Metal Hydride Hydrogen Compressors

Ergenics has been supplying metal hydride hydrogen compressors for a broad range of applications for over twenty years.  Compression of hydrogen using reversible metal hydride alloys offers an economical alternative to traditional mechanical hydrogen compressors.  Hydride compressors are compact, silent, do not have dynamic seals, require very little maintenance and can operate unattended for long periods.  When powered by waste heat, energy consumption is only a fraction of that required for mechanical compression, which reduces the cost of hydrogen production.  The simplicity and passive operation of the hydride compression process offer many advantages over mechanical compressors.

These Ergenics’ hydride compressors use the thermal energy in hot water to compress hydrogen.  If hot water is not readily available, a closed loop heating/cooling system can be supplied.  Hydride compressors are custom designed to allow integration with your hydrogen process.

Four stage, 90 SCFH Hydride Compressor.

5 stage compressor

This six stage hydride compressor boosts pressure from atmospheric to 3,000 psia using energy from 85°C hot water!

This hydrogen Micro-compressor is powered by electrical resistance heating.
• 15 liters/h, 6.8 bar inlet, 150 bar outlet, electrolytically produced H2
• Disproportionation-proof alloys are heated to 550C, allowing a compression ratio of 22 in a single stage
• Inlet H2 is continuously absorbed in the hydride accumulator.  When high  pressure H2 is needed, the Inconel compressor coil is electrically heated, discharging up to 1 gram of H2 at 150 bar.
• The accumulator stores 5g of hydrogen; The Micro-compressor can be used as a low pressure hydrogen supply for the laboratory, delivering a small quantity of higher pressure hydrogen on demand, but only when needed.  High pressure cylinders and their high hydrogen inventory can be removed from the laboratory.

microcompressor

compressor internals