Microchannel process technology is changing chemical engineering the way microcircuits changed electronics
Overview of Microchannel Process Technology
The STARS Hydrogen Generator uses proven leading edge, microchannel process technology and additive manufacturing (3D-printing) to mass produce modular chemical reaction systems that convert water and methane into hydrogen in a process called steam methane reforming. With this disruptive technology1 It is now possible to transform the natural gas grid into the hydrogen grid without costly pipelines or delivery vehicles. It is no longer necessary to invest in large central hydrogen production plants or create new infrastructure for collecting and transporting waste to make hydrogen. Distributed systems, using biomethane, will enable gas distribution companies and end users to make clean hydrogen on site.
The STARS’ microchannel reactors and heat exchangers are typically about 1/100 the size of conventional reactors and heat exchangers. Our “chemical process chips” will revolutionize the chemical processing industry the way microcircuitry revolutionized the electronics industry. Smaller size and 3D-printing minimize production waste and material costs to lower capital costs. Miniaturization provides greater operational safety because there is less methane and hydrogen (source term) in the high temperature section of the process hardware. Yet the speed of the chemical reaction is increased by over 100 times faster so that it produces as much hydrogen in the same timeframe as conventional reactors.
The compact design reduces the footprint, allowing onsite installation at most locations. Onsite levelized costs of hydrogen production are projected to be less than $2.50 per kilogram with moderate quantities of hardware mass production (~1,000 units per year).2
Today, the STARS’ Hydrogen Generator provides the fastest, cheapest, pathway to a clean hydrogen3 economy by using renewable natural gas resources and the electrical grid.
Footnotes
1. The STARS inductively-heated steam methane reformer holds a world record electrical energy to chemical conversion efficiency of 80%.
2. When production quantities exceed 10,000 Hydrogen Generators per year the levelized production cost is projected to be below $2.00 per kilogram (kg) of hydrogen. This would increase annual hydrogen production capacity by nearly 500,000 tons per year.
3. The STARS Hydrogen Generator creates a distributed market for waste biomethane that might otherwise be released to the atmosphere. When powered by clean electricity, and supplied with biomethane feedstock, the hydrogen produced has the potential to achieve net-negative carbon dioxide emissions.