Poland
Experimental Investigation on Knock Characteristics from Pre-Chamber Gas Engine Fueled by Hydrogen
Feb 2024
Publication
Hydrogen-fueled engines require large values of the excess air ratio in order to achieve high thermal efficiency. A low value of this coefficient promotes knocking combustion. This paper analyzes the conditions for the occurrence of knocking combustion in an engine with a turbulent jet ignition (TJI) system with a passive pre-chamber. A single-cylinder engine equipped with a TJI system was running with an air-to-fuel equivalence ratio λ in the range of 1.25–2.00 and the center of combustion (CoC) was regulated in the range of 2–14 deg aTDC (top dead center). Such process conditions made it possible to fully analyze the ascension of knock combustion until its disappearance with the increase in lambda and CoC. Measures of knock in the form of maximum amplitude pressure oscillation (MAPO) and integral modulus of pressure oscillation (IMPO) were used. The absolute values of these indices were pointed out which can provide the basis for the definition of knock combustion. Based on our own work the MAPO index > 1 bar was defined determining the occurrence of knocking (without indicating its quality). In addition taking into account MAPO it was concluded that IMPO > 0.13 bar·deg is the quantity responsible for knocking combustion.
Effects of Hydrogen, Methane, and Their Blends on Rapid-Filling Process of High-Pressure Composite Tank
Feb 2024
Publication
Alternative fuels such as hydrogen compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas are considered as feasible energy carriers. Selected positive factors from the EU climate and energy policy on achieving climate neutrality by 2050 highlighted the need for the gradual expansion of the infrastructure for alternative fuel. In this research continuity equations and the first and second laws of thermodynamics were used to develop a theoretical model to explore the impact of hydrogen and natural gas on both the filling process and the ultimate in-cylinder conditions of a type IV composite cylinder (20 MPa for CNG 35 MPa and 70 MPa for hydrogen). A composite tank was considered an adiabatic system. Within this study based on the GERG-2008 equation of state a thermodynamic model was developed to compare and determine the influence of (i) hydrogen and (ii) natural gas on the selected thermodynamic parameters during the fast-filling process. The obtained results show that the cylinder-filling time depending on the cylinder capacity is approximately 36–37% shorter for pure hydrogen compared to pure methane and the maximum energy stored in the storage tank for pure hydrogen is approximately 28% lower compared to methane whereas the total entropy generation for pure hydrogen is approximately 52% higher compared to pure methane.
Fuel Cells in Road Vehicles
Nov 2022
Publication
Issues related to the reduction of the environmental impact of means of road transport by the use of electric motors powered by Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are presented in this article. The overall functional characteristics of electric vehicles are presented as well as the essence of the operation of a fuel cell. On the basis of analyzing the energy conversion process significant advantages of electric drive are demonstrated especially in vehicles for urban and suburban applications. Moreover the analyzed literature indicated problems of controlling and maintaining fuel cell power caused by its highest dynamic and possible efficiency. This control was related to the variable load conditions of the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) engine. The relationship with the conventional dependencies in the field of vehicle dynamics is demonstrated. The final part of the study is related to the historical outline and examples of already operating fuel cell systems using hydrogen as an energy source for energy conversion to power propulsion vehicle’s engines. In conclusion the necessity to conduct research in the field of methods for controlling the power of fuel cells that enable their effective adaptation to the temporary load resulting from the conditions of vehicle motion is indicated.
