Thermal Hydrogen Compressors

HYSTORSYS AS April 2014

www.hystorsys.no HYSTORSYS The MH unit of the compressor Bringing you hydrogen compression solutions

HYSTORSYS is a spin-off company from the Norwegian Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), and focuses on the use of metal hydrides for compression of hydrogen by means of thermal energy.

HYSTORSYS benefits from more than 40 years experience from IFE concerning the properties, synthesis and behaviour of hydrogen in solid materials – the metal hydrides (MH).

HYSTORSYS supplies thermal compressors for hydrogen with virtually no moving parts and practically no noise and vibrations. Exploiting waste heat, the compressor may be operated at almost no energy cost.

HYSTORSYS is developing metal hydride compressors with a very low maintenance level, and hence also low maintenance cost.

Filling of the metal lattice HYSTORSYS metal hydride compressors, named structure with hydrogen 3 HYMEHC-x (x denoting Nm /h H2, i.e., the hydrogen flow rate), will be available in capacity from 0.5 - 30 Nm3/h and pressures 100 - 200 bar (depending on inlet pressure).

Hydrogen is used in wide range HYSTORSYSof industries AS today. Hydrogen is considered as the most viable fuel alternative to petrol and diesel for HYMEHC road transport. Hydrogen is usually stored as compressed gas and in special – the thermal hydrogen compressors from HYSTORSYS cases as liquid hydrogen.

Compression is typically achieved – an innovative compressor solution featuring by means of mechanical economical as well as technical advantages compared compression, while liquefaction to other compressor designs. requires cooling to a temperature of -253°C.

2 How does it work?

The hydrogen molecules are split into atomic hydrogen at the metal surfaces About metal hydrides

Metal hydrides have the unique feature of adsorbing hydrogen when they are cooled and releasing hydrogen when they are heated. Moreover, the gas quality might actually improve during this process. HYSTORSYS is using these features in its new compressor design. Special alloys of metals will ensure optimal operation of the compressors in the selected temperature range.

The atomic hydrogen gradually fills the metal lattice HYSTORSYS AS

Metal hydride alloy powder

Fully ”charged” the volumetric hydro- gen density of the MH-system is of the same order as for liquid hydrogen or better

3 The 5 Nm3/h compressor HYMEHC-5

The metal hydride compressor

The first full scale metal hydride hydrogen compressor, a HYMEHC-10 (10 Nm3/h), is in operation at the HyNor Lillestrøm hydrogen refuelling station in Norway (www.hynor-lillestrom.no).

A second compressor, a HYMEHC-5 (5 Nm3/h), is currently undergoing testing and validation at our researchHYSTORSYS facilities – providing valuable information to AS further improve design features.

In the unlikely event there is traces of impurities in the inlet hydrogen it will be removed by the metal hydride – in this way the compressor acts as a purification unit.

This provides high quality hydrogen and guarantees a The 10 Nm3/h HYMECH-10 high purity level for required applications.

4 Furthermore, the HYMEHC hydrogen compressor from HYSTORSYS is flexible in production and design. The HYSTORSYS goal compressor can be made to specific customer needs with respect to size/capacity installations (floor, roof- or To provide customers with an wall-mounted) and operated unattended. improved compressor quality with: Inlet pressure Discharge pressure

• Lower failure rates HYMEHC-x 3-10 bar 100-150 bar >10 bar 150-200 bar • High H2 purity • Lower operational costs The hydride compressor takes thermal energy from hot water for compression. Access to waste heat or geo­ thermal water will give customers a big advantage as then energy consumption will be minimal compared to mechanical compressors. Thus it fits perfectly for many industries and/or in combination with reformers which usually operates at high temperatures.

HYSTORSYS AS

5 Examples for metal hydride compressors

Industry Hydrogen is widely used in industry. Some have their own on-site plants for hydrogen production, while many get their gas trucked in in cylinders from industrial gas companies. A majority of these customers have regular deliveries of standard 200 bar / 50 litre hydrogen bottles (i.e., 10 Nm3 of hydrogen).

The 2-stage proof of concept 10 Nm3/h compressor at Hynor Lillestrøm. Inlet pressure 10 bar, outlet 200 bar.

As road transport of hydrogen becomes more challenging, hydrogen consumers have started to explore the option of securing their hydrogen supply by establishing small on-site hydrogen generation plants. In order for such on-site hydrogen plants to be efficient, a hydrogen backup/storage solution involving hydrogen compression is needed.

HYSTORSYS metal hydride compressors can serve the industrial gas companies as well as the industries and companies establishing their own on-site hydrogen generation plants, potentially providing a solution for on-site bottling of hydrogen for backup. The HYMEHC is easily scalable from 0,5 Nm3 and up. Possible small Tube trailer for hydrogen transport compressors fit well for such backup solutions and/or other applications where small quantity is needed.

Hydrogen refuelling stations Hydrogen refuelling stations for cars and buses are a growing market for hydrogen compressors. Hyundai, Toyota and Honda are all bringing vehicles to the market in the 2015-17 timeframe. Other car manufacturers will follow HYSTORSYSin the 2017 onwards timeframe. AS Hence, over the next few decades hundreds or thousands of hydrogen stations are expected worldwide with the majority in Europe, USA, and Japan.

It’s our ambition is to supply compressors to this new market sector as well, specifically where waste heat is

available, i.e. from H2 production.

Fuelling station for hydrogen

6 About HYSTORSYS

HYSTORSYS AS is a Norwegian company owned by Norsk Innovasjonskapital III AS (managed by Televenture Management), Prototech AS and Jon Eriksen, who is the company’s founder and Managing Director. Chairman of the board is Christopher Kloed (Honorary Member of the Norwegian Hydrogen Forum) who has more than 20 years of working experience from the hydrogen sector.

Partnerships The company have maintained strong links to IFE which through their long-term research efforts possesses a world-leading expertise on hydrogen systems in general and metal hydrides in particular. HYSTORSYS subcontracts most of the production with carefully selected partners, leaving the metal hydride technology, prototype development and design as the corner stonesHYSTORSYS of the in-house activity. The first AS compressors were built by Aquagas AB in Sweden. HYSTORSYS also has a co-operation arrangement with its owner Prototech and the hydrogen refuelling provider HyNor Lillestrøm AS.

Partnering process As the company expands, HYSTORSYS plan to partner with one or more companies/financial institutions that can complement HYSTORSYS both on the financial and technical side.

7 HYSTORSYS AS

HYSTORSYS AS

Postal P.O.Box 45, NO-2027, Kjeller, Norway Visit Instituttveien 18, NO-2007 Kjeller, Norway Email [email protected] Web www.hystorsys.no Company registration No: NO-989 001 841