RESEARCH

Research Topics

Development and Evaluation of Hydrogen (Biohydrogen) Production and Purification Technology through Biomass Gasification

With the aim of realizing a hydrogen-enabled society, we conduct R&D activities on the production of hydrogen from biomass resources or waste materials by means of an indirect pyrolysis gasification process, in collaboration with the industry and academia. We are conducting experiments and simulations on key technologies such as thermal conversion characteristics (understanding of heat exchange and gaseous yields to name a few) and hydrogen refinery performance to ensure appropriate operation of the processes from the perspective of life cycle engineering.
  • Thermal performance apparatus (measurement of thermal conductivity of heat carriers (alumina balls))
  • Thermogravimetric analyzer (measurement of syngas gasification rate)

R&D of Biohydrogen Mobility System (e.g., Fuel Cell Assisted Bike) Using Hydrogen Storage Alloys

  • Polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC, 450W)
  • Regarding the supply of hydrogen synthesized from biomass, we aim to introduce an application system (e.g., a fuel-cell-assisted bike) as an alternative to conventional batteries. In this laboratory, with the participation of other laboratories and through industry–academia collaboration, we are conducting R&D on a combined system comprising a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), a hydrogen storage alloy, and a launched application system; the design of associated batteries, including the measurement of operating characteristics (e.g., energy demand and storage performance) are carried out for optimal implementation.
  • Adsorption/desorption performance apparatus (hydrogen storage alloy cartridge performance)
  • Performance test of a fuel-cell-assisted bike
    ※ Replacement of Li-ion batteries with fuel-cell batteries
  • Metal Hydride Cartridge (Under development)
  • Performance Test of Metal Hydride Cartridge

Bio-hydrogen Purification Using Natural Adsorbents and its Agricultural Applications)

Hydrogen produced from biomass feedstock or waste contains impurities that degrade fuel cell performance. In general, metal oxide adsorbents are used to remove these impurities, but they have a significant environmental impact, particularly on abiotic depletion potential. We have developed the adsorber using the natural resources from the waste mining area, which can serve as alternative adsorbents. In addition, the possibility of reusing the adsorbent as fertilizer is considered, and the environmental friendliness and overall system quality are examined.
  • Static H2S adsorption test apparatus
    ※The same apparatuses for HCl and NH3 are available.
  • Tubular flow-type H2S adsorption test apparatus (left: horizontal, right: vertical)
  • H2S analyzer (Gas chromatograph, GC2014)

R&D for the Practical Stage of High-added Agricultural Products using Biochar

We consider the farming supplies of waste biomass from the bioenergy plant or coffee grounds, etc., that have been processed through heat treatment. These materials would have a specific potential to increase the sugar content of vegetables and fruits. First, we investigated the materials' characteristics, then designed horticultural procedures using AI to optimize nutrient quality and eco-values. This research is executed under the student startup venture company (SIEVE Co., Ltd), authorized by TUS.
  • Field of Demo test（Support: ECA（Earth Clean Associate）Co. Ltd., Nagareyama, Chiba, Japan）
    Bio-char（Left: Wood char, Center: Rice husk char, Right: Coffee grounds）

Performance Test of the Air Conditioner or the Refrigerator Using Natural Refrigerants (GF-08)

  • Hydrocarbon-based natural refrigerants are candidates for non-CFC-type refrigerants. In our laboratory, through industry–academia collaborations, the refrigeration and freezing capacities of hydrocarbon refrigerants have been evaluated based on thermodynamic properties. Experimental verification has also been performed to understand the heating–cooling capacities and characteristics of agricultural products (vegetables) in the context of refrigeration (changes in respiratory calorific value and nutritional value). Based on these results, we have evaluated the heating and cooling capacities of the room in terms of energy savings. In addition, we conduct R&D on the cold chain with a focus on energy conservation and eco-burden reduction.
  • Refrigerator for the performance test（GF-08 dropped in）

Others

  • 〇LCA of fuel cell systems for product differentiation
    Based on Japanese Industrial Standards（JIS C 62282-9-101, Fuel cell technologies - Part 9-101: Evaluation methodology for the environmental performance of fuel cell power systems based on life cycle thinking - Streamlined life-cycle considered environmental performance characterization of stationary fuel cell combined heat and power systems for residential applications）, we investigate the eco-burden of LCA in consideration of the degradation of catalyst and membrane.
Main Available Software AVEVA（Process simulator）
ANSYS Fluent（CFD modeling simulator）
PHOENICS（CFD modeling simulator）
SimaPro（LCA software）
Milca（LCA software））　etc.