On-site and on-demand
hydrogen generation

Get in touch with our specialist team to find out about our Hydrogen technology.

S-Series Hydrogen Generator

Small-scale, on-demand, hydrogen generators for critical power applications where long runtimes are required.

The S-Series hydrogen generator uses our advanced catalytic reforming and hydrogen purification technologies to convert a mixture of methanol and DI water into high purity hydrogen, on-site and on-demand to economically meet the needs of 1-kW to 10-kW fuel cell power solutions.

High Purity Hydrogen
Scalable Solution

The S-Series was designed to displace expensive cylinders of compressed hydrogen for critical power applications where long runtimes are required. 

Target Uses:

  • Telecom cellular stations

  • Security camera

  • Railroad crossings

  • Broadband repeater stations

Low Cost of Hydrogen

Converts an environmentally friendly, easily handled, readily available, and hydrogen dense feedstock blend of methanol and DI water into fuel cell grade high-purity low-cost hydrogen. 

Low Initial Cost of Equipment

The manufactured cost pathway of S75 (75 sLm of hydrogen production) in low production volumes is less than the cost of a typical commercial PEM fuel cell module. Supports fuel cell cost competitiveness against legacy diesel fuel solutions.

Versatile Solution

Scalable to support 1 to 10-kW fuel cell solutions: S-Series is scalable to produce from 1 to 130 sLm of hydrogen.

Long Run Times

Runtimes determined by the size of methanol and DI water feedstock tank. An S75 hydrogen generator paired with one 55-gal drum of methanol/water feedstock is able to produce the equivalent hydrogen of 22 “T” sized cylinders of compressed hydrogen.

Key Advantages

For the S-Series hydrogen generator

Minimal Power Requirements

Requires less than 700 W of electrical power when in standby, and less than 100 W of electrical power when generating hydrogen.

Compact Design

The hydrogen generator is typically smaller in size than the fuel cell module it supports, and it readily fits into standard cabinets for outdoor installations. 

Reduced and Simple Maintenance

Advanced fuel reforming process and proprietary membrane purifier have few moving parts, robust design, and a long lifetime. 

100% Turndown

Fully automated controls allows for load-following hydrogen production, reduces feedstock and hydrogen waste, and provides flexible support for variable fuel cell power demand. 

Reduced Emissions

No harmful emissions including particulate matter, and low CO2 emissions. If renewable methanol is used, zero net CO2 emissions are achievable.

What size PEM fuel cell can the S-Series support?

The S-Series is designed to produce between 20 standard liters per minute (sLm) hydrogen and 130 sLm hydrogen. PEM fuel cells typically consume from 12 to 15 sLm of hydrogen per 1 kW of power generated, thus the S-Series is well suited and can provide hydrogen to fuel cells rated up to about 10 kW.

What are the extended run-time capabilities of the S-Series hydrogen generator?

The S-Series utilizes a readily available liquid methanol and water feedstock mix. Depending on the size of the feedstock tank and hydrogen flow requirements of the fuel cell, the S-Series can provide run times of several days to weeks. For example, the continuous run time for a 5-kW fuel system supported with a 55-gallon drum of methanol/water mix is 36+ hours.

How long does it take the S-Series to produce hydrogen?

Once commissioned for backup power applications, the S-Series is designed to be kept in hot standby with small electric heaters on grid-supplied electrical power. When grid power is lost, the fuel cell consumes hydrogen from a small buffer tank which provides a run signal to the S-Series to produce hydrogen. The S-Series is able to produce pure hydrogen on demand and supply 80% of rated hydrogen flow rate within two minutes of receiving a run signal from the buffer tank. 

Frequently Asked Questions

About the S-Series hydrogen generator

What is the amount of electricity required to operate the S-Series?

The electrical requirement for the S-Series is approximately 100 W during “run” (making hydrogen) and about 300 W in “hot standby” (system is hot and ready to start making hydrogen in 15 seconds).

Does the S-Series hydrogen generator easily fit into a standard fuel cell cabinet design for a seamless interface?

The S-Series hydrogen generator has been designed to be compact and easily integrate with all commercial PEM fuel cell systems. All sizes of the S-Series use the same user-friendly controller interface and are properly packaged for mounting into a standard 23-inch rack.

Does S-Series have a weather proof casing?

The S-Series does not have a weatherproof casing and was intended to be integrated into an approved cabinet designed for the applicable environmental conditions.