Green ammonia production via the integration of a solid oxide electrolyser and a Haber-Bosch loop with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps

Duncan A. Nowicki; Gerald  Agnew; John Thomas Sirr Irvine

doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2023.116816

Green ammonia production via the integration of a solid oxide electrolyser and a Haber-Bosch loop with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps

Duncan A. Nowicki^*, Gerald Agnew, John Thomas Sirr Irvine

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

A conceptual design for a small-scale green ammonia plant is presented in which ammonia synthesis was realised via a Haber-Bosch loop using hydrogen produced by a solid oxide electrolyser and nitrogen purified from air with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps. The system operated with an energetic efficiency of 52.12%, very close to a cryogenic ASU reference system where an efficiency of 52.89% was achieved. The specific energy consumption was 9.94 kWh/kgNH₃. Whilst these were encouraging results, opportunities exist to improve system design further. For example, greater heat integration could allow for steam required by the electrolyser to be raised using waste heat from the series of oxygen pumps.

Original language	English
Article number	116816
Number of pages	10
Journal	Energy Conversion and Management
Volume	280
Early online date	19 Feb 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2023.116816
Publication status	Published - 15 Mar 2023

Keywords

Solid oxide electrolysis
Ammonia
Solid electrolyte oxygen pump
Hydrogen

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.enconman.2023.116816Licence: CC BY

Nowicki_2023_ECM_Green-ammonia_CC
Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Final published version, 2.36 MBLicence: CC BY

H2FC SUPERGEN: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Hub Extension
Irvine, J. T. S. (PI)
EPSRC
1/05/17 → 31/12/22
Project: Standard

Cite this

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title = "Green ammonia production via the integration of a solid oxide electrolyser and a Haber-Bosch loop with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps",

abstract = "A conceptual design for a small-scale green ammonia plant is presented in which ammonia synthesis was realised via a Haber-Bosch loop using hydrogen produced by a solid oxide electrolyser and nitrogen purified from air with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps. The system operated with an energetic efficiency of 52.12%, very close to a cryogenic ASU reference system where an efficiency of 52.89% was achieved. The specific energy consumption was 9.94 kWh/kgNH3. Whilst these were encouraging results, opportunities exist to improve system design further. For example, greater heat integration could allow for steam required by the electrolyser to be raised using waste heat from the series of oxygen pumps.",

keywords = "Solid oxide electrolysis, Ammonia, Solid electrolyte oxygen pump, Hydrogen",

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note = "Funding: Financial support from the University of St Andrews and the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Hub Extension (H2FC SUPERGEN) flexible funding (EP/P024807/1). John T.S. Irvine reports financial support was provided by Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Hub Extension (H2FC SUPERGEN).",

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AU - Nowicki, Duncan A.

AU - Agnew, Gerald

AU - Irvine, John Thomas Sirr

N1 - Funding: Financial support from the University of St Andrews and the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Hub Extension (H2FC SUPERGEN) flexible funding (EP/P024807/1). John T.S. Irvine reports financial support was provided by Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Hub Extension (H2FC SUPERGEN).

PY - 2023/3/15

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N2 - A conceptual design for a small-scale green ammonia plant is presented in which ammonia synthesis was realised via a Haber-Bosch loop using hydrogen produced by a solid oxide electrolyser and nitrogen purified from air with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps. The system operated with an energetic efficiency of 52.12%, very close to a cryogenic ASU reference system where an efficiency of 52.89% was achieved. The specific energy consumption was 9.94 kWh/kgNH3. Whilst these were encouraging results, opportunities exist to improve system design further. For example, greater heat integration could allow for steam required by the electrolyser to be raised using waste heat from the series of oxygen pumps.

AB - A conceptual design for a small-scale green ammonia plant is presented in which ammonia synthesis was realised via a Haber-Bosch loop using hydrogen produced by a solid oxide electrolyser and nitrogen purified from air with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps. The system operated with an energetic efficiency of 52.12%, very close to a cryogenic ASU reference system where an efficiency of 52.89% was achieved. The specific energy consumption was 9.94 kWh/kgNH3. Whilst these were encouraging results, opportunities exist to improve system design further. For example, greater heat integration could allow for steam required by the electrolyser to be raised using waste heat from the series of oxygen pumps.

KW - Solid oxide electrolysis

KW - Ammonia

KW - Solid electrolyte oxygen pump

KW - Hydrogen

U2 - 10.1016/j.enconman.2023.116816

DO - 10.1016/j.enconman.2023.116816

M3 - Article

SN - 0196-8904

VL - 280

JO - Energy Conversion and Management

JF - Energy Conversion and Management

M1 - 116816

ER -

Green ammonia production via the integration of a solid oxide electrolyser and a Haber-Bosch loop with a series of solid electrolyte oxygen pumps

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Projects

H2FC SUPERGEN: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Hub Extension

Cite this