India
Hydrogen Production by PEM Water Electrolysis – A Review
Mar 2019
Publication
Hydrogen is the most efficient energy carrier. Hydrogen can be obtained from different sources of raw materials including water. Among many hydrogen production methods eco-friendly and high purity of hydrogen can be obtained by water electrolysis. However In terms of sustainability and environmental impact PEM water electrolysis was considered as most promising techniques for high pure efficient hydrogen production from renewable energy sources and emits only oxygen as byproduct without any carbon emissions. Moreover the produced hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) directly used for fuel cell and industrial applications. However overall water splitting resulting in only 4% of global industrial hydrogen being produced by electrolysis of water mainly due to the economic issues. Nowadays increased the desire production of green hydrogen has increased the interest on PEM water electrolysis. Thus the considerable research has been completed recently in the development of cost effective electrocatalysts for PEM water electrolysis. In this present review we discussed about the recent developments in the PEM water electrolysis including high performance low cost HER and OER electrocatalysts and their challenges new and old related to electrocatalysts and PEM cell components also addressed. This review will contribute further research improvements and a road map in order to support in developing the PEM water electrolyser as a commercially feasible hydrogen production purpose.
Overview of Biomass Conversion to Electricity and Hydrogen and Recent Developments in Low-Temperature Electrochemical Approaches
Nov 2020
Publication
Biomass is plant or animal material that stores both chemical and solar energies and that is widely used for heat production and various industrial processes. Biomass contains a large amount of the element hydrogen so it is an excellent source for hydrogen production. Therefore biomass is a sustainable source for electricity or hydrogen production. Although biomass power plants and reforming plants have been commercialized it remains a difficult challenge to develop more effective and economic technologies to further improve the conversion efficiency and reduce the environmental impacts in the conversion process. The use of biomass-based flow fuel cell technology to directly convert biomass to electricity and the use of electrolysis technology to convert biomass into hydrogen at a low temperature are two new research areas that have recently attracted interest. This paper first briefly introduces traditional technologies related to the conversion of biomass to electricity and hydrogen and then reviews the new developments in flow biomass fuel cells (FBFCs) and biomass electrolysis for hydrogen production (BEHP) in detail. Further challenges in these areas are discussed.
Microbial Fuel Cells: Technologically Advanced Devices and Approach for Sustainable/renewable Energy Development
Dec 2021
Publication
There is a huge quantity of energy needs/demands for multiple developmental and domestic activities in the modern era. And in this context consumption of more non-renewable energy is reported and created many problems or issues (availability of fossil fuel stocks in the future period causes a huge quantity of toxic gases or particles or climatic change effects) at the global level. And only sustainable or renewable fuel development can provide alternate fuel and we report from various biological agents processes including microbial biofuel cell applications for future energy needs only. These will not cause any interference in natural resources or services. Microbial biofuel cells utilize the living cell to produce bioelectricity via bioelectrochemical system. It can drive electricity or other energy generation currents via lived cell interaction. Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and enzymatic biofuel cells with their advancement in design can improve sustainable bio-energy production by proving an efficient conversion system compared to chemical fuels into electric power. Different types of MFCs operation are reported in wastewater treatment with biogas biohydrogen and other biofuel/energy generation. Later biogas can convert into electric power. Hybrid microbial biofuel cell utility with photochemical reaction is found for electricity generation. Recent research and development in microbial biofuel design and its application will emphasize bioenergy for the future.
