Russian Federation
Scenario Modeling of Sustainable Development of Energy Supply in the Arctic
Dec 2021
Publication
The 21st century is characterized not only by large-scale transformations but also by the speed with which they occur. Transformations—political economic social technological environmental and legal-in synergy have always been a catalyst for reactions in society. The field of energy supply like many others is extremely susceptible to the external influence of such factors. To a large extent this applies to remote (especially from the position of energy supply) regions. The authors outline an approach to justifying the development of the Arctic energy infrastructure through an analysis of the demand for the amount of energy consumed and energy sources taking into account global trends. The methodology is based on scenario modeling of technological demand. It is based on a study of the specific needs of consumers available technologies and identified risks. The paper proposes development scenarios and presents a model that takes them into account. Modeling results show that in all scenarios up to 50% of the energy balance in 2035 will take gas but the role of carbon-free energy sources will increase. The mathematical model allowed forecasting the demand for energy types by certain types of consumers which makes it possible to determine the vector of development and stimulation of certain types of resources for energy production in the Arctic. The model enables considering not only the growth but also the decline in demand for certain types of consumers under different scenarios. In addition authors’ forecasts through further modernization of the energy sector in the Arctic region can contribute to the creation of prerequisites that will be stimulating and profitable for the growth of investment in sustainable energy sources to supply consumers. The scientific significance of the work lies in the application of a consistent hybrid modeling approach to forecasting demand for energy resources in the Arctic region. The results of the study are useful in drafting a scenario of regional development taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals as well as identifying areas of technology and energy infrastructure stimulation.
The Hydrogen Energy Infrastructure Development in Japan
Nov 2018
Publication
The actual start of the full-scale hydrogen energy infrastructure operations is scheduled to 2020 in Japan. The scope of factors and policy for the hydrogen infrastructure development in Japan is made. The paper provides observation for the major undergoing and already done projects for each link within hydrogen infrastructure chain – from production to end-user applications. Implications for the Russian energy policy are provided.
An Overview of the Recent Advances in Composite Materials and Artificial Intelligence for Hydrogen Storage Vessels Design
Mar 2023
Publication
The environmental impact of CO2 emissions is widely acknowledged making the development of alternative propulsion systems a priority. Hydrogen is a potential candidate to replace fossil fuels for transport applications with three technologies considered for the onboard storage of hydrogen: storage in the form of a compressed gas storage as a cryogenic liquid and storage as a solid. These technologies are now competing to meet the requirements of vehicle manufacturers; each has its own unique challenges that must be understood to direct future research and development efforts. This paper reviews technological developments for Hydrogen Storage Vessel (HSV) designs including their technical performance manufacturing costs safety and environmental impact. More specifically an up-to-date review of fiber-reinforced polymer composite HSVs was explored including the end-of-life recycling options. A review of current numerical models for HSVs was conducted including the use of artificial intelligence techniques to assess the performance of composite HSVs leading to more sophisticated designs for achieving a more sustainable future.
Environmental Economical Dispatching of Electric–Gas Integrated Energy System Considering Hydrogen Compressed-Natural Gas
Dec 2022
Publication
As a high-quality secondary energy hydrogen energy has great potential in energy storage and utilization. The development of power-to-hydrogen (P2H) technology has alleviated the problem of wind curtailment and improved the coupling between the power grid and the natural gas grid. Under the premise of ensuring safety using P2H technology to mix the produced hydrogen into the natural gas network for long-distance transmission and power generation can not only promote the development of hydrogen energy but also reduce carbon emissions. This paper presents a new model for incorporating hydrogen into natural gas pipelines. To minimize the sum of wind curtailment cost operation cost and carbon emission cost an electric–gas integrated energy system (EGIES) model of hydrogen-compressed natural gas (HCNG) containing P2H for power generation is constructed. Aiming at the problem of global warming caused by a lot of abandoned wind and carbon emissions the economy and environmental protection of the system model are analyzed. The results show that the model of EGIES considering HCNG can not only absorb excess wind power but also reduce carbon emission costs and system costs which can reduce the total cost of the environmental economic dispatch of the EGIES by about 34.1%. In the context of the EGIES the proposal of this model is of great significance to the economical and environmentally friendly operation of the system.
