Enhanced hydrogen production from methanol decomposition using liquid-phase plasma discharge with porous electrodes

Methanol, with its ease of storage and transfer, is an ideal hydrogen carrier. Non-thermal plasma (NTP), easily driven by off-grid renewable energy systems, enables rapid and low-cost hydrogen production, offering a solution for distributed hydrogen production and energy storage. This study introduces a new electrode based on porous nickel with both high hydrogen production performance and long lifespan. The porous electrode enhances methanol decomposition in NTP by altering interphase mass transfer and spatiotemporal distribution of plasma, and extends high-voltage electrodes lifespan by mitigating localized heat accumulation. The results show a 42.12 % increase in syngas flow rate compared to needle electrodes, and a 33.79 % reduce in the minimum energy consumption to 1.45 kWh/Nm3 H2. Additionally, needle electrode tip length loss was reduced by 83.2 %. Microscopic morphology and elemental analysis revealed that the porous electrodes mitigated the tip erosion due to heat accumulation while reducing impurity attachment, which would facilitate discharge continuity and methanol decomposition. This research highlights the potential of porous electrodes to improve the performance and durability of hydrogen production through methanol decomposition by NTP in liquid, providing an economical and sustainable approach for distributed hydrogen production using off-grid renewable energy power system.