Since 13 08 2012 JSC “Inovatas” and Lithuanian Energy Institute have been implementing project Commercialism of Technologies Developed at the Center for Hydrogen Energy Technologies of Lithuanian Energy Institute. This scientific research results commercialization project is conducted within the framework programme for High-technology development 2011-2013 and is managed by the Agency for Science, innovations and technologies. Project No 31V-137.

Project summary:

Research in the field of hydrogen energy have been performed in Lithuanian energy institute since year 2000. Center for Hydrogen Energy Technologies established in 2008 is equipped with unique, up-to-date equipment for material synthesis and analysis. The activities conducted at CHET are related with three fields: hydrogen production employing proton conductivity hydrogen separation membranes and hydrogen extraction employing photo catalytic processes; hydrogen storage in nanocrystalline hydrides of metals and their alloys; synthesis and properties analysis of nanocrystalline electrolites designed for solid oxide fuel elements.

The objective of this project is to commercialize most valuable technologies developed at CHET. During the project the three technologies are analyzed. The first technology – Hydrogenation method of metals and their alloys (LR patent No 5789; issued EPO proposal No 10478001.0 submitted on 29 06 2011). The project task related with this technology – to certify the developed technology. The feasibility study of international level devoted to potential investors, where basic advantages and challenges of the commercialized technology would be reflected, is to be prepared during the project. A demo device is to be developed where it would be possible to implement metal hydrogenation experiments using material amounts similar to the demands of real portable devices – thus demonstrating the operation principles of technology to potential investors.
The second technology – Method of Hydrogen Extraction from Water, Using Water Interaction with the Metals Activated in Plasma or Their Alloy Surfaces (LR patent proposal No 2012026, submitted on 03 04 2012). Main market of this technology – manufacturers of car industry and worldwide exploiters of unstable renewable energy systems (wind, sun). The basic task of the project is to prepare nanomaterials designed for hydrogen extraction for the market – using ball milling and physical material deposition technologies and present this hydrogen extraction technology for major manufacturers of car industry and risk capital enterprises.

The third technology – presently new generation Ni-Zr-NB, Ni-Ti-Al, Ti-Al amorphous membranes, devoted to separation of hydrogen from hydrocarbons (natural gas, biogas, oil products, etc.) and alcohol, are produced at CHET. These membranes are much cheaper than presently used Pt, Pd based membranes. The basic project task is to finish the membranes, preparing them for the market and present the developed membranes for potential consumers.

Keywords: hydrogen storage, metal hydrides, hydrogen extraction membranes, nanomaterials.