Assessment of the Co-combustion Process of Ammonia with Hydrogen in a Research VCR Piston Engine
Oct 2022
Publication
The presented work concerns experimental research of a spark-ignition engine with variable compression ratio (VCR) adapted to dual-fuel operation in which co-combustion of ammonia with hydrogen was conducted and the energy share of hydrogen varied from 0% to 70%. The research was aimed at assessing the impact of the energy share of hydrogen co-combusted with ammonia on the performance stability and emissions of an engine operating at a compression ratio of 8 (CR 8) and 10 (CR 10). The operation of the engine powered by ammonia alone for both CR 8 and CR 10 is associated with either a complete lack of ignition in a significant number of cycles or with significantly delayed ignition and the related low value of the maximum pressure pmax. Increasing the energy share of hydrogen in the fuel to 12% allows to completely eliminate the instability of the ignition process in the combustible mixture which is confirmed by a decrease in the IMEP uniqueness and a much lower pmax dispersion. For 12% of the energy share of hydrogen co-combusted with ammonia the most favorable course of the combustion process was obtained the highest engine efficiency and the highest IMEP value were recorded. The conducted research shows that increasing the H2 share causes an increase in NO emissions for both analyzed compression ratios
Modern Hydrogen Technologies in the Face of Climate Change—Analysis of Strategy and Development in Polish Conditions
Aug 2023
Publication
The energy production market based on hydrogen technologies is an innovative solution that will allow the industry to achieve climate neutrality in the future in Poland and in the world. The paper presents the idea of using hydrogen as a modern energy carrier and devices that in cooperation with renewable energy sources produce the so-called green hydrogen and the applicable legal acts that allow for the implementation of the new technology were analyzed. Energy transformation is inevitable and according to reports on good practices in European Union countries hydrogen and the hydrogen value chain (production transport and transmission storage use in transport and energy) have wide potential. Thanks to joint projects and subsidies from the EU initiatives supporting hydrogen technologies are created such as hydrogen clusters and hydrogen valleys and EU and national strategic programs set the main goals. Poland is one of the leaders in hydrogen production both in the world and in Europe. Domestic tycoons from the energy refining and chemical industries are involved in the projects. Eight hydrogen valleys that have recently been created in Poland successfully implement the assumptions of the “Polish Hydrogen Strategy until 2030 with a perspective until 2040” and “Energy Policy of Poland until 2040” which are in line with the assumptions of the most important legal acts of the EU including the European Union’s energy and climate policy the Green Deal and the Fit for 55 Package. The review of the analysis of the development of hydrogen technologies in Poland shows that Poland does not differ from other European countries. As part of the assumptions of the European Hydrogen Strategy and the trend related to the management of energy surpluses electrolyzers with a capacity of at least 6 GW will be installed in Poland in 2020–2024. It is also assumed that in the next phase planned for 2025–2030 hydrogen will be a carrier in the energy system in Poland. Poland as a member of the EU is the creator of documents that take into account the assumptions of the European Union Commission and systematically implement the assumed goals. The strategy of activities supporting the development of hydrogen technologies in Poland and the value chain includes very extensive activities related to among others obtaining hydrogen using hydrogen in transport energy and industry developing human resources for the new economy supporting the activities of hydrogen valley stakeholders building hydrogen refueling stations and cooperation among Poland Slovakia and the Czech Republic as part of the HydrogenEagle project.
The New Model of Energy Cluster Management and Functioning
Sep 2022
Publication
This article was aimed to answer the question of whether local energy communities have a sufficient energy surplus for storage purposes including hydrogen production. The article presents an innovative approach to current research and a discussion of the concepts of the collective prosumer and virtual prosumer that have been implemented in the legal order and further amended in the law. From this perspective it was of utmost importance to analyze the model of functioning of an energy cluster consisting of energy consumers energy producers and hydrogen storage whose goal is to maximize the obtained benefits assuming the co-operative nature of the relationship. The announced and clear perspective of the planned benefits will provide the cluster members a measurable basis for participation in such an energy community. However the catalogue of benefits will be conditioned by the fulfillment of several requirements related to both the scale of covering energy demand from own sources and the need to store surplus energy. As part of the article the results of analyses together with a functional model based on real data of the local energy community are presented.
The Influence of the Changes in Natural Gas Supplies to Poland on the Amount of Hydrogen Produced in the SMR Reactor
Mar 2024
Publication
Thanks to investments in diversifying the supply of natural gas Poland did not encounter any gas supply issues in 2022 when gas imports from Russia were ceased due to the Russian Federation’s armed intervention in Ukraine. Over the past few years the supply of gas from routes other than the eastern route has substantially grown particularly the supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the LNG terminal in Swinouj´scie. The growing proportion of LNG in Poland’s gas supply ´ leads to a rise in ethane levels in natural gas as verified by the review of data taken at a specific location within the gas system over the years 2015 2020 and 2022. Using measurements of natural gas composition the effectiveness of the steam hydrocarbon reforming process was simulated in the Gibbs reactor via Aspen HYSYS. The simulations confirmed that as the concentration of ethane in the natural gas increased the amount of hydrogen produced and the heat required for reactions in the reformer also increased. This article aims to analyze the influence of the changes in natural gas quality in the Polish transmission network caused by changes in supply structures on the mass and heat balance of the theoretical steam reforming reactor. Nowadays the chemical composition of natural gas may be significantly different from that assumed years ago at the plant’s design stage. The consequence of such a situation may be difficulties in operating especially when controlling the quantity of incoming natural gas to the reactor based on volumetric flow without considering changes in chemical composition.
