How is pollution-free, stabilized hydrogen energy made? Let’s look into the birth process of high-purity hydrogen energy, which has been produced since February 2016 in preparation of a future society fueled by hydrogen.
Hyundai Steel set forth to establish a foundation to lead the next generation of hydrogen ecosystems, keeping pace with Hyundai Motor Group’s vision of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). The operational principle of FCEV is as follows: The motor is operated using the electricity generated by the chemical reaction between the hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell stack. Since the only substances emitted through the union of hydrogen and oxygen in the FCEV are water and electricity, fine dust is removed through the filter inside the car, making this vehicle genuinely environmentally-friendly.
How to Make 99.999% Pure Hydrogen
Hyundai Steel has secured the water supplies necessary and since February 2016, has been building a hydrogen plant for FCEV. Let’s find out what processes are being carried out to produce hydrogen.
Hyundai Steel produces hydrogen by separating hydrogen from Coke Oven Gas (COG), a type of by-product gas generated in the coke production process within the steel mill. First, the Coke Oven Gas (COG) generated during the coke production process in the steel mill is purified for the first time at the coke manufacturing plant. The COG that went through 1st purification is free of tar, sulfur and naphthalene.
Once the tar is separated from the COG in the electrostatic precipitator and goes through the activated carbon tower to remove sulfur, the 2nd purification process is complete. Then, the COG is compressed in the 1st pressurization and goes through the foreign substance removal process to remove any remaining impurities such as oil or naphthalene. During the 2nd pressurization, COG is compressed once more. Finally, any lingering substances, including water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, are discharged, leaving hydrogen. This process is repeated using the Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA) and Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) techniques, alternating between high and low pressures to produce high purity hydrogen. Hyundai Steel will lead the way into the hydrogen era through continued research and development.