Natural gas can be easily processed to produce hydrogen
gas. The known method involves reasonable plant costs to process and produce
hydrogen. Argonne Labs in the US in June 03 developed a high density ceramic
membrane which extracts high purity hydrogen from natural gas.Systems of
industrial proportions are envisaged by year 2006-07.Tokyo Gas in August 03
equally applied a palladium based membrane to extract 80% of the content of
its town gas to produce hydrogen.The Japanese based gas company like Argonne
Labs(US) seek passive inexpensive hydrogen extraction from natural gas.
The reason is that natural gas although a fossil fuel, is
abundant and will be utilised initially very well to activate hydrogen
supply for Fuel Cell Powered Vehicles(FCV’s).Many gas pipelines throughout
the world will see processing plants located near such pipelines for
hydrogen production and dispensation.PEM fuel cell applications are also
discussed in many other applications like for stationary decentralised power
supply systems, military applications, micro, and portable applications.
Stationary applications for PEM Fuel Cells even though
their mobile equivalent has 2-3 times advantage over a combustion car engine
running petrol, are still looked at quite seriously for peak power plant
facilitation, general housing and utility company applications. This is for
power supply applications naturally as mentioned above. However, there is a
distinct added value in using a PEM Fuel Cell that I am sure is going to
dramatically enhance its popularity in the near future. For a PEM Fuel Cell
produces "waste water". This water is in fact quite pure and can be readily
consumed as "high grade" water.
The power required to split one (1) litre of water under
ideal conditions is ~3.66KW/hr. Equally under ideal conditions for every
~3.66KW/hr produced, one (1) litre of warm water will be produced as well.
Natural gas passively extracted in the near future will produce hydrogen for
the PEM Fuel Cell at high efficiency. Normal losses for electrolysis (25%)
and (Fuel Cell 40%) are factored in naturally for current applications.Thus
a 30KW/hr PEM Fuel Cell( 10houses or one(1) building) running on converted
natural gas , under ideal conditions will produce ~ eight(8) litres
of water per hour , and ~192 Litres per day.
If the cost of electricity was @ AUD$.15/KWhr then the
power supply of AUD$108/day in cost savings could be realised.Retail prices
for "pure" water in supermarkets are (>) greater than AUD$1.0/litre.In fact
a wholesale price of AUD$1.0/Litre for "pure PEM water" is not unrealistic.
Thus in the above ideal setting AUD$192/day could be realised in water
wholesale sales. After the costs of production were taken into account for
power generation from natural gas supplied, more profit would result from
water sales. Projected PEM costs for year 2010 are between AUD$70-120/KW.
A 30KW/hr unit would cost AUD$3,600.00 and thus water
sales alone would break even on the mentioned fixed cost of AUD$3,600.00 in
less than three(3) weeks(18.75 days).The situation is an ideal situation and
efficiencies of practical application need factoring of course, but the
vector is fairly clear as to direction