Ammonia Cracking

Home
>
Green Solutions
>
Ammonia Cracking

Why Ammonia Cracking

What is Ammonia Cracking?

The ammonia cracking technology converts ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen gas. Ammonia is a low-cost chemical raw material. It has the advantages of high energy density, easy compression and liquefaction, convenient storage and transportation, and does not produce CO2 when burned. Therefore, the idea of using ammonia as a hydrogen transport carrier has received widespread attention. Moreover, ammonia’s high mass and volumetric hydrogen storage densities make it a promising hydrogen transportation carrier.

ln addition, the nitrogen gas produced through ammonia catalytic cracking is an excellent protective gas and can be widely applied in the semiconductor and metallurgical industries.

Ammonia Cracking Process

Advantages of Ammonia Cracking Plant

100NM3/H AMMONIA CRACKING PLANT
Capacity	100 Nm3/h
Cracking Temperature	~600℃
Power	1.5 kWh/Nm3 H2
Ammonia consumption (kg/h NH3)	76 kg/h
Forming gas production (Nm3/h N2;H2)	200 Nm3/h
Hydrogen production (kg/h H2)	8.93 kg/h
Conversion Rate	≥99.7%
Operational flexibility	30%~100%

100NM3/H AMMONIA CRACKING PLANT
Capacity	150 Nm3/h
Cracking Temperature	~600℃
Power	1.5 kWh/Nm3 H2
Ammonia consumption (kg/h NH3)	114 kg/h
Forming gas production (Nm3/h N2;H2)	300 Nm3/h
Hydrogen production (kg/h H2)	13.39 kg/h
Conversion Rate	≥99.7%
Operational flexibility	30%~100%

KAPSOM Ammonia brochure

Transforming Industry with Modular Efficiency and Innovative Ammonia Cracking.

Innovative Ammonia Cracking Cryogenic System

KAPSOM ammonia cracking unit can meet customer needs with excellent performance, flexibility and economy under low temperature conditions.

Excellent catalyst efficiency

Utilizing low-temperature catalyst (600℃) to achieve excellent efficiency, up to 99.7% conversion rate, ensuring maximum ammonia conversion.

Excellent operating efficiency

Operating at 600℃ and 0.05 MPag, compared with traditional methods, energy consumption is significantly reduced by more than 30%, reaching a higher operating efficiency level.

Advanced heat exchange technology

The use of sleeve-type heat exchangers covers a wide area, significantly improving thermal efficiency and lifespan, and providing reliable heat energy exchange for the device.

Optimized reactor design

The reactor design focuses on high quality and heat transfer efficiency to ensure high-speed reaction rate, high conversion rate and high yield, and comprehensively improve the efficiency of the ammonia cracking process.

Personalized customization

Provide personalized and optimized process solutions to meet customers’ specific needs for product purity and delivery time, and achieve customized production.

Smart and Efficient Modularity

Scalability

The modular design of ammonia decomposition offers scalability, facilitating easy expansion or reduction of capacity based on demand fluctuations.

Flexibility

This design is adaptable to various site conditions and specific requirements, making it suitable for deployment in diverse settings.

Cost-Effective

In terms of both initial investment and ongoing operational expenses, modular ammonia decomposition proves to be more economical compared to traditional, large-scale units.

Rapid Deployment

The assembly of modular units is swift, allowing for quick operational readiness and effectively reducing project timelines.

Space Efficiency

With a compact footprint, modular design is ideal for areas with limited available land, optimizing spatial utilization.

Lower Installation Costs

Utilizing pre-fabricated modules reduces on-site construction work, minimizing associated costs and contributing to overall project affordability.

Ease of Maintenance

The modular nature simplifies maintenance and repair work, potentially reducing downtime and ensuring smoother operations.

Customization

Tailoring each module to specific process requirements and specifications enhances the adaptability and efficiency of the ammonia decomposition system.

Improved Reliability

The independent operation of each module ensures that the entire system remains functional even if one component encounters a failure, thereby enhancing overall reliability.

Transportability

The inherent mobility of modular units allows for easy transportation and relocation, providing greater versatility in deployment and use.

Diverse Capacities

Flexible to meet various needs

The production capacity of KAPSOM ammonia cracking unit is 100 Nm3/h and 150 Nm3/h respectively, providing users with a variety of production scale options to meet different production needs.

Customizable production plans

Customize production plans based on market dynamics and various factors to achieve adaptive adjustment of production capacity range and effectively respond to different production scenarios.

Maximize production efficiency

The expanded capacity design enables users to dynamically adjust production levels according to market demand fluctuations while maintaining operational efficiency, ultimately maximizing overall production efficiency.

Strong adaptability

The production capacity of ammonia cracking equipment is adjustable, and it shows excellent adaptability according to the unique production needs of various industries, making it the best choice in various fields.

Shorten the investment payback period

Users can choose the appropriate production capacity of ammonia cracking equipment according to their specific needs, thereby reducing investment costs, shortening the investment payback period, and improving overall investment efficiency.

