Abstract: To satisfy the hydrogen demand for hydrogen refueling stations, based on the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the existing hydrogen supply system, the catalytic process and chemical process of the distributed hydrogen production system were "re-engineered" to form a new distributed hydrogen production system. The development of a new type of catalyst for hydrogen production from methanol improved the reaction efficiency and reduced the reactor volume. The new catalytic oxidation catalyst has the advantages of high activity at low temperatures and good stability at high temperatures. The micro-channel technology was used to strengthen the heat transfer process in the distributed hydrogen production system, and the miniaturization of the device was realized. The coupling system of methanol reforming and catalytic oxidation made full use of the characteristics of endothermic-exothermic reaction and realized the closed-loop utilization of system energy. The distributed hydrogen production system developed in this paper was first developed in China, and the integrated hydrogen refueling station with the production of hydrogenation was demonstrated. The covered area of the distributed methanol hydrogen production demonstration unit was only 64 m2, and the methanol consumption of 1 kg fuel cell grade hydrogen was 7.37 kg. It provides a replicable and extensible experience for China to construct a safe, stable, and efficient hydrogen supply network, and has a positive significance for reducing the cost of hydrogen and promoting its application on a large scale.

Key words: hydrogen energy, methanol, distributed hydrogen-production, high-performance catalysts, energy coupling utilization