Phase Field Modelling of Formation and Fracture of Expanding Precipitates
May 2017
Publication
It is a common belief that embedded expanding inclusions are subjected to an internal homogeneous compressive hydrostatic stress. Still cracks that appear in precipitates that occupy a larger volume than the original material are frequently observed. The appearance of cracks has since long been regarded as a paradox. In the present study it is shown that matrix materials that increases its volume even several percent during the precipitation process develop a tensile hydrostatic stress in the centre of the precipitate. This is the result of a complicated mechanical-chemical phase transformation process. The process is here studied using a Landau phase feld model. Before the material is transformed and incorporated in a precipitate it undergoes stretching beyond the elastic strain limit because of the presence of already expanded material. During the phase transformation the accompanying volumetric expansion cannot be fully accommodated which instead creates an internal compressive stress and adds tension in the surrounding material. As the growth of the precipitate proceeds a region with increasing tensile stress develops in the interior of the precipitate. This is suggested to be the most probable cause of the observed cracks. First the mechanics that lead to the tension is computed. The infuence of elastic-plastic properties is studied both for cases both with and without cracks. The growth history from microscopic to macroscopic precipitates is followed and the result is compared with observations of so called hydride blisters that are formed on surfaces of zirconium alloys in the presence of hydrogen. A common practical situation is when the zirconium is in contact with an object of lower temperature. Then the cooled spot attracts hydrogen that make the zirconium transform to a metal hydride with the shape of a blister. The simulations predicts a final size and position of the growing crack that compares well with the experimental observations.
Blind-prediction: Estimating the Consequences of Vented Hydrogen Deflagrations for Homogeneous Mixtures in a 20-foot ISO Container
Sep 2017
Publication
Trygve Skjold,
Helene Hisken,
Sunil Lakshmipathy,
Gordon Atanga,
Marco Carcassi,
Martino Schiavetti,
James R. Stewart,
A. Newton,
James R. Hoyes,
Ilias C. Tolias,
Alexandros G. Venetsanos,
Olav Roald Hansen,
J. Geng,
Asmund Huser,
Sjur Helland,
Romain Jambut,
Ke Ren,
Alexei Kotchourko,
Thomas Jordan,
Jérome Daubech,
Guillaume Lecocq,
Arve Grønsund Hanssen,
Chenthil Kumar,
Laurent Krumenacker,
Simon Jallais,
D. Miller and
Carl Regis Bauwens
This paper summarises the results from a blind-prediction study for models developed for estimating the consequences of vented hydrogen deflagrations. The work is part of the project Improving hydrogen safety for energy applications through pre-normative research on vented deflagrations (HySEA). The scenarios selected for the blind-prediction entailed vented explosions with homogeneous hydrogen-air mixtures in a 20-foot ISO container. The test program included two configurations and six experiments i.e. three repeated tests for each scenario. The comparison between experimental results and model predictions reveals reasonable agreement for some of the models and significant discrepancies for others. It is foreseen that the first blind-prediction study in the HySEA project will motivate developers to improve their models and to update guidelines for users of the models.
Effect of Hydrogen on Short Crack Propagation in SA508 Grade 3 Class I Low Alloy Steel Under Cyclic Loading
Aug 2019
Publication
The effect of hydrogen on short crack propagation under cyclic loading in SA508 Grade 3 Class I low alloy steel is investigated. This low alloy steel is used in manufacturing of pressure vessel installed in Indian nuclear power plants. During operation these pressure vessels are subjected to continuous supply of pressurized hot water at 600 K and hence are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. In past research has been conducted on the effect of hydrogen embrittlement on long fatigue crack propagation in this material but the mechanistic understanding and correlation of hydrogen embrittlement with microstructural features in the material can be understood well by studying the effect of hydrogen embrittlement on short fatigue crack propagation. Short fatigue cracks are of the order of 10 µm to 1 mm and unlike long cracks these short cracks strongly interact with the microstructural features in the material such as grain/phase boundaries. The effect of hydrogen embrittlement on short crack propagation is studied by artificial hydrogen charging of the material through electrochemical process. The single edge notch tension (SENT) specimens with an initial notch of the order of 85 to 90 µm are used to study the short crack propagation. The short cracks in hydrogen charged samples initiated from the notch at lower number of loading cycles as compared to the uncharged notched samples for the same value of applied stress range (Δσ). After initiation the short fatigue crack in hydrogen charged samples propagated at higher rate as compared to uncharged samples. This dissimilarity in crack propagation behavior is due to the difference in the interaction of short fatigue crack with the microstructural features for a hydrogen charged and uncharged samples.
