COUPLED PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN FROM BIO-BASED FEEDSTOCKS

The projectillustrates how ethanol can serve as an important feedstock for the distributed (point of use) production of hydrogen. This is relevant for fuel cell-powered vehicles (including agricultural), forklifts, construction equipment and as a hydrogen source for certain Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) processes based on ethanol oligomerization. The project's success is significant to the US achieving climate change goals while creating a new commercial opportunity for ethanol producersand the farmers and growers that support that industry.Major goals:Construction and operation of a small-scale adiabatic oxidative reformer reactor that validates the technicalfeasibility of the conversion of 95% ethanol to hydrogen.Identify and incorporate synergies for using biproduct oxygen offgas from an electrolyzer in the oxidative reforming reactor systems.Incorporating reactor data, electrolyzer cost and system engineering costs, build an financial modelto assess the economics of the ethanol to hydrogen approach for the production of green hydrogen from ethanol.