Hydrogen Production by Ethanol Steam Reforming

Transitioning from an energy economy based on fossil fuels to a sustainable economy based on hydrogen will require technology that is competitive with the refined petroleum fuels that hydrogen will replace. In this monograph ethanol steam reforming (ESR) in microporous membrane reactors is described that offers the necessary process intensification for distributed hydrogen production at the necessary scale. As a result, hydrogen may be produced anywhere in the world from fermentable agricultural feedstocks in much the same way that beer and wine are made. This monograph makes the case for the feasibility of producing distributed hydrogen at the scale that is competitive with petroleum-based fuels, offering a path forward for energy independence from petroleum. Part I investigates the feasibility of large-scale hydrogen production by ESR, including the amount of non-food cropland that would need to be allocated. Part II provides the experimental basis for the ESR technology.