Applying a 2 kW Polymer Membrane Fuel-Cell Stack to Building Hybrid Power Sources for Unmanned Ground Vehicles
Nov 2023
Publication
The novel constructions of hybrid energy sources using polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFCs) and supercapacitors are developed. Studies on the energy demand and peak electrical power of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) weighing up to 100 kg were conducted under various conditions. It was found that the average electrical power required does not exceed ~2 kW under all conditions studied. However under the dynamic electrical load of the electric drive of mobile robots the short peak power exceeded 2 kW and the highest current load was in the range of 80–90 A. The electrical performance of a family of PEMFC stacks built in open-cathode mode was determined. A hydrogen-usage control strategy for power generation cleaning processes and humidification was analysed. The integration of a PEMFC stack with a bank of supercapacitors makes it possible to mitigate the voltage dips. These occur periodically at short time intervals as a result of short-circuit operation. In the second construction the recovery of electrical energy dissipated by a short-circuit unit (SCU) was also demonstrated in the integrated PEMFC stack and supercapacitor bank system. The concept of an energy-efficient mobile and environmentally friendly hydrogen charging unit has been proposed. It comprises (i) a hydrogen anion exchange membrane electrolyser (ii) a photovoltaic installation (iii) a battery storage (iv) a hydrogen buffer storage in a buffer tank (v) a hydrogen compression unit and (vi) composite tanks.
A Comparative Environmental Life Cycle Assessment Study of Hydrogen Fuel Electricity and Diesel Fuel for Public Buses
Aug 2023
Publication
Hydrogen fuel and electricity are energy carriers viewed as promising alternatives for the modernization and decarbonization of public bus transportation fleets. In order to choose development pathways that will lead transportation systems toward a sustainable future the authors developed an environmental model based on the Life Cycle Assessment approach. The model tested the impact of energy carrier consumption during driving as well as the electricity origin employed to power electric buses and produce hydrogen. Energy sources such as wind solar waste and grid electricity were investigated. The scope of the study included the life cycles of the energy carrier and the necessary infrastructure. The results were presented from two perspectives: the total environmental impact and global warming potential. In order to create a roadmap an original method for choosing sustainable development pathways was prepared. It was shown that the modernization of conventional bus fleets using hydrogen and electrical pathways can provide significant environmental benefits from both perspectives but especially in terms of global warming potential. It was emphasized that attention should be paid to the use of low- and zero-emission energy sources because their impact often strongly influenced the final environmental judgment. The energy carrier consumption also had a strong impact on the results obtained and that is why efforts should be made to reduce it. In addition it was confirmed that hydrogen and electricity production systems based on electricity generated by a waste-to-energy plant could be an environmentally reasonable dual solution for both sustainable waste management and meeting transport needs.
Influence of Capillary Threshold Pressure and Injection Well Location on the Dynamic CO2 and H2 Storage Capacity for the Deep Geological Structure
Jul 2021
Publication
The subject of this study is the analysis of influence of capillary threshold pressure and injection well location on the dynamic CO2 and H2 storage capacity for the Lower Jurassic reservoir of the Sierpc structure from central Poland. The results of injection modeling allowed us to compare the amount of CO2 and H2 that the considered structure can store safely over a given time interval. The modeling was performed using a single well for 30 different locations considering that the minimum capillary pressure of the cap rock and the fracturing pressure should not be exceeded for each gas separately. Other values of capillary threshold pressure for CO2 and H2 significantly affect the amount of a given gas that can be injected into the reservoir. The structure under consideration can store approximately 1 Mt CO2 in 31 years while in the case of H2 it is slightly above 4000 tons. The determined CO2 storage capacity is limited; the structure seems to be more prospective for underground H2 storage. The CO2 and H2 dynamic storage capacity maps are an important element of the analysis of the use of gas storage structures. A much higher fingering effect was observed for H2 than for CO2 which may affect the withdrawal of hydrogen. It is recommended to determine the optimum storage depth particularly for hydrogen. The presented results important for the assessment of the capacity of geological structures also relate to the safety of use of CO2 and H2 underground storage space.
