
2.44
2.45
1.79
0.43
Nitrogen
2.74
Total
99.61
100.00
99.81
99.98
Real Btu (saturated)
309.52
312.10
309.20
Real Btu (dry)
315.00
317.63
314.68
Ideal Specfic Gravity
0.10
0.09
Real Specific Gravity
Ave. Molecular Weight
2.86
2.64
2.89
Date: 6/10/2008
Date: 6/11/2008
Date: 6/13/2008
mol%
After nearly 50 hours of operation, CO2 concentration in the permeate was nearly zero.
Oxygen and nitrogen were present because of a leak in the sample system (a vacuum pump was used).
About >99.9% purity of hydrogen is anticipated without a leak in the sample system.

23. Coal-to-Hydrogen Demonstration
Demonstrated the technical capability to produce a pure stream of hydrogen from lignite coal while maintaining gas temperature above 400°F.
Demonstration was completed using commercial or near-commercial technologies.
Texas lignite was gasified in the EERC’s transport reactor development unit (TRDU), and a slipstream was cleaned and purified.

24. Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs)
The RCSP Program represents more than 350 organizations in 41 states, three Indian nations, and four Canadian provinces.

25. 60 GT
39 GT
3 GT

26. Phase II: Field Validation Tests

27. Opportunity for Energy Synergy

28. How Do We Get There (?) from 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.

29. Contact Information
Michael J. Holmes
Deputy Associate Director for Research
Telephone No. (701)
Fax No. (701)
Steven A. Benson
Senior Research Manager
Telephone No. (701)
Fax No. (701)
Energy & Environmental Research Center
University of North Dakota
15 North 23rd Street, Stop 9018
Grand Forks, North Dakota
World Wide Web: