United Arab Emirates

Sustainable hydrogen production is key to achieving zero-emission targets and a hydrogen-based economy. Hydrogen production methods vary in terms of resource technology and system efficiency. This work analyzes the thermodynamics of fourteen hydrogen production pathways using Gibbs free energy minimization to examine the effects of pressure (1–60 bar) temperature (100–1000 ◦C) and feed composition using reactant conversion and product selectivity as key indicators of reaction performance. The impact of simultaneous reactions on hydrogen production is also discussed. From the results full conversion (100 %) independent of parameter variations at 1 bar pressure was observed for biomass gasification and steam reforming of glycerol methanol ethanol and bio-oil reactions. However H2 selectivity in all tested reactions except for NH3 dissociation and the splitting of water and H2S is greatly affected by side reactions. Finally the thermodynamic results of all reactions are compared and validated with published experiments followed by an evaluation of the challenges and opportunities in hydrogen production. The study provides optimal reaction parameters and a comprehensive comparison of H2 production processes aiding in designing and developing processes based on regional resource availability. Additionally it highlights the potential for both local and remote hydrogen production pathways from various renewable energy sources.

Demand for hydrogen has grown and continues to rise as a versatile energy carrier. Hydrogen can be produced from renewable and non-renewable energy sources. A wide range of technologies to produce hydrogen in an environmentally friendly way have been developed. As the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach has become popular recently including in the hydrogen energy system this paper comprehensively reviews the LCA of hydrogen production technology. A subdivision based on the trends in the LCA studies hydrogen production technology goal and scope definition system boundary and environmental performance of hydrogen production is discussed in this review. Thermochemical hydrogen production is the most studied technology in LCA. However utilizing natural resources especially wind power in the electrolysis process stands out as an environmentally preferable solution when compared to alternative production processes. It is crucial to rethink reactors and other production-related equipment to improve environmental performance and increase hydrogen production efficiency. Since most of the previous LCA studies were conducted in developed countries and only a few were from developing countries a way forward for LCA application on hydrogen in developing countries was also highlighted and discussed. This review provides a comprehensive insight for further research on hydrogen production technology from an LCA perspective.

Rapid industrialization is consuming too much energy and non-renewable energy resources are currently supplying the world’s majority of energy requirements. As a result the global energy mix is being pushed towards renewable and sustainable energy sources by the world’s future energy plan and climate change. Thus hydrogen has been suggested as a potential energy source for sustainable development. Currently the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels is dominant in the world and its utilization is increasing daily. As discussed in the paper a large amount of hydrogen is used in rocket engines oil refining ammonia production and many other processes. This paper also analyzes the environmental impacts of hydrogen utilization in various applications such as iron and steel production rocket engines ammonia production and hydrogenation. It is predicted that all of our fossil fuels will run out soon if we continue to consume them at our current pace of consumption. Hydrogen is only ecologically friendly when it is produced from renewable energy. Therefore a transition towards hydrogen production from renewable energy resources such as solar geothermal and wind is necessary. However many things need to be achieved before we can transition from a fossil-fuel-driven economy to one based on renewable energy

There is an impetus to decarbonize transportation sector and mitigate climate change. This study examines the effect of adopting hydrogen (H2) as a fuel for Dubai Buses at different penetration scales on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction. A H2 supply-chain system dynamics model is developed to conduct life cycle cost and environmental analysis and evaluate the efficacy of different carbon prices and subsidies. Gray green and mixed H2 production scenarios were considered. The results show that gray hydrogen reduces 7.1 million tons of CO2 which is half of green hydrogen buses. Replacing diesel fleet at end of lifetime with mixed hydrogen bus fleet was the optimal approach to promote green hydrogen at pump reaching $4/kg in a decade. This gradual transition reduces 62% of the well-to-wheel CO2 emissions of the new bus fleet and creates mass for economies of scale as carbon prices and subsidies cannot promote green hydrogen alone.

Fuel cell- and electric-powered trucks are promising technologies for zero-emission heavyduty transportation. Recently Fuel Cell Trucks (FCT) have gained wider acceptance as the technology of choice for long-distance trips due to their lighter weight and shorter fueling time than electric-powered trucks. Broader adoption of Fuel Cell Trucks (FCT) requires planning strategies for locating future hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) especially for fleets that transport freight along intercity and inter-country highways. Existing mathematical models of HRS placement often focus on inner-city layouts which make them inadequate when studying the intercity and intercountry FCT operation scale of FCT. Furthermore the same models rarely consider decentralized hydrogen production from renewable energy sources essential for decarbonizing the transportation sector. This paper proposes a mathematical model to guide the planning of the hydrogen infrastructure to support future long-haul FCTs. First the model uses Geographic Information System (GIS) data to determine the HRS’s optimal number and location placement. Then the model categorizes and compares potential hydrogen production sources including off-site delivery and on-site solar-to-hydrogen production. The proposed model is illustrated through a case study of the west coastal area of the United States (from Baja California Mexico to British Columbia Canada). Different geospatial scenarios were tested ranging from the current operational distance of FCEV (250km) and future releases of hydrogen FCT (up to 1500km). Results highlight the capabilities of the model in identifying the number and location of the HRS based on operation distances in addition to determining the optimal hydrogen production technology for each HRS. The findings also confirm the viability of green hydrogen production through solar energy which could play a critical role in a low-carbon transportation future.