Reversible Hydrogen Storage Using Nanocomposites
Jul 2020
Publication
In the field of energy storage recently investigated nanocomposites show promise in terms of high hydrogen uptake and release with enhancement in the reaction kinetics. Among several carbonaceous nanovariants like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fullerenes and graphitic nanofibers reveal reversible hydrogen sorption characteristics at 77 K due to their van der Waals interaction. The spillover mechanism combining Pd nanoparticles on the host metal-organic framework (MOF) show room temperature uptake of hydrogen. Metal or complex hydrides either in the nanocomposite form and its subset nanocatalyst dispersed alloy phases illustrate the concept of nanoengineering and nanoconfinement of particles with tailor-made properties for reversible hydrogen storage. Another class of materials comprising polymeric nanostructures such as conducting polyaniline and their functionalized nanocomposites are versatile hydrogen storage materials because of their unique size high specific surface-area pore-volume and bulk properties. The salient features of nanocomposite materials for reversible hydrogen storage are reviewed and discussed.
Cost Optimization of a Stand-Alone Hybrid Energy System with Fuel Cell and PV
Mar 2020
Publication
Renewable energy has become very popular in recent years. The amount of renewable generation has increased in both grid-connected and stand-alone systems. This is because it can provide clean energy in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly fashion. Among all varieties photovoltaic (PV) is the ultimate rising star. Integration of other technologies with solar is enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the system. In this paper a fuel cell–solar photovoltaic (FC-PV)-based hybrid energy system has been proposed to meet the electrical load demand of a small community center in India. The system is developed with PV panels fuel cell an electrolyzer and hydrogen storage tank. Detailed mathematical modeling of this system as well as its operation algorithm have been presented. Furthermore cost optimization has been performed to determine ratings of PV and Hydrogen system components. The objective is to minimize the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of this standalone system. This optimization is performed in HOMER software as well as another tool using an artificial bee colony (ABC). The results obtained by both methods have been compared in terms of cost effectiveness. It is evident from the results that for a 68 MWh/yr of electricity demand is met by the 129 kW Solar PV 15 kW Fuel cell along with a 34 kW electrolyzer and a 20 kg hydrogen tank with a LPSP of 0.053%. The LCOE is found to be in 0.228 $/kWh. Results also show that use of more sophisticated algorithms such as ABC yields more optimized solutions than package programs such as HOMER. Finally operational details for FC-PV hybrid system using IEC 61850 inter-operable communication is presented. IEC 61850 information models for FC electrolyzer hydrogen tank were developed and relevent IEC 61850 message exchanges for energy management in FC-PV hybrid system are demonstrated.
Magnetron Sputter Deposited NiCu Alloy Catalysts for Production of Hydrogen Through Electrolysis in Alkaline Water
Jul 2018
Publication
NiCu alloy catalysts with varying composition for electrolysis in alkaline water have been prepared by DC magnetron co-sputtering under Ar gas environment at substrate bias of 60 V. Nanocrystallinity lattice parameters and grain size of the NiCu alloys have been measured by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). Elemental and microstructural analysis of the NiCu alloy have been done by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To analyze the NiCu alloys activity towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) cyclic voltammetry measurements have been done in a 6 M KOH at room temperature and further HER activities have been correlated with the varying Cu concentration in NiCu alloy catalysts.
Tracking Hydrogen Embrittlement Using Short Fatigue Crack Behavior of Metals
Dec 2018
Publication
Understanding hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon that leads to deterioration of mechanical properties of metallic components is vital for applications involving hydrogen environment. Among these understanding the influence of hydrogen on the fatigue behaviour of metals is of great interest. Total fatigue life of a material can be divided into fatigue crack initiation and fatigue crack growth phase. While fatigue crack initiation can be linked with the propagation of short fatigue cracks the size of which is of the order of grain size (few tens of microns) that are generally not detectable by conventional crack detection techniques applicable for the long fatigue crack growth behaviour using conventional CT specimens. Extensive literature is available on hydrogen effect on long fatigue crack growth behaviour of metals that leads to the change in crack growth rate and the threshold stress intensity factor range (ΔKth). However it is the short fatigue crack growth behaviour that provides the fundamental understanding and correlation of the metallic microstructure with hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon. Short fatigue crack growth behaviour is characteristically different from long crack growth behaviour showing high propagation rate at much lower values than threshold stress intensity factor range as well as a strong dependency on the microstructural features such as grain boundaries phase boundaries and inclusions. To this end a novel experimental framework is developed to investigate the short fatigue crack behaviour of hydrogen charged materials involving in-situ observation of propagating short cracks coupled with image processing to obtain their da/dN vs a curves. Various metallic materials ranging from austenitic stainless steel (AISI 316L) to reactor pressure vessel steel (SA508 Grade 3 Class I low alloy steel) and line pipe steels (API 5L X65 & X80) are studied in this work.
