Publications
Design and Multi-scenario Optimization of a Hybrid Power System Based on a Working Gas Turbine: Energy, Exergy, Exergoeconomic and Environmental Evaluation
Sep 2022
Publication
The rising demand for electricity along with the need to minimize carbon footprints has motivated academics to investigate the flexible and efficient integration of energy conversion technologies. A novel hybrid power generation system based on environmentally friendly and cost-effective technologies to recover the waste heat of a working gas turbine is designed and assessed in different scenarios of multi-objective optimization from energy exergy exergoeconomic and environmental (4E) perspectives. In the proposed system a steam methane reformer and a water gas shift reactor are utilized for hydrogen production while a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and steam/organic Rankine cycles are run for generating additional power. Aspen Plus in conjunction with Fortran Microsoft Excel and MATLAB is used to model and simulate the designed plant. The response surface methodology (RSM) is utilized to determine accurate surrogate models to describe the evaluation criteria and the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II technique is employed to seek the optimal conditions. Moreover TOPSIS and LINMAP decision-making approaches are used to find the best final solution among Pareto frontiers. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and sensitivity analysis are also applied to evaluate the importance of the design variables. In this regard three single-objective optimizations and four multi-objective optimization scenarios based on the maximization of the ecological coefficient of performance (ECOP) and the minimization of CO2 emissions and total system product cost (C˙ p) are carried out. It is demonstrated that the system’s evaluation criteria have the highest and lowest sensitivity to the variation of reformer temperature and ORC pressure respectively. From the triple-objective optimization procedure the decision variables including reformer temperature ORC pressure Rankine cycle I pressure and Rankine cycle II pressure are 544 ◦C 4.35 bar 158.12 bar and 52.82 bar respectively. At these conditions the total hybrid system’s energy efficiency exergy efficiency exergy destruction net generated power and total investment cost rate are 45.96% 46.83% 215.72 MW 203.67 MW and 9791 $/h respectively. The findings of this paper conclude that it is necessary to address all objective functions simultaneously in the system’s ultimate optimum design. Furthermore the objective of this paper becomes even more apparent when there is no choice but to cut greenhouse gas emissions while also addressing the rising global energy demand.
Smart Power-to-gas Deployment Strategies Informed by Spatially Explicit Cost and Value Models
Oct 2022
Publication
Green hydrogen allows coupling renewable electricity to hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as long-distance transport and carbon-intensive industries in order to achieve net zero emissions. Evaluating the cost and value of power-to-gas is a major challenge owing to the spatial distribution and temporal variability of renewable electricity CO2 and energy demand. Here we propose a method based on geographic information system (GIS) and techno-economic modeling to: (i) compare the levelized cost and levelized value of power-to-gas across locations; (ii) identify potential hotspots for their future implementation in Switzerland; and (iii) set cost improvement targets as well as smart deployment strategies. Our method accounts for the spatial and temporal (both hourly and seasonal) availability of renewable electricity and CO2 sources as well as the presence of gas infrastructure heating networks oxygen and gas demand centers. We find that only green hydrogen plants connected directly to run-of-river hydropower plants are currently profitable in Switzerland (with NPV per CAPEX ranging between 2.3-5.6). However considering technological progress by 2050 a few green hydrogen plants deployed in the demand centers and powered by rooftop PV electricity will also become economically attractive. Moreover a few synthetic methane plants connected to run-of-river hydropower plants currently show slight profitability (NPV per CAPEX reaching values up to 1.3) and in 2050 (NPV per CAPEX up to 3.1) whereas those connected to rooftop PV will remain uneconomical even in 2050. Based on our findings we devise a long-term roadmap for policy makers and project developers to plan future green hydrogen projects. The proposed methodology which is applied to Switzerland can be extended to other countries.
Techno-Economic Model for Scaling up of Hydrogen Refueling Stations
Oct 2022
Publication
In a recent publication the Hydrogen Council states that scaling up to greater production volumes leads to significant cost savings as a consequence of the industrialization of equipment manufacturing increased utilization standardization and improvements in system efficiency and flexibility. In this study a component-oriented techno-economic model is applied to five different European hydrogen refueling stations within the 3Emotion project which is planned to ensure capacities sufficient for increasing a fleet to 100 fuel cell buses. The investigation of the various cases shows that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for large-scale applications will be in the range of about 4 €/kg to 7 €/kg within the boundaries analyzed. On-site production facilities were found to be the lower-cost design benefiting from the high volumes at stake and the economy of scale with respect to decentralized production due to the significant costs associated with retail hydrogen and transport. This study also illustrates the effects on the LCOH of varying the hydrogen delivery and production prices using a sensitivity analysis. The results show that by utilizing high-capacity trailers the costs associated with delivery could be reduced by 30%. Furthermore green hydrogen production could be a competitive solution if coupled with low electricity prices resulting in an LCOH between 4.21 €/kg and 6.80 €/kg.
Enabling or Requiring Hydrogen-ready Industrial Boiler Equipment: Call for Evidence, Summary of Responses
Dec 2022
Publication
On 20 December 2021 the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched a Call for Evidence (CfE) on enabling or requiring hydrogen-ready industrial boiler equipment. The aim was to gather evidence from a broad range of UK manufacturers industrial end-users supply chain participants and other experts to enable the development of proposals. The CfE was open for 12 weeks closing on 14 March 2022. The CfE followed the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy on 17 August 2021. In the Strategy government committed to run a CfE on hydrogen-ready industrial equipment by theend of 2022. The published CfE focussed on industrial boilers due to their widespread use and because BEIS analysis indicates a significant proportion of the demand for hydrogen in industry will come from this equipment category. Furthermore the technology required for hydrogen boilers is relatively advanced and more standardised than for other types of industrial<br/>equipment. For these reasons industrial boiler equipment presents a good test case for hydrogen-ready industrial equipment more broadly.<br/>The CfE contained the following three sections:<br/>• The opportunity for hydrogen-ready industrial boilers<br/>• The role for government to support hydrogen-ready industrial boiler equipment<br/>• The role of the supply chain and economic opportunities for the UK<br/>Respondents were asked to support their answers with evidence relating to their business product or sector published literature studies or to their broader expertise. To raise awareness of the CfE BEIS officials held two online webinars on 1 February 2022 and 3 February 2022. These were open to boiler manufacturers industrial end-users supply chain participants trade associations professional bodies and any other person(s) with an interest in the area.<br/>To build on evidence gathered through the CfE BEIS commissioned an independent study from Arup and Kiwa Gastec to further examine whether government should enable or require hydrogen-ready industrial boiler equipment. This study investigated the following topics:<br/>• definitions of hydrogen-readiness for industrial boilers<br/>• comparisons of the cost and resource requirement to install and convert hydrogen-ready industrial boiler equipment<br/>• industrial boiler supply chain capacity for conversion to hydrogen<br/>• estimates of the UK industrial boiler population<br/>The final report for this study has been published alongside the government response to the call for evidence. The conclusions and recommendations of that report do not necessarily represent the view of BEIS.
Optimal Hybrid Renewable Energy System: A Comparative Study of Wind/Hydrogen/Fuel-Cell and Wind/Battery Storage
Dec 2020
Publication
This paper performs a technoeconomic comparison of two hybrid renewable energy supplies (HRES) for a specific location in Ghana and suggests the optimal solution in terms of cost energy generation capacity and emissions. (e two HRES considered in this paper were wind/hydrogen/fuel-cell and wind/battery storage respectively. (e necessity of this study was derived from the rise and expansion of hybrid renewable energy supply in a decentralised network. (e readiness to embrace these new technologies is apparently high but the best combination for a selected location that brings optimum benefits is not obvious and demands serious technical knowledge of their technical and economic models. In the methodology an analytical model of energy generation by the various RE sources was first established and data were collected about a rural-urban community in Doderkope Ghana to test the models. HOMER software was used to design the two hybrid systems based on the same load profiles and results were compared. It turns out that the HRES 1 (wind/hydrogen/fuel-cell) had the lowest net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of electricity (COE) over the project life span of 25 years. (e energy reserve with the HRES 2 (wind/battery storage) was huge compared to that with the HRES 1 about 270% bigger. Furthermore with respect to the emissions the HRES 2 was environmentally friendlier than the HRES 1. Even though the battery storage seems to be more cost-effective than the hydrogen fuel cell technology the latter presents some merits regarding system capacity and emission that deserve greater attention as the world looks into more sustainable energy storage systems.
