Opportunity: 

Triad National Security, LLC / Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking licensing partners to commercialize LANL’s intellectual property relating to its unique phosphoric acid doped ion pair PEM electrochemical pump and pumping system.

Overview:

Hydrogen is a promising clean energy resource for achieving carbon-free energy goals. It is also widely used as a reactant in various chemical reactions due to its high reactivity and versatility. Whether used as fuel or as a reactant, hydrogen may require purification, compression, separation and/or drying before it’s used.   

Electrochemical hydrogen pumps (EHPs) present an efficient and scalable solution for hydrogen purification, compression, drying and separation of hydrogen from gas mixtures. With no moving mechanical parts, EHPs offer reliability, compact design, and easy integration into clean energy systems and hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

However, conventional EHPs face limitations. Some struggle with separating gas mixtures containing less than 20% hydrogen. The materials used to make an EHP can be sensitive to contaminants such that impure hydrogen, or the presence of moisture and particulates can degrade the EHP’s efficiency and lifespan. Some proton exchange membranes (PEMs) lack stability at the high temperatures needed to address contamination and moisture. 

To address some of the drawbacks, LANL researchers have developed a stable, high-efficiency phosphate-coordinated quaternary ammonium ion-pair PEM. This PEM is capable of operating at higher temperatures (140 to 200°C) and high current densities with dilute hydrogen mixtures.  EHPs utilizing this ion-pair PEM can separate hydrogen from mixtures with as little as 10% hydrogen, achieving high-purity output (>99.999%) and nearly 100% faradaic efficiency and hydrogen recovery. Compared to traditional pressure swing adsorption and mechanical compression techniques, this technology can reduce hydrogen delivery costs by up to 95% and energy consumption by up to 65% using existing natural gas pipelines.

Problems Solved:

• Inefficiency and Energy Intensity of Conventional Compressors: EHP uses an electrochemical process to compress hydrogen, which is more energy-efficient, especially at distributed or modular scales.
• Need for Separate Units for Hydrogen Purification and Compression: EHP integrates purification and compression in a single step, simplifying system architecture, which is ideal for retrofitting existing SMR or deploying in modular setups.
• Logistics and High Barriers to Entry: The modular design of EHP allows for onsite hydrogen purification and compression, eliminating the need to transport high-pressure hydrogen or rely on centralized infrastructure.
• Current SMR Plants Require Additional Post-Processing Equipment: EHP can be seamlessly integrated with SMR plants to purify and compress hydrogen from gas mixtures.

Key Advantages:

• Integrated hydrogen separation and compression
• Able to separate hydrogen from gas mixtures with less than 20% hydrogen
• High efficiency, leading to lower operating costs
• Onsite deployment eliminates the need to transport high-pressure hydrogen
• Seamless integration with steam methane reforming (SMR) plants
• High hydrogen production rate
• Stable at 140–200°C operating temperatures
• No moving parts, reducing maintenance and downtime

Market Applications:

• Hydrogen Purification - Fuel cell systems, electronics and semiconductor, laboratory gas
• Compression & Storage - Hydrogen refueling stations and on-site hydrogen production facilities.
• Fuel Cell Systems - Maintaining hydrogen pressure, recycling unused hydrogen, and purifying the anode gas stream.
• Hydrogen Recovery - Recovery and recycling hydrogen in petrochemical refining, ammonia synthesis, and metal processing.
• Analytical and Sensor Applications – gas chromatographs, hydrogen sensors, and other analytical instruments
• Space and Defense – Controlled hydrogen management in space and defense fuel cells and propulsion systems.

Development Status: Technology Readiness Level 7

US Patent Applications Pending:

S167625.001   Electrochemical Hydrogen Pump

S167733.000   Method To Separate Hydrogen From Mixture Gas

LA-UR-25-25836

LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential

Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.

LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact [email protected].

Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.

https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology

https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/tech-and-capability-search