Ultrapure Water and Hydrogen Production for Fuel Cells
Hydrogen (H₂) is a key fuel for hydrogen fuel cells, but it does not exist freely in nature. To make hydrogen available as an energy carrier, it must be produced through industrial processes—many of which depend on pure or ultrapure water.
Method 1: Water Electrolysis
Electrolysis splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity:
2 H₂O (liquid) + Energy → 2 H₂ (gas) + O₂ (gas)
This process can produce high-purity hydrogen suitable for fuel cells, but it requires both ultrapure water and significant electrical energy. Today, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that only about 5% of hydrogen is produced via electrolysis.
Method 2: Hydrocarbon Reforming
The majority—around 95% of hydrogen in the U.S.—is generated from hydrocarbons, most commonly steam methane reforming (SMR). This process reacts methane with steam:
CH₄ (gas) + H₂O (gas) + Energy → 3 H₂ (gas) + CO (gas)
The carbon monoxide (CO) byproduct is then converted into additional hydrogen through the water-gas shift reaction, first identified in 1780:
CO (gas) + H₂O (gas) ⇌ H₂ (gas) + CO₂ (gas)
✅ Engineer’s Takeaway:
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Electrolysis delivers very pure hydrogen but is currently limited by cost and energy input.
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Methane reforming dominates due to lower cost, but it produces CO₂ emissions.
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Both pathways rely on ultrapure water—making high-quality water purification a critical step in sustainable hydrogen production.
High-purity water is produced using SnowPure’s RO-EDI Reverse Osmosis-Electrodeionization (RO-EDI) technology.