Brief Review on High-Temperature Electrochemical Hydrogen Sensors
Dec 2022
Publication
Hydrogen sensors especially those operating at high temperatures are essential tools for the emerging hydrogen economy. Monitoring hydrogen under process conditions to control the reactions for detecting confined species is crucial to the safe widespread use and public acceptance of hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen sensors must have a sensitivity ranging from traces of hydrogen (parts per million (ppm)) up to levels near the lower explosive limit (LEL = 4% H2 in the air) for safety reasons. Furthermore they need to operate in cryogenic ambient and high-temperature environments. Herein emphasis is given to hydrogen sensors based on solid oxide electrolytes (operating at high temperatures) in particular oxygen ion and proton conductors. The review is devoted to potentiometric amperometric and combined amperometric-potentiometric hydrogen sensors. Experimental results already reported in the international literature are presented and analyzed to reveal the configuration principle of operation and the applied solid electrolytes and electrodes of the high-temperature hydrogen sensors. Additionally an amperometric sensor able to detect hydrogen and steam in atmospheric air through a two-stage procedure is presented and thoroughly discussed. The discussion reveals that high-temperature hydrogen sensors face different challenges in terms of the electrodes and solid electrolytes to be used depending on the operating principle of each sensor type.
Hydrogen Energy: a New Dimension for the Energy Cooperation in the Northeast Asian Region
Nov 2020
Publication
The Northeast Asian Region is a home for the major world’s energy importers and Russia – the top energy exporter. Due to the depletion of national fossil energy resources the industrialised East Asian economies are facing serious energy security issues. The snapshot of the intraregional energy trade in 2019 was analysed in terms of development potential. Japan Korea and China are at the frontline of hydrogen energy technologies commercialisation and hydrogen energy infrastructure development. The drivers for such endeavours are listed and national institutions for hydrogen energy development are characterised. The priorities related to regional cooperation on hydrogen energy in Northeast Asia were derived on the basis of hydrogen production cost estimations. These priorities include steady development of international natural gas and power infrastructure. The shared process will lead to the synergy of regional fossil and renewable resources within combined power and hydrogen infrastructure.
Estimation of the Influence of Compressed Hydrogen on the Mechanical Properties of Pipeline Steels
Sep 2021
Publication
Consideration of the possibility of transporting compressed hydrogen through existing gas pipelines leads to the need to study the regularities of the effect of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of steels in relation to the conditions of their operation in pipelines (operating pressure range stress state of the pipe metal etc.). This article provides an overview of the types of influence of hydrogen on the mechanical properties of steels including those used for the manufacture of pipelines. The effect of elastic and plastic deformations on the intensity of hydrogen saturation of steels and changes in their strength and plastic deformations is analyzed. An assessment of the potential losses of transported hydrogen through the pipeline wall as a result of diffusion has been made. The main issues that need to be solved for the development of a scientifically grounded conclusion on the possibility of using existing gas pipelines for the transportation of compressed hydrogen are outlined.
Research Progress, Trends, and Current State of Development on PEMFC-New Insights from a Bibliometric Analysis and Characteristics of Two Decades of Research Output
Nov 2022
Publication
The consumption of hydrogen could increase by sixfold in 2050 compared to 2020 levels reaching about 530 Mt. Against this backdrop the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been a major research area in the field of energy engineering. Several reviews have been provided in the existing corpus of literature on PEMFC but questions related to their evolutionary nuances and research hotspots remain largely unanswered. To fill this gap the current review uses bibliometric analysis to analyze PEMFC articles indexed in the Scopus database that were published between 2000–2021. It has been revealed that the research field is growing at an annual average growth rate of 19.35% with publications from 2016 to 2012 alone making up 46% of the total articles available since 2000. As the two most energy-consuming economies in the world the contributions made towards the progress of PEMFC research have largely been from China and the US. From the research trend found in this investigation it is clear that the focus of the researchers in the field has largely been to improve the performance and efficiency of PEMFC and its components which is evident from dominating keywords or phrases such as ‘oxygen reduction reaction’ ‘electrocatalysis’ ‘proton exchange membrane’ ‘gas diffusion layer’ ‘water management’ ‘polybenzimidazole’ ‘durability’ and ‘bipolar plate’. We anticipate that the provision of the research themes that have emerged in the PEMFC field in the last two decades from the scientific mapping technique will guide existing and prospective researchers in the field going forward.