The concerns regarding the consumption of traditional fuels such as oil and coal have driven the proposals for several cleaner alternatives in recent years. Hydrogen energy is one of the most attractive alternatives for the currently used fossil fuels with several superiorities such as zero-emission and high energy content. Hydrogen has numerous advantages compared to conventional fuels and as such has been employed in gas turbines (GTs) in recent years. The main benefit of using hydrogen in power generation with the GT is the considerably lower emission of greenhouse gases. The performance of the GTs using hydrogen as a fuel is influenced by several factors including the performance of the components the operating condition ambient condition etc. These factors have been investigated by several scholars and scientists in this field. In this article studies on hydrogen-fired GTs are reviewed and their results are discussed. Furthermore some recommendations are proposed for the upcoming works in this field.

Green hydrogen is considered to be one of the best candidates for fossil fuels in the near future. Bio-hydrogen production from the dark fermentation of organic materials including organic wastes is one of the most cost-effective and promising methods for hydrogen production. One of the main challenges posed by this method is the low production rate. Therefore optimizing the operating parameters such as the initial pH value operating temperature N/C ratio and organic concentration (xylose) plays a significant role in determining the hydrogen production rate. The experimental optimization of such parameters is complex expensive and lengthy. The present research used an experimental data asset adaptive network fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) modeling and particle swarm optimization to model and optimize hydrogen production. The coupling between ANFIS and PSO demonstrated a robust effect which was evident through the improvement in the hydrogen production based on the four input parameters. The results were compared with the experimental and RSM optimization models. The proposed method demonstrated an increase in the biohydrogen production of 100 mL/L compared to the experimental results and a 200 mL/L increase compared to the results obtained using ANOVA.

The long term and large-scale energy storage operations require quick response time and round-trip efficiency which is not feasible with conventional battery systems. To address this issue while endorsing high energy density long term storage and grid adaptability the hydrogen energy storage (HES) is preferred. This proposed work makes a comprehensive review on HES while synthesizing recent research on energy storage technologies and integration into renewable energy (RE) applications. The proposed research also identifies critical challenges related to system optimization energy management strategies and economic viability while featuring emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for energy management. The proposed survey also discusses key advancements in battery technologies (lithium-ion Ni-Cd Ni/MH and flow batteries) which are examined alongside innovations in HES methods. The proposed survey utilizes an extensive list of publications to date in the open literature to canvass and portray various developments in this area.

This study offers a novel techno-economic evaluation of a small hydrogen generation system included into a residential villa in Sharjah. The system is designed to utilize solar energy for hydrogen production using an electrolyzer. The study assesses two scenarios: one lacking a fuel cell and the other incorporating a fuel cell stack for backup power. The initial scenario employs a solar-powered electrolyzer for hydrogen production attaining a competitive levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $0.1846 per kWh and a hydrogen cost of $4.65 per kg. These data underscore the economic viability of utilizing electrolyzers for hydrogen generation. The system produces around 1230 kg of hydrogen per annum rendering it appropriate for many uses. Nevertheless the original investment expenditure of $73980 necessitates more optimization. The second scenario includes a 10 kW fuel cell for energy autonomy. This scenario has a marginally reduced LCOE of 0.1811 $/kWh and a cumulative net present cost of $72600. The fuel cell runs largely at night proving the efficiency of the downsizing option in decreasing capital expense. The system generates electricity from solar panels (66.1 MWh/year) and the fuel cell (16.9 MWh/year) exhibiting a multi-source power generating technique. The results indicate that scaled-down hydrogen generation systems both with and without fuel cells may offer sustainable and possibly lucrative renewable energy options for household use especially in areas with ample solar resources such as Sharjah.

Given the rising interest in hydrogen economy alternative feedstocks are explored for their potential use for hydrogen production such as H2S a notable byproduct from oil and gas operations. This study presents a computational investigation on the thermodynamics kinetics and mechanisms of non-catalytic H2S-steam reforming (H2SSR) as a pathway for H2S-to-H2 benchmarked to H2S thermal decomposition (H2SPyrol) (as a limiting case without water). The mechanism integrates key elementary steps form different reaction pathways including H2S partial oxidation H2O reduction and H2S thermal decomposition. Results from the model are validated using available experimental data for H2SPyrol and H2SSR. Homogeneous gas-phase reactions are modelled at different H2O:H2S ratios reaction temperatures pressure and times. Thermodynamically the H2SSR reaction is unfavorable due to the presence of water and its role in increasing the reaction complexity and endothermicity; however kinetically water contributes to increasing the hydrogen yield at least 9 times that from H2SPyrol achieving 99.23 % H2S conversion at 1473 K with an excess H2O:H2S feed ratio of 200:1. The contribution of water during the H2SSR reaction is interpreted using reaction path and rate of production analyses demonstrating its role in producing an abundant pool of OH and H radicals. These radicals catalyze the cleavage of H2S-SH bonds accelerating hydrogen production at an optimal reaction time of 0.07–0.105 s. This study paves the path for future kinetic and catalytic research to optimize the technical viability of H2SSR as a promising H2S-to-H2 conversion pathway for sour wastewater reutilization.