Hydrogen In Motion, a Canadian hydrogen energy startup founded in 2014, develops advanced solid-state hydrogen carriers that enable hydrogen storage at low pressures and ambient temperatures.
Challenges:Â hydrogen storage
Hydrogen (H₂), the most abundant element in the universe, is not just a fundamental building block of stars—it’s also a vital ingredient in the synthesis of ammonia. Production of ammonia plays a crucial role in producing a wide range of products we use on a daily basis, including fertilizers for crop nourishment. Hydrogen also plays more and more important roles in decarbonizing steel industries and transport sectors.
Traditionally, the world has relied heavily on steam methane reforming (SMR) to produce over 60 million tons of hydrogen annually. However, this method comes with a significant environmental cost. It’s an energy-intensive process that contributes approximately 2% to global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, releasing between 5 and 9 tons of CO₂ for every ton of hydrogen it generates.
There are cleaner paths to producing hydrogen, such as water electrolysis and methane pyrolysis.
After production, transporting hydrogen to end users is necessary. Gaseous hydrogen is commonly delivered by trucks called tube trailers. These vehicles compress hydrogen to high pressures (700 bar) in long cylinders stacked on the trailer. Hydrogen is also liquefied and transported in specially insulated trucks or ships. In a liquid hydrogen storage tank storing hydrogen by cryogenic liquefaction, hydrogen must be cooled down to −252 ºC. The energy consumed during this process can equal one-third of the energy stored by the hydrogen.
In automotive fuel cell applications, vehicular size and weight constraints present challenges to hydrogen storage. A typical automobile will consume about 4 kg of hydrogen in order to travel 400 km. But 4 kg of hydrogen will occupy about 45 m³ of volume under ambient temperature and pressure.
Alternative solutions to hydrogen storage and transport are emerging, including hydrogen carriers. Hydrogen carriers are either liquid-state or solid-state materials that have the ability to store hydrogen and release it when needed.
Among the liquid hydrogen carriers, Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) are the most represented. Typically, the organic hydrogen carrier is unsaturated or aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene and fluorenone. During the hydrogenation process, hydrogen is chemically bonded to the liquid organic carrier in the presence of a catalyst under heating. The resulting saturated hydrocarbon is transported in a liquid state at standard temperature and pressure. The dehydrogenation reaction, in the presence of a catalyst and heating, then releases the hydrogen from the saturated hydrocarbons.
Researchers have proposed solid-state hydrogen storage at room temperature and moderate pressure, such as below 50 bar, as a promising solution to the challenges faced by traditional hydrogen storage methods. Physisorption or chemical binding attracts hydrogen molecules stored in solid-state hydrogen storage materials, enabling extremely dense packing even beyond the liquid state.
Hydrogen In Motion Technology
Hydrogen In Motion has developed reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials that store hydrogen under ambient temperature and low pressure conditions. Reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials are modified with functional groups and metals for efficient hydrogen adsorption. Compared to conventional methods, this technology allows for twice the hydrogen storage capacity in the same volume at half the cost.
How Hydrogen In Motion stores hydrogen
The diagram below depicts reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials developed by Hydrogen In Motion for hydrogen storage under ambient temperature and low pressure.
The nanomaterials comprise a single or multiple-layered reduced graphene oxide. The distance between adjacent layers is between 0.33 nm and 1.0 nm. The nanomaterials have defects with large pores that allow hydrogen molecules to pass through and access adsorption sites. The pores have an average diameter between 5 nm and 20 nm.
The reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials contain alkali and alkaline earth metals, such as potassium, for hydrogen adsorption. However, potassium metals in the nanomaterial are prone to clustering to form large nanoparticles. This reduces the hydrogen adsorption sites and hydrogen storage capacity.
Hydrogen In Motion has functionalized the reduced graphene oxide layer with boron atoms, which bond with the hexagonal lattice of carbon atoms. In addition, boron-oxygen functional groups are formed during the graphene oxide reducing process. During the graphene oxide reduction process, the reduced graphene oxide layer also forms point defects or carbon vacancies.
The presence of boron-oxygen functional groups and carbon vacancies in nanomaterials helps uniformly distribute the potassium metals. Boron-oxygen functional groups increase the binding energy of potassium metals to the base material above the elements’ cohesive energy. Carbon dangling bonds attract and bind the potassium metals. Both factors prevent potassium metals from clustering into metal nanoparticles. This plays a key role in efficient and stable hydrogen storage.
During the hydrogen storage process, hydrogen molecules diffuse through the pores in the nanomaterials to access adsorption sites. The potassium metals adsorb hydrogen molecules through dispersion interaction (van der Waals), Kubas forces, or chemisorption. Therefore, hydrogen can be stored in reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials through functionalizing pore structures, carbon dangling bonds, boron-oxygen groups, and decorated alkali and alkaline earth metals.
Hydrogen In Motion’s reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials have hydrogen storage capacity with a gravimetric density of 4 wt% and a volumetric density of 50 g/L.