Stationary Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems for Railway Electrification: A Review
Sep 2021
Publication
This article provides an overview of modern technologies and implemented projects in the field of renewable energy systems for the electrification of railway transport. In the first part the relevance of the use of renewable energy on the railways is discussed. Various types of power-generating systems in railway stations and platforms along the track as well as in separate areas are considered. The focus is on wind and solar energy conversion systems. The second part is devoted to the analysis of various types of energy storage devices used in projects for the electrification of railway transport since the energy storage system is one of the key elements in a hybrid renewable energy system. Systems with kinetic storage electrochemical storage batteries supercapacitors hydrogen energy storage are considered. Particular attention is paid to technologies for accumulating and converting hydrogen into electrical energy as well as hybrid systems that combine several types of storage devices with different ranges of charge/discharge rates. A comparative analysis of various hybrid electric power plant configurations depending on the functions they perform in the electrification systems of railway transport has been carried out.
Experimental Study of Hydrogen Production Using Electrolyte Nanofluids with a Simulated Light Source
Dec 2021
Publication
In this research we conducted water electrolysis experiments of a carbon black (CB) based sodium sulfate electrolyte using a Hoffman voltameter. The main objective was to investigate hydrogen production in such systems as well as analyse the electrical properties and thermal properties of nanofluids. A halogen lamp mimicking solar energy was used as a radiation source and a group of comparative tests were also conducted with different irradiation areas. The results showed that by using CB and light it was possible to increase the hydrogen production rate. The optimal CB concentration was 0.1 wt %. At this concentration the hydrogen production rate increased by 30.37% after 20 min of electrolysis. Hence we show that using CB in electrolytes irradiated by solar energy could save the electrical energy necessary for electrolysis processes.
Towards Unified Protocol for Par's Performance Rating and Safety Margins Assessment: Par Life-cycle Systemic Model
Sep 2021
Publication
Passive Autocatalytic Recombiners (PAR) is one of the important technical mitigation means for hydrogen combustion in the NPP containments under accident conditions. For the PWR/VVER/CANDU units the PARs execute functions important for safety - reduce the local hydrogen concentration to an acceptable level and provide the homogenization of gas composition and of temperature fields in the containment. Certification and licensing of PAR technology have been accepted for the different NPP types and in the different countries on the case-by-case basement. But a comprehensive and generally accepted terminology and procedures for PAR characterization and its performance and safety rating are still absent. As a next step in PAR's technology improvement and maturity it would be logical a development of their unified technical standardization and certification. Report is aimed to - 2) justify need in standardization of the PARs in the nuclear industry and in the hydrogen energy applications 2) define a minimal set of the notions which can be used for quantitative characterization of the of PARs throughout its life-cycle 3) formulate a systemic (generic state-machine or automata) model of PAR's states under the normal and accident conditions. After verification and validation of proposed PAR systemic model it can be used as one of ints for the development of an international standard for PAR performance and safety.
New Liquid Chemical Hydrogen Storage Technology
Aug 2022
Publication
The liquid chemical hydrogen storage technology has great potentials for high-density hydrogen storage and transportation at ambient temperature and pressure. However its commercial applications highly rely on the high-performance heterogeneous dehydrogenation catalysts owing to the dehydrogenation difficulty of chemical hydrogen storage materials. In recent years the chemists and materials scientists found that the supported metal nanoparticles (MNPs) can exhibit high catalytic activity selectivity and stability for the dehydrogenation of chemical hydrogen storage materials which will clear the way for the commercial application of liquid chemical hydrogen storage technology. This review has summarized the recent important research progress in the MNP-catalyzed liquid chemical hydrogen storage technology including formic acid dehydrogenation hydrazine hydrate dehydrogenation and ammonia borane dehydrogenation discussed the urgent challenges in the key field and pointed out the future research trends.
Selected Aspects of Hydrogen Production via Catalytic Decomposition of Hydrocarbons
Feb 2021
Publication
Owing to the high hydrogen content hydrocarbons are considered as an alternative source for hydrogen energy purposes. Complete decomposition of hydrocarbons results in the formation of gaseous hydrogen and solid carbonaceous by-product. The process is complicated by the methane formation reaction when the released hydrogen interacts with the formed carbon deposits. The present study is focused on the effects of the reaction mixture composition. Variations in the inlet hydrogen and methane concentrations were found to influence the carbon product’s morphology and the hydrogen production efficiency. The catalyst containing NiO (82 wt%) CuO (13 wt%) and Al2O3 (5 wt%) was prepared via a mechanochemical activating procedure. Kinetics of the catalytic process of hydrocarbons decomposition was studied using a reactor equipped with McBain balances. The effects of the process parameters were explored in a tubular quartz reactor with chromatographic analysis of the outlet gaseous products. In the latter case the catalyst was loaded piecemeal. The texture and morphology of the produced carbon deposits were investigated by nitrogen adsorption and electron microscopy techniques.