Increasing the Energy Efficiency of Gas Boosters for Hydrogen Storage and for Refueling Stations
Feb 2023
Publication
A new electrically driven gas booster is described as an alternative to the classical air-driven gas boosters known for their poor energetic efficiency. These boosters are used in small scale Hydrogen storage facilities and in refueling stations for Hydrogen vehicles. In such applications the overall energy count is of significance and must include the efficiency of the compression stage. The proposed system uses an electric motor instead of the pneumatic actuator and increases the total efficiency of the compression process. Two mechanical principles are studied for the transformation of the rotational motion of the motor to the linear displacement of the compressor pistons. The strongly fluctuating power of the compressor is smoothed by an active capacitive auxiliary storage device connected to the DC circuit of the power converter. The proposed system has been verified by numeric simulation including the thermodynamic phenomena the kinetics of the new compressor drive and the the operation of the circuits of the power smoothing system.
The Potential of Fuel Cells as a Drive Source of Maritime Transport
Nov 2017
Publication
The state of environmental pollution brought about as a result of the modern civilization has been monitored in the interests of the environment and human health since the seventies of the last century. Ensuring the energy security is one of the most basic existential requirements for a functional civilized society. The growing civilizational needs caused by broadly understood development generate demand for the production of all kinds of goods in all sectors of the economy as well as world-wide information transfer. The current energy demand is mostly covered using fossil fuels such as coal oil and natural gas. Some of the energy demand is covered by the energy generated in nuclear reactions and a small part of it comes from renewable energy sources. Energy derived from fossil fuels is inevitably associated with fuel oxidation processes. These processes in addition to generating heat are responsible for the emission of harmful compounds to the atmosphere: carbon monoxide carbon dioxide nitrogen oxides hydrocarbons and particulate matter. These pollutants pose a serious threat to the people as well as the environment in which they live. Due to the large share of fossil fuel energy generation in the process of combustion it becomes necessary to seek other means of obtaining the so-called "clean energy". Fuel cells may have a very high potential in this respect. Their development has enabled attempts to use them in all modes of transport. An important factor in the development of fuel cells is their relatively high efficiency and the coinciding strictening of the emission norms from internal combustion engines used to power maritime transport. Therefore the aim of this article has been to assess the potential of fuel cells as a main source of propulsion power source. A review of the designs of fuel cell systems and their use was performed. The article summarizes the assessment of the potential role of fuel cells as a power source of maritime transport.
On the Use of a Hydrogen-Fueled Engine in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Dec 2022
Publication
Hybrid electric vehicles are currently one of the most effective ways to increase the efficiency and reduce the pollutant emissions of internal combustion engines. Green hydrogen produced with renewable energies is an excellent alternative to fossil fuels in order to drastically reduce engine pollutant emissions. In this work the author proposes the implementation of a hydrogen-fueled engine in a hybrid vehicle; the investigated hybrid powertrain is the power-split type in which the engine two electric motor/generators and the drive shaft are coupled together by a planetary gear set; this arrangement allows the engine to operate independently from the wheels and thus to exploit the best efficiency operating points. A set of numeric simulations were performed in order to compare the gasoline-fueled engine with the hydrogen-fueled one in terms of the thermal efficiency and total energy consumed during a driving cycle. The simulation results show a mean engine efficiency increase of around 17% when fueled with hydrogen with respect to gasoline and an energy consumption reduction of around 15% in a driving cycle.
