IITian’s device to produce ultra-pure H2

New Delhi: ThoScientists at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), BHU claim to have developed a firstof-its-kind device in India for the on-site production of ultra-pure Hydrogen. According to the team, at a time when India has committed to zero net emissions by 2070 at the COP26 Climate Summit— this is said to be a major development in the Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The device is likely to be 100 per cent indigenous and every component has been made in IIT (Banaras Hindu University) facilities.

“Easily installable in petrol pumps, some of the critical needs the device delivers include generating hydrogen for hydrogen vehicles, charging of electric vehicles is easier and supply of power to mobile towers among others. The compact and ergonomically designed device caters to sustainability and portrays socio and economic benefits,” said Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology. Professor Upadhyay added, “It is based on membrane technology for on-site production of ultra-pure hydrogen from methanol. It generates hydrogen, which is fed to the fuel cell to generate power (electricity). Further, the produced power can be used for EV charging, and supplying power to mobile towers.” Upadhyay claimed that the device is easy to use and covers a minimum space of 2 m2 (square meter) area. Moreover, it requires only 0.6 lit/ hour of methanol for the production of around 900 lit/ hour of hydrogen.

The government recently launched the National Hydrogen Mission and National Electric Mobility Mission Plan to reduce the carbon footprint and dependency on fossil fuels. “However, it pertains to two major concerns— firstly, charging EVs through clean and green energy and secondly, commercialising hydrogen energy’s storage and transportation. We recently demonstrated this device and produced 1kW power by integrating it with a PEM fuel cell. The team is also developing a self-sustaining device that will not require any external energy for its operation,” Upadhyay detailed. -(PTI)