Study of the Microstructural and First Hydrogenation Properties of TiFe Alloy with Zr, Mn and V as Additives
Jul 2021
Publication
In this paper we report the effect of adding Zr + V or Zr + V + Mn to TiFe alloy on microstructure and hydrogen storage properties. The addition of only V was not enough to produce a minimum amount of secondary phase and therefore the first hydrogenation at room temperature under a hydrogen pressure of 20 bars was impossible. When 2 wt.% Zr + 2 wt.% V or 2 wt.% Zr + 2 wt.% V + 2 wt.% Mn is added to TiFe the alloy shows a finely distributed Ti2Fe-like secondary phase. These alloys presented a fast first hydrogenation and a high capacity. The rate-limiting step was found to be 3D growth diffusion controlled with decreasing interface velocity. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the fast reaction is likely to be the presence of Ti2Fe-like secondary phases that act as a gateway for hydrogen.
Renewable Hydrogen Production from Butanol: A Review
Dec 2017
Publication
Hydrogen production from butanol is a promising alternative when it is obtained from bio-butanol or bio-oil due to the higher hydrogen content compared to other oxygenates such as methanol ethanol or propanol. Catalysts and operating conditions play a crucial role in hydrogen production. Ni and Rh are metals mainly used for butanol steam reforming oxidative steam reforming and partial oxidation. Additives such as Cu can improve catalytic activity in many folds. Moreover support–metal interaction and catalyst preparation technique also play a decisive role in the stability and hydrogen production capacity of catalyst. Steam reforming technique as an option is more frequently researched due to higher hydrogen production capability in comparison to other thermochemical techniques despite its endothermic nature. The use of the oxidative steam reforming and partial oxidation has the advantages of requiring less energy and longer stability of catalysts. However the hydrogen yield is less. This article brings together and examines the latest research on hydrogen production from butanol via steam reforming oxidative steam reforming and partial oxidation reactions. In addition the review examines a few thermodynamic studies based on sorption-enhanced steam reforming and dry reforming where there is potential for hydrogen extraction.
Insight into Anomalous Hydrogen Adsorption on Rare Earth Metal Decorated on 2 Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride a Density Functional Theory Study
Mar 2020
Publication
Hydrogen interaction with metal atoms is of prime focus for many energy related applications like hydrogen storage hydrogen evolution using catalysis etc. Although hydrogen binding with many main group alkaline and transition metals is quite well understood its binding properties with lanthanides are not well reported. In this article by density functional theory studies we show how a rare earth metal cerium binds with hydrogen when decorated over a heteropolar 2D material hexagonal boron nitride. Each cerium adatom is found to bind eight hydrogen molecules which is a much higher number than has been reported for transition metal atoms. However the highest binding energy occurs at four hydrogen molecules. This anomaly therefore is investigated in the present article using first-principles calculations. The number density of hydrogen molecules adsorbed over the cerium adatom is explained by investigating the electronic charge volume interactions owing to a unique geometrical arrangement of the guest hydrogen molecules. The importance of geometrical encapsulation in enhancing electronic interactions is explained.
