Air Products, in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) and other members of the ITM Syngas/ITM H2 Team, is developing Ion Transport Membrane (ITM) technology for the generation of hydrogen and synthesis gas. ITMs are ceramic membranes that are non-porous, multi-component metallic oxides. They operate at high temperatures and have exceptionally high oxygen flux and selectivity. The ITM H2 process is a break-through technology that could significantly lower the cost of hydrogen. Initial estimates indicate the potential for a considerable reduction in the capital cost of a large-scale plant (150 to 760 MMSCFD) which produces H2 for “clean” power generation with CO2 capture, compared to conventional technologies. A successful development of the ITM technology could be important to emerging hydrogen markets, such as hydrogen-based fuel cells for transportation, and large-scale centralized hydrogen production facilities with CO2 capture. The major goals of the ITM Syngas and ITM H2 development program are summarized in this paper, and the progress of the ITM Syngas Team in successfully meeting those goals and objectives is described. The current focuses of the program are the commissioning of a nominal 24 MSCFD Process Development Unit (PDU) and the scaleup of ceramic membrane fabrication.
Air Products, in collaboration with the U.S. DOE and other partners, is developing ceramic membrane technology for the generation of hydrogen and synthesis gas. These membranes are non-porous, multi-component metallic oxides that operate at high temperatures and have exceptionally high oxygen flux and selectivities. Such membranes are known as Ion Transport Membranes, or ITMs. Synthesis gas is an important intermediate product required for the production of liquid transportation fuels from natural gas. Preliminary cost estimates indicate that ceramic membrane reactors could decrease the capital cost for syngas by more than one third. This reduction would have a very significant impact on the costs of liquid transportation fuels derived from natural gas. Work still in progress also shows significant potential savings for hydrogen production, especially for production capacities appropriate for hydrogen based fuel cell applications. This paper defines ITMs and explains how they work. The paper also identifies the major program goals and summarizes our progress. The overall program objectives and schedule are also presented.
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