Application of Hydrogen and Hydrogen-containing Gases in Internal Combustion Engines
Nov 2019
Publication
The results of studies of the influence of hydrogen and hydrogen-containing gas additives on the parameters of various types of internal combustion engines are analyzed and summarized. It made possible to identify the features of the effect on the combustion of fuel during internal combustion engine operation at partial loads. The dependences of reducing the toxicity and fuel consumption of internal combustion engine on the amount of addition of hydrogen and a hydrogen-containing gas to the air-fuel mixture were obtained. It allowed to establish quantitative effects of free hydrogen in particular to quantify the region of small hydrogen additives and the conditions under which hydrogen exhibits the qualities of a chemically active component of the mixture.
The Role of Hydrocarbons in the Global Energy Agenda: The Focus on Liquefied Natural Gas
May 2020
Publication
Presently there is a paradoxical situation in the global energy market related to a gap between the image of hydrocarbon resources (HCR) and their real value for the economy. On the one hand we face an increase in expected HCR production and consumption volumes both in the short and long term. On the other hand we see the formation of the image of HCR and associated technologies as an unacceptable option without enough attention to the differences in fuels and the ways of their usage. Due to this it seems necessary to take a step back to review the vitality of such a political line. This article highlights an alternative point of view with regard to energy development prospects. The purpose of this article is to analyse the consistency of criticism towards HCR based on exploration of scientific literature analytical documents of international corporations and energy companies as well as critical assessment of technologies offered for the HCR substitution. The analysis showed that: (1) it is impossible to substitute the majority of HCR with alternative power resources in the near term (2) it is essential that the criticism of energy companies with regard to their responsibility for climate change should lead not to destruction of the industry but to the search of sustainable means for its development (3) the strategic benchmarks of oil and coal industries should shift towards chemical production but their significance should not be downgraded for the energy sector (4) liquified natural gas (LNG) is an independent industry with the highest expansion potential in global markets in the coming years as compared to alternative energy options and (5) Russia possesses a huge potential for the development of the gas industry and particularly LNG that will be unlocked if timely measures on higher efficiency of the state regulation system are implemented.
Boosting the H2 Production Efficiency via Photocatalytic Organic Reforming: The Role of Additional Hole Scavenging System
Nov 2021
Publication
The simultaneous photocatalytic H2 evolution with environmental remediation over semiconducting metal oxides is a fascinating process for sustainable fuel production. However most of the previously reported photocatalytic reforming showed nonstoichiometric amounts of the evolved H2 when organic substrates were used. To explain the reasons for this phenomenon a careful analysis of the products and intermediates in gas and aqueous phases upon the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from oxalic acid using Pt/TiO2 was performed. A quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) was used for the continuous flow monitoring of the evolved gases while high performance ion chromatography (HPIC) isotopic labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) were employed to understand the reactions in the solution. The entire consumption of oxalic acid led to a ~30% lower H2 amount than theoretically expected. Due to the contribution of the photoKolbe reaction mechanism a tiny amount of formic acid was produced then disappeared shortly after the complete consumption of oxalic acid. Nevertheless a much lower concentration of formic acid was generated compared to the nonstoichiometric difference between the formed H2 and the consumed oxalic acid. Isotopic labeling measurements showed that the evolved H2 HD and/or D2 matched those of the solvent; however using D2O decreased the reaction rate. Interestingly the presence of KI as an additional hole scavenger with oxalic acid had a considerable impact on the reaction mechanism and thus the hydrogen yield as indicated by the QMS and the EPR measurements. The added KI promoted H2 evolution to reach the theoretically predictable amount and inhibited the formation of intermediates without affecting the oxalic acid degradation rate. The proposed mechanism by which KI boosts the photocatalytic performance is of great importance in enhancing the overall energy efficiency for hydrogen production via photocatalytic organic reforming.
Uncertainty of Acceleration of a Premixed Laminar Unstable Hydrogen Flame
Sep 2021
Publication
Unstable hydrogen-air flame behavior randomities are important for industrial safety hydrogen infrastructure safety and nuclear power plant hydrogen safety problems. The paper is devoted to an experimental and theoretical study of the uncertainty in the acceleration of a premixed laminar unstable hydrogen flame. The results of experiments on spherical flame propagation in hydrogen-air mixtures with a hydrogen content of 10 to 60% are presented. The experiments were repeated up to 30 times in the same mixtures. A statistical analysis of the experimental results has been carried out. The scatter of the experimental data depending on the hydrogen content in the mixture was estimated. It was found to be between 8 to 17% for different mixtures with the same flame radius and mixture composition. Similar results were obtained using the numerical integration of the Sivashinsky equation of flame propagation.