Socio-economic Aspects of Hydrogen Energy: An Integrative Review
Apr 2023
Publication
Hydrogen can be recognized as the most plausible fuel for promoting a green environment. Worldwide developed and developing countries have established their hydrogen research investment and policy frameworks. This analysis of 610 peer-reviewed journal articles from the last 50 years provides quantitative and impartial insight into the hydrogen economy. By 2030 academics and business professionals believe that hydrogen will complement other renewable energy (RE) sources in the energy revolution. This study conducts an integrative review by employing software such as Bibliometrix R-tool and VOSviewer on socio-economic consequences of hydrogen energy literature derived from the Scopus database. We observed that most research focuses on multidisciplinary concerns such as generation storage transportation application feasibility and policy development. We also present the conceptual framework derived from in-depth literature analysis as well as the interlinkage of concepts themes and aggregate dimensions to highlight research hotspots and emerging patterns. In the future factors such as green hydrogen generation hydrogen permeation and leakage management efficient storage risk assessment studies blending and techno-economic feasibility shall play a critical role in the socio-economic aspects of hydrogen energy research.
Hydrogen Storage Capacity of Salt Caverns and Deep Aquifers Versus Demand for Hydrogen Storage: A Case Study of Poland
Nov 2023
Publication
Geological structures in deep aquifers and salt caverns can play an important role in large-scale hydrogen storage. However more work needs to be done to address the hydrogen storage demand for zero-emission energy systems. Thus the aim of the article is to present the demand for hydrogen storage expressed in the number of salt caverns in bedded rock salt deposits and salt domes or the number of structures in deep aquifers. The analysis considers minimum and maximum hydrogen demand cases depending on future energy system configurations in 2050. The method used included the estimation of the storage capacity of salt caverns in bedded rock salt deposits and salt domes and selected structures in deep aquifers. An estimation showed a large hydrogen storage potential of geological structures. In the case of analyzed bedded rock salt deposits and salt domes the average storage capacity per cavern is 0.05–0.09 TWhH2 and 0.06–0.20 TWhH2 respectively. Hydrogen storage capacity in analyzed deep aquifers ranges from 0.016 to 4.46 TWhH2. These values indicate that in the case of the upper bound for storage demand there is a need for the 62 to 514 caverns depending on considered bedded rock salt deposits and salt domes or the 9 largest analyzed structures in deep aquifers. The results obtained are relevant to the discussion on the global hydrogen economy and the methodology can be used for similar considerations in other countries.
Solar-driven (Photo)electrochemical Devices for Green Hydrogen Production and Storage: Working Principles and Design
Feb 2024
Publication
The large-scale deployment of technologies that enable energy from renewables is essential for a successful transition to a carbon-neutral future. While photovoltaic panels are one of the main technologies commonly used for harvesting energy from the Sun storage of renewable solar energy still presents some challenges and often requires integration with additional devices. It is believed that hydrogen – being a perfect energy carrier – can become one of the broadly utilised storage alternatives that would effectively mitigate the energy supply and demand issues associated with the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Current pathways in the development of green technologies indicate the need for more sustainable material utilisation and more efficient device operation. To address this requirement integration of various technologies for renewable energy harvesting conversion and storage in a single device appears as an advantageous option. From the hydrogen economy perspective systems driven by green solar electricity that allow for (photo)electrochemical water splitting would generate hydrogen with the minimal CO2 footprint. If at the same time one of the device electrodes could store the generated gas and release it on demand the utilisation of critical and often costly elements would be reduced with possible gain in more effective device operation. Although conceptually attractive this cross-disciplinary concept has not gained yet enough attention and only limited number of experimental setups have been designed tested and reported. This review presents the first exhaustive overview and critical examination of various laboratory-scale prototype setups that attempt to combine both the hydrogen production and storage processes in a single unit via integration of a metal hydride-based electrode into a photoelectrochemical cell. The architectures of presented configurations enables direct solar energy to hydrogen conversion and its subsequent storage in a single device which – in some cases – can also release the stored (hydrogen) energy on demand. In addition this work explores perspectives and challenges related with the potential upscaling of reviewed solar-to-hydrogen storage systems trying to map and indicate the main future directions of their technological development and optimization. Finally the review also combines information and expertise scattered among various research fields with the aim of stimulating much-needed exchange of knowledge to accelerate the progress in the development and deployment of optimum green hydrogen-based solutions.
No more items...