High energy efficiency

KAPSOM ammonia cracking equipment always maintains high energy utilization efficiency under different production scales, ensuring economic feasibility under different operating scenarios.

KAPSOM Ammonia brochure

Ammonia Cracking - Towards a Carbon-Free Future

Green hydrogen boasts environmentally friendly characteristics. Nations engaged in hydrogen industry development account for 75% of the global economic output. However, due to the unresolved balance between hydrogen storage density, safety, and storage costs, the hydrogen industry has not yet formed a truly global supply chain and has not played a substantial role in driving global economic development and addressing climate change.

Ammonia cracking can help solve multiple challenges in hydrogen storage and transportation, reducing costs, and facilitating the formation of a global supply chain, paving the way for a true carbon-free future

Hydrogen Production

Ammonia cracking is primarily employed for the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier and is widely used in industrial processes, such as hydrogenation reactions, ammonia synthesis, and in fuel cells for electricity generation.

Chemical Synthesis

The hydrogen generated from ammonia cracking can be used in various chemical synthesis processes, including the production of ammonia itself. It serves as a key raw material in the synthesis of various chemicals like methanol, fertilizers, and other industrial compounds.

Cost Reduction

Ammonia has been produced in large quantities for a long time, primarily for fertilizer production, which has led to the development of extensive storage and transportation infrastructure, thus reducing storage and transportation costs.

Fuel Cells

Hydrogen produced through ammonia cracking can be utilized in fuel cells to generate electricity. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert hydrogen into electrical energy, with water and heat as byproducts.

Heat Treatment

Hydrogen obtained from ammonia cracking is often used in heat treatment processes, especially in industries like metallurgy. It can provide a reducing
atmosphere necessary for certain heat treatment applications.

Hydrogenation Reactions

Hydrogen is widely used in hydrogenation reactions, where it is added to various
compounds to reduce or saturate them. This is common in the production of edible oils, petrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Refinery Processes

Hydrogen is a crucial element in various refinery processes, such as hydrocracking and desulfurization. These processes help refine crude oil into valuable products like gasoline and diesel.

Electronics Industry

Hydrogen is used in the electronics industry for processes like reducing oxides
during the production of semiconductors and other electronic components.

Power Generation

Hydrogen produced from ammonia cracking can be used as a fuel in combustion engines or gas turbines for power generation.

KAPSOM Ammonia brochure

Ammonia Cracking: Opening the Global Hydrogrn Energy Market

Ammonia cracking is a process that converts ammonia on a large scale into hydrogen gas. While green hydrogen is an abundant and versatile clean energy source, its properties, such as high volatility and low density, make hydrogen transportation challenging and costly. One economically viable method is to convert hydrogen gas into ammonia(NH3) for transportation, with subsequent release when needed. This release process can be achieved through ammonia cracking (decomposition) to produce hydrogen.

Efficient ammonia cracking technology is essential for achieving global decarbonization. By bridging gaps in the production chain, clean energy can be transported from regions with a surplus of renewable energy to areas with limited resources, facilitating the achievement of global green energy transition goals.

Lack of Cost-effective Green Hydrogen

Currently, green hydrogen production still faces challenges such as high production costs, a lack of dedicated infrastructure, and significant energy losses during the production process. Among these, the electricity cost in the process of electrolytic hydrogen production accounts for 75% to 85% of the total cost, and the price of electricity directly determines the economic viability of green hydrogen.

Expensive Hydrogen Energy

Both electrolysis and steam reforming are the two primary processes for extracting hydrogen, and they are very costly. This is the primary reason why hydrogen has not been widely adopted on a global scale.

Challenges in Storage

One of the characteristics of hydrogen is its low density. This means that it must be compressed into a liquid and stored at lower temperatures to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness as an energy source.

It’s Not the Safest Energy Source

Hydrogen is a highly flammable and volatile substance. Unlike gases, hydrogen lacks an odor, making it nearly impossible to detect leaks. To detect leaks, sensors must be installed.

Difficult to Transport

Due to its lightweight nature, transporting hydrogen is a challenging task.When considering the bulk transportation of hydrogen, it poses challenges, which is why hydrogen is primarily transported in small quantities.

The Catalyst for the Hydrogen Era

Hydrogen is a clean fuel and energy carrier that plays a significant role in the future of sustainable energy. Hydrogen finds various applications as a raw material and fuel in the chemical industry. It is used in refining, ammonia production, methanol production, fertilizer production, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing, metal production, and low-carbon steel manufacturing. It is also used as fuel for fuel cell power generation and is poised to be a sustainable fuel for power generation in the construction and transportation sectors in the future.

Ammonia, as a hydrogen carrier, has garnered attention for its ability to safely transport and store hydrogen over long distances in large quantities. Ammonia cracking is a process that converts ammonia into hydrogen on a large scale, and it is an indispensable technology for extracting ammonia’s hydrogen component, playing a crucial role in building the hydrogen development supply chain. The development and commercialization of ammonia cracking systems will contribute to a sustainable, carbon-neutral world and usher in the era of large-scale hydrogen energy.