How Hydrogen In Motion produces hydrogen carriers
The following steps are used to manufacture reduced graphene oxide nanomaterials for hydrogen storage:
1. Preparing graphene oxide
First, we pretreat natural graphite in a mixture of phosphorus pentoxide, potassium persulfate, and concentrated sulfuric acid, stirring it between 60 and 90 °C for 4.5 hours.
The pre-treated graphite is dissolved into a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and potassium permanganate. The mixture of these reactants is stirred between 40 and 55 ºC for 16 hours. We then pour the resultant graphene oxide product into a mixture of ice water and hydrogen peroxide. The graphene oxide product is cleaned with hydrochloric acid. Afterwards, sonicating the graphene oxide product in isopropanol for 1 hour further exfoliates the graphene oxide product.
2. Functionalizing boron into reduced graphene oxide
The doping of boron into graphene begins with the preparation of a boron-containing graphene oxide precursor. We add boron oxide to a prepared graphene oxide solution. The mixture is stirred at 65 ºC to form a dry precursor. The dry precursor is filled into an alumina boat and then loaded into a tubular furnace for calcination (between 600 and 1,300 ºC, duration of 2 hours). The tubular furnace is pumped and purged with argon gas. We obtain the product as a gray powder, wash it with deionized water, and then dry it at 65 ºC.
3. Decorating metal into boron-functionalized reduced graphene oxide
Pyrolysis of potassium hydroxide results in the decoration of an alkali or alkaline earth metal into boron-functionalized reduced graphene oxide.
We mix the potassium hydroxide powder with the boron-functionalized reduced graphene oxide by stirring and grinding it in dry form. The precursor mixture is filled into a nickel boat and loaded into a tubular furnace for pyrolysis (between 700 and 900 ºC). The tubular furnace is pumped and purged with nitrogen gas. The resulting grayish powder is washed by DI water until the PH value is between 7 and 9. The washed product is then vacuum dried.
Hydrogen In Motion Patent
- US11634321B2 Hydrogen storage product and method for manufacturing same
Hydrogen In Motion Technology Applications
- Hydrogen delivery
Hydrogen In Motion’s H2U service offers a direct-to-consumer hydrogen delivery model: portable Storage Tanks. The portable storage tanks can be delivered directly to consumers, eliminating the need for traditional refueling stations and reducing infrastructure costs. This makes hydrogen more accessible and convenient for various applications.
- Transportation
Hydrogen In Motion’s hydrogen storage solutions are highly adaptable for various modes of transportation:
Vehicles: Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can benefit from H2M’s efficient and safe storage technology, which provides a reliable and emission-free energy source.
Drones: H2M’s conformable storage tanks can extend the flight duration of drones, making them more effective for commercial and industrial uses.
Trains: Hydrogen-powered trains can leverage H2M’s storage solutions for a cleaner and more sustainable mode of rail transport.
- Energy storage
Hydrogen In Motion’s technology is also crucial for energy storage applications:
Grid-scale renewable energy storage: The company’s hydrogen storage can be used to store excess energy generated from renewable sources like solar, wind, and wave energy. This stored energy can then be used on demand, providing a stable and reliable power supply.
Distributed power generation: By enabling power generation at the point of use, the company’s technology increases the efficiency of energy transmission and distribution.
- Industrial use
The company’s hydrogen storage solutions can be applied in various industrial settings:
Mining equipment: Hydrogen can power heavy machinery and equipment used in mining operations, reducing emissions and improving operational efficiency.
Other industrial applications: The company’s technology can be used in various other industrial processes that require clean and efficient energy sources.
Hydrogen In Motion Products
- Hydrogen storage H2M
The company has developed reduced graphene oxide nanomaterial that allows hydrogen to be stored at ambient temperature and low pressure. This technology offers several advantages:
Conformable storage tanks: These tanks can be shaped to meet specific application requirements, making them suitable for a variety of uses, from extending the flight duration of drones to grid-scale renewable energy storage for solar, wind, and wave energy.
Portable and safe: The storage tanks are portable, non-flammable, and provide consistent performance throughout usage. They are designed to be cost-effective and versatile, offering a reliable source of zero-emission energy.
- Hydrogen delivery H2U
H2U is an innovative hydrogen delivery service that provides hydrogen directly to consumers. This service eliminates the need for traditional refueling stations, significantly reducing infrastructure costs. The portable storage tanks can be delivered directly to users, making hydrogen more accessible and convenient for various applications.
Hydrogen In Motion Funding
Hydrogen In Motion has raised a Pre-Seed round on Jan 1, 2015.
Hydrogen In Motion Investor
Hydrogen In Motion are funded by investors:
- Canadian Technology Accelerators
- Sustainable Development Technology Canada
- Kilauea Investments
- Mitacs
- Nimbus Synergies
Hydrogen In Motion Founder
Grace Quan and Mark Cannon are Co-Founder.
Hydrogen In Motion CEO
Grace Quan is CEO.