Can Africa Serve Europe with Hydrogen Energy from Its Renewables?—Assessing the Economics of Shipping Hydrogen and Hydrogen Carriers to Europe from Different Parts of the Continent
Apr 2023
Publication
There exists no single optimal way for transporting hydrogen and other hydrogen carriers from one port to the other globally. Its delivery depends on several factors such as the quantity distance economics and the availability of the required infrastructure for its transportation. Europe has a strategy to invest in the production of green hydrogen in Africa to meet its needs. This study assessed the economic viability of shipping liquefied hydrogen (LH2 ) and hydrogen carriers to Germany from six African countries that have been identified as countries with great potential in the production of hydrogen. The results obtained suggest that the shipping of LH2 to Europe (Germany) will cost between 0.47 and 1.55 USD/kg H2 depending on the distance of travel for the ship. Similarly the transportation of hydrogen carriers could range from 0.19 to 0.55 USD/kg H2 for ammonia 0.25 to 0.77 USD/kg H2 for LNG 0.24 to 0.73 USD/kg H2 for methanol and 0.43 to 1.28 USD/kg H2 for liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs). Ammonia was found to be the ideal hydrogen carrier since it recorded the least transportation cost. A sensitivity analysis conducted indicates that an increase in the economic life by 5 years could averagely decrease the cost of LNG by some 13.9% NH3 by 13.2% methanol by 7.9% LOHC by 8.03% and LH2 by 12.41% under a constant distance of 6470 nautical miles. The study concludes with a suggestion that if both foreign and local participation in the development of the hydrogen market is increased in Africa the continent could supply LH2 and other hydrogen carriers to Europe at a cheaper price using clean fuel.
Prospects of Hydrogen Application as a Fuel for Large-Scale Compressed-Air Energy Storages
Jan 2024
Publication
A promising method of energy storage is the combination of hydrogen and compressed-air energy storage (CAES) systems. CAES systems are divided into diabatic adiabatic and isothermal cycles. In the diabatic cycle thermal energy after air compression is discharged into the environment and the scheme implies the use of organic fuel. Taking into account the prospects of the decarbonization of the energy industry it is advisable to replace natural gas in the diabatic CAES scheme with hydrogen obtained by electrolysis using power-to-gas technology. In this article the SENECA-1A project is considered as a high-power hybrid unit using hydrogen instead of natural gas. The results show that while keeping the 214 MW turbines powered the transition to hydrogen reduces carbon dioxide emissions from 8.8 to 0.0 kg/s while the formation of water vapor will increase from 17.6 to 27.4 kg/s. It is shown that the adiabatic CAES SENECA-1A mode compared to the diabatic has 0.0 carbon dioxide and water vapor emission with relatively higher efficiency (71.5 vs. 62.1%). At the same time the main advantage of the diabatic CAES is the possibility to produce more power in the turbine block (214 vs. 131.6 MW) having fewer capital costs. Thus choosing the technology is a subject of complex technical economic and ecological study.
Actual Quality Changes in Natural Resource and Gas Grid Use in Prospective Hydrogen Technology Roll-Out in the World and Russia
Oct 2023
Publication
About 95% of current hydrogen production uses technologies involving primary fossil resources. A minor part is synthesized by low-carbon and close-to-zero-carbon-footprint methods using RESs. The significant expansion of low-carbon hydrogen energy is considered to be a part of the “green transition” policies taking over in technologically leading countries. Projects of hydrogen synthesis from natural gas with carbon capture for subsequent export to European and Asian regions poor in natural resources are considered promising by fossil-rich countries. Quality changes in natural resource use and gas grids will include (1) previously developed scientific groundwork and production facilities for hydrogen energy to stimulate the use of existing natural gas grids for hydrogen energy transport projects; (2) existing infrastructure for gas filling stations in China and Russia to allow the expansion of hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs) using typical “mini-plant” projects of hydrogen synthesis using methane conversion technology; (3) feasibility testing for different hydrogen synthesis plants at medium and large scales using fossil resources (primarily natural gas) water and atomic energy. The results of this study will help focus on the primary tasks for quality changes in natural resource and gas grid use. Investments made and planned in hydrogen energy are assessed.
No more items...