Hydrogen Production and Subsequent Adsorption/Desorption Process within a Modified Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cell
Apr 2019
Publication
For sustainable and incremental growth mankind is adopting renewable sources of energy along with storage systems. Storing surplus renewable energy in the form of hydrogen is a viable solution to meet continuous energy demands. In this paper the concept of electrochemical hydrogen storage in a solid multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) electrode integrated in a modified unitized regenerative fuel cell (URFC) is investigated. The method of solid electrode fabrication from MWCNT powder and egg white as an organic binder is disclosed. The electrochemical testing of a modified URFC with an integrated MWCNT-based hydrogen storage electrode is performed and reported. Galvanostatic charging and discharging was carried out and results analyzed to ascertain the electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of the fabricated electrode. The electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of the porous MWCNT electrode is found to be 2.47 wt% which is comparable with commercially available AB5-based hydrogen storage canisters. The obtained results prove the technical feasibility of a modified URFC with an integrated MWCNT-based hydrogen storage electrode which is the first of its kind. This is surelya step forward towards building a sustainable energy economy
The Effect of Iron on the Solubility Behavior of Hydrogen in Tantalum
Sep 2013
Publication
The separation storage and recovery of hydrogen are key requirements for the efficient development of advanced hydrogen fuel technologies. The ideal hydrogen separation membrane should have high hydrogen permeability and good mechanical properties at a range of temperatures and pressures. Tantalum is a potential candidate with highest permeability to hydrogen among pure materials for hydrogen separation membrane. Isothermal as well as isobaric PCT equilibrium studies have been done in the temperature range of 673 – 873 K and hydrogen pressure range of 0.60 – 1.20 atmospheres for pure Ta and its solid solution alloys with Fe in different compositions. Results are presented.
Recent Developments in Carbon-Based Nanocomposites for Fuel Cell Applications: A Review
Jan 2022
Publication
Carbon-based nanocomposites have developed as the most promising and emerging materials in nanoscience and technology during the last several years. They are microscopic materials that range in size from 1 to 100 nanometers. They may be distinguished from bulk materials by their size shape increased surface-to-volume ratio and unique physical and chemical characteristics. Carbon nanocomposite matrixes are often created by combining more than two distinct solid phase types. The nanocomposites that were constructed exhibit unique properties such as significantly enhanced toughness mechanical strength and thermal/electrochemical conductivity. As a result of these advantages nanocomposites have been used in a variety of applications including catalysts electrochemical sensors biosensors and energy storage devices among others. This study focuses on the usage of several forms of carbon nanomaterials such as carbon aerogels carbon nanofibers graphene carbon nanotubes and fullerenes in the development of hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells have been successfully employed in numerous commercial sectors in recent years notably in the car industry due to their cost-effectiveness eco-friendliness and long-cyclic durability. Further; we discuss the principles reaction mechanisms and cyclic stability of the fuel cells and also new strategies and future challenges related to the development of viable fuel cells.
Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Hydrogen Addition on Combustion Performance and Emissions Characteristics of a Spark Ignition High Speed Gasoline Engine
Sep 2014
Publication
Considering energy crises and pollution problems today much work has been done for alternative fuels for fossil fuels and lowering the toxic components in the combustion products. Expert studies proved that hydrogen one of the prominent alternative energy source which has many excellent combustion properties that can be used for improving combustion and emissions performance of gasoline-fuelled spark ignition (SI) engines. This article experimentally investigated the performance and emission characteristics of a high speed single cylinder SI engine operating with different hydrogen gasoline blends. For this purpose the conventional carburetted high speed SI engine was modified into an electronically controllable engine with help of electronic control unit (ECU) which dedicatedly used to control the injection timings and injection durations of gasoline. Various hydrogen enrichment levels were selected to investigate the effect of hydrogen addition on engine brake mean effective pressure (Bmep) brake thermal efficiency volumetric efficiency and emission characteristics. The test results demonstrated that combustion performances fuel consumption and brake mean effective pressure were eased with hydrogen enrichment. The experimental results also showed that the brake thermal efficiency was higher than that for the pure gasoline operation. Moreover HC and CO emissions were all reduced after hydrogen enrichment.
