Design and assembly of new hydrogen generating reactors using PEM technology and possible applications in PEM fuel cells
This doctoral thesis will have as its main objective the “Design and assembly of hydrogen generating reactors and reverse process of electricity generation from H2 (fuel cells) based on PEM technology”.
The thesis is part of a broader idea of collaboration that also includes the study of hydrogen storage in composite material reservoirs and the use of hydrides. The entities participating in this thesis are SIEBC, a company in the field of industrial gases, Rovira i Virgili University and the Eurecat Technology Center.
The general objective of the project, in which we want to include this doctoral thesis, is to generate a business around a new technology to generate hydrogen in situ that is much cheaper and safer than current systems and with modularity depending on the necessary capacity and power. This technology will be complemented by the development of a safe storage system, as well as pipeline systems that will make it possible to transport hydrogen from distribution centers to supply points.
Green hydrogen has gained great relevance as a source of clean and renewable energy. Green hydrogen is produced from the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, such as that generated by solar panels or wind turbines. Unlike conventional hydrogen, which is obtained from fossil fuels, green hydrogen does not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases during its production or use, making it a promising alternative to address climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
In addition, the study and optimization of pipelines for the transport and utilization of gases in decarbonization is also carried out from the wider point of view.
The prior knowledge of Eurecat and the URV (centered on Dr. Ricard Garcia Valls and his staff teams at the two institutions) is at a scale of TRL3-4, in mono cells, but currently scaling up to TRL5 internally This thesis aims to reach a TRL7 for a pre-commercial demonstrator.
In order to achieve this, the following stages are defined:
1- Bibliographic study of the state of the art for small electrolyzers (5Nm3/h) in order to decide the starting point (For example, Stack consumption: 4.7 kWh/Nm3 H2, AC power consumption (BoP + stack) : 5.5 kWh/Nm3 H2)
2- Replica of mono-cell manufacture of standardized size with materials currently on the market. Cell fabrication and testing.
3- Modifications of materials in the cell with own innovations. Performance essay.
4- Assembly of a stack of 3 cells equal to those tested in point 3.
5- Assembly of a stack of up to 0.1-1kW, its test and optimization. Recommendations for the manufacture of units up to 30kW.
6- Study of the effects of the quality of the supplied water and aging of the units.
Finally, it will be proposed to manufacture a pilot model on a pre-commercial scale that the company can present as a prototype as well as the application of some developed concepts, such as the sealing of the units, the production of MEAs and bipolar plates, for to the immediate construction of 0.1-1.0kW scale PEM cells as a test case for larger units.
Design of reactive systems for hydrogen storage
The main objective of this doctoral thesis will be the “Design of reactive systems for hydrogen storage”.
The thesis is part of a broader idea of collaboration that also includes the study of hydrogen storage in composite tanks and the use of hydrides. The entities participating in this thesis are SIEBC, a company in the field of industrial gases, the Rovira i Virgili University and the Eurecat Technology Center. Both the university and the technological center do so via e
In addition, the study and optimization of pipelines for the transport and use of gases in decarbonization is also carried out from the broadest point of view. The previous knowledge of Eurecat and URV (centered on Dr. Ricard Garcia Valls and his staff teams in both institutions) has reactors that allow the accommodation of several fixed beds in order to realize the final prototype.
To achieve this, the following stages are defined:
1- Bibliographic study of the state of the art of the use of reversible reactive systems using hydrogen gas.
2- Assembly of a fixed bed reactor with different combinations of catalysts.
3- Study of the kinetics and the conditions of temperature and pressure. Duty cycle test.
4- Modifications of the designed reactor to adapt it to the appropriate functions and cycles.
5- Assembly of a reactor on a larger scale in order to evaluate the scaling parameters.
6- Final design and definition of the working conditions of the storage system.
Ricard García Valls is the new director of the Chemical Engineering Department
The proposal is to strengthen the different lines of research and innovation, balance the staff, unify the department and improve internal and external relations.
Ricard Garcia Valls is the new director of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the URV with the favorable votes of 39 of the 45 votes cast by the Department Council in the elections held this October 2. He takes over from Joan Salvadó and will be accompanied by Fèlix Llovell as secretary of the Department.
D. in Chemical Sciences from the UAB in 1995, Garcia Valls did a postdoctoral stay at MIT from 1996 to 1998, at the Department of Chemical Engineering with Professor Alan Hatton. Since 1998 he has been a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the URV and has been the sub-director and director of the ETSEQ.
He is a researcher in the field of chemical technology, especially in membrane separation and encapsulation technologies and operations, and in recent years has specialized in fuel cells and decarbonization. It has done so specifically in hydrogen and CO2 capture and transformation. From 2020 until today he has been director of the chemical technology unit of Eurecat, from where he has promoted together with his team that hydrogen is led internally and externally from Tarragona. He is also a member of different commissions in Catalonia and Spain for decarbonization and for the chemical industry.
He has supervised 16 doctoral theses, published over a hundred indexed scientific articles, has two patent registrations and has directed more than fifty public and private projects. His main line of research focuses on the application of chemical technology in medicine and more specifically for the treatment of cancer using encapsulation technologies. From the teaching point of view, he has taught subjects in the speciality of chemical engineering sciences and has specialized in the methodology of integrative advanced projects, working with open team projects and applying the international principles of CDIO (conceive, design, implement and operate), which he has established in the open laboratory in chemical engineering and the ChemEcar competition.
As for the management of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Ricard Garcia Valls proposes first to improve the internal cohesion of the department, to increase internal communication and to have an external image. He intends to manage the available resources in order to have the best possible working conditions, to reinforce all the work lines in research and innovation, as well as to balance the staff of both teaching and research support people, in a transversal way for all the research lines or groups. This improvement is also expected to have an impact on the balanced teaching activities for the teaching and research staff of the department.
It also aims to improve relations with other departments, centers and management bodies. Relationships with institutions outside the University, from the business, social and innovation world in order to take advantage of all the existing talent in the department and make it attractive, both to attract new talent, and to society in general, from the closest to the farthest geographically.
