Induction heated hydrogen production

Induction heating will be used to provide the heat for steam reforming of methane. Induction heating is more efficient than traditional heating as it will be possible to add the heat directly to the catalyst bed where the heat is being consumed by reaction. By making hydrogen production more efficient smaller plants will become more feasible and decentralised production possible.

Induction heating provides the possibility to start and stop the system fast, according to hydrogen demand or electricity cost. By using induction to provide the heat when a surplus of electricity from renewable sources is available, it will be possible to add up to 22 % “green” energy to the produced hydrogen. If the methane comes from renewable sources the produced hydrogen will be 100 % renewable with efficient use of resources.

The research will focus on development of an efficient induction heated catalytic reactor capable of fast start up, and development of catalysts systems optimized for induction heating. The durability will be measured for up to 1000 hours and the efficiency will also be determined by comprehensive measurements. These steps are considered essential in order to prove the concept and enable commercialisation of the technology.