Green-hydrogen Research: What Have We Achieved, and Where Are We Going? Bibliometrics Analysis
Jul 2022
Publication
In response to the global challenge of climate change 136 countries accounting for 90% of global GDP and 85% of the population have now set net-zero targets. A transition to net-zero will require the decarbonization of all sectors of the economy. Green-hydrogen produced from renewable energy sources poses little to no threat to the environment and increasing its production will support net-zero targets Our study examined the evolution of green-hydrogen research themes since the UN Sustainable Development Goals were adopted in 2015 by utilizing bibliographic couplings keyword co-occurrence and keyphrase analysis of 642 articles from 2016 to 2021 in the Scopus database. We studied bibliometrics indicators and temporal evolution of publications and citations patterns of open access the effect of author collaboration influential publications and top contributing countries. We also consider new indicators like publication views keyphrases topics with prominence and field weighted citation impact and Altmetrics to understand the research direction further. We find four major thematic distributions of green-hydrogen research based on keyword co-occurrence networks: hydrogen storage hydrogen production electrolysis and the hydrogen economy. We also find networks of four research clusters that provide new information on the journal’s contributions to green-hydrogen research. These are materials chemistry hydrogen energy and cleaner production applied energy and fuel cells. Most green-hydrogen research aligns with Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) and Climate Action (SDG 13). The outcomes of policy decisions in the United States Europe India and China will profoundly impact green-hydrogen production and storage over the next five years. If these policies are implemented these countries will account for two-thirds of this growth. Asia will account for the most significant part and become the second-largest producer globally.
Recent Developments in State-of-the-art Hydrogen Energy Technologies – Review of Hydrogen Storage Materials
Jan 2023
Publication
Hydrogen energy has been assessed as a clean and renewable energy source for future energy demand. For harnessing hydrogen energy to its fullest potential storage is a key parameter. It is well known that important hydrogen storage characteristics are operating pressure-temperature of hydrogen hydrogen storage capacity hydrogen absorption-desorption kinetics and heat transfer in the hydride bed. Each application needs specific properties. Every class of hydrogen storage materials has a different set of hydrogenation characteristics. Hence it is required to understand the properties of all hydrogen storage materials. The present review is focused on the state-of– the–art hydrogen storage materials including metal hydrides magnesium-based materials complex hydride systems carbonaceous materials metal organic frameworks perovskites and materials and processes based on artificial intelligence. In each category of materials‘ discovery hydrogen storage mechanism and reaction crystal structure and recent progress have been discussed in detail. Together with the fundamental synthesis process latest techniques of material tailoring like nanostructuring nanoconfinement catalyzing alloying and functionalization have also been discussed. Hydrogen energy research has a promising potential to replace fossil fuels from energy uses especially from automobile sector. In this context efforts initiated worldwide for clean hydrogen production and its use via fuel cell in vehicles is much awaiting steps towards sustainable energy demand.
Enhanced Hydrogen Generation Efficiency of Methanol using Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Methodology and Conducting Sea Water as an Electrode
Aug 2020
Publication
In this work methanol decomposition method has been discussed for the production of hydrogen gas with the application of plasma. A simple dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor was designed for this purpose with two types of electrode. The DBD plasma reactor was experimented by substituting one of the metal electrodes with feebly conducting sea water which yielded better efficiency in producing hydrogen gas. Experimental parameters such as; discharge voltage and time were varied by maintaining a discharge gap of 1.5 mm and the plasma discharge characteristics were studied. Filamentary type micro-discharges were found to be formed which was observed as numerous streamer clusters in the current waveform. Gas chromatographic study confirmed the production of hydrogen gas with residence time around 3.6 min. Although the concentration (%) of H2 was high (98.1 %) and consistent with copper electrode assembly the rate of formation and concentration was found to be the highest (98.7 %) for water electrode for specific discharge voltage. The energy efficiency was found to be 0.5 mol H2/kWh and 1.2 mol H2/kWh for metal (Cu) and water electrodes respectively. The electrode material significantly affects the plasma condition and hence the rate of hydrogen production. Compositional analysis of the water used as electrode showed a minimal change in the composition even after the completion of the experiment as compared to the untreated water. Methanol degradation study shows the presence of untreated methanol in the residue of the plasma reactor which has been confirmed from the absorption spectra.
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