Hydrogen Strategy Update to the Market: December 2022
Dec 2022
Publication
The Government is committed to developing the UK’s low carbon hydrogen economy: hydrogen is considered critical to delivering energy security and our decarbonisation targets and presents a significant growth opportunity. It can play a pivotal role in our transition to a future based on renewable and nuclear energy while ensuring that natural gas used during this transition is from reliable sources including our own North Sea production and can provide clean energy for use in industry power transport and potentially home heating. In the UK Hydrogen Strategy we included the commitment to regularly summarise our policy development to keep industry apprised. Since publication of the Hydrogen Strategy we have doubled our low carbon hydrogen production capacity ambition to up to 10GW by 2030 (with at least half from electrolytic hydrogen) in the British Energy Security Strategy provided greater clarity to investors through the Hydrogen Investment Package and made substantial policy and funding strides across the hydrogen value chain. We summarised these ambitions commitments and actions in the first Hydrogen Strategy update to the market in July 2022. This was published alongside other key elements of our policy support which also included the launch of the first Electrolytic Hydrogen Allocation Round – offering joint Net Zero Hydrogen Fund (NZHF) and Hydrogen Production Business Model (HPBM) support – and our Hydrogen Sector Development Action Plan and the appointment of a UK Hydrogen Champion. Hydrogen is closely integrated into Government’s wider policy development on energy security and the energy transition both domestically and internationally with hydrogen policy previously announced through the Net Zero Strategy and the Breakthrough Agenda at COP26. This December 2022 Hydrogen Strategy update to the market summarises the extensive activity across Government since July to develop new hydrogen policy at pace and to design and deliver funding support. This includes announcements on shortlisted hydrogen projects in the Cluster Sequencing Process the launch of a consultation on hydrogen transport and storage (T&S) infrastructure the publication of the HPBM Heads of Terms and an update on the ongoing first Electrolytic Hydrogen Allocation Round. The hydrogen policy development presented here underlines the Government’s approach to promote every aspect of the UK hydrogen economy in collaboration with industry investors and international partners to create a strong globally competitive UK hydrogen sector.
Techno-economic Analysis of On-site Blue Hydrogen Production Based on Vacuum Pressure Adsorption: Practical Application to Real-world Hydrogen Refueling Stations
Feb 2023
Publication
Although climate change can be efficiently curbed by shifting to low-carbon (blue) hydrogen as an energy carrier to achieve carbon neutrality current hydrogen production mainly proceeds via the gray pathway i.e. generates large amounts of CO2 as a byproduct. To address the need for cleaner hydrogen production we herein propose novel CO2 capture processes based on the integration of vacuum pressure swing adsorption into a gray hydrogen production process and perform retrofitting to a blue hydrogen production process for on-site hydrogen refueling stations. Techno-economic analysis reveals that the implementation of the proposed capture processes allows one to significantly reduce CO2 emission while preserving thermal efficiency and the economic feasibility of this implementation in different scenarios is determined by computing the levelized cost of hydrogen. As a result blue hydrogen is shown to hold great promise for the realization of sustainable energy usage and the net-zero transition.
Modelling and Simulation of a Hydrogen-Based Hybrid Energy Storage System with a Switching Algorithm
Oct 2022
Publication
Currently transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy is needed considering the impact of climate change on the globe. From this point of view there is a need for development in several stages such as storage transmission and conversion of power. In this paper we demonstrate a simulation of a hybrid energy storage system consisting of a battery and fuel cell in parallel operation. The novelty in the proposed system is the inclusion of an electrolyser along with a switching algorithm. The electrolyser consumes electricity to intrinsically produce hydrogen and store it in a tank. This implies that the system consumes electricity as input energy as opposed to hydrogen being the input fuel. The hydrogen produced by the electrolyser and stored in the tank is later utilised by the fuel cell to produce electricity to power the load when needed. Energy is therefore stored in the form of hydrogen. A battery of lower capacity is coupled with the fuel cell to handle transient loads. A parallel control algorithm is developed to switch on/off the charging and discharging cycle of the fuel cell and battery depending upon the connected load. Electrically equivalent circuits of a polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyser polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell necessary hydrogen oxygen water tanks and switching controller for the parallel operation were modelled with their respective mathematical equations in MATLAB® Simulink®. In this paper we mainly focus on the modelling and simulation of the proposed system. The results showcase the simulated system’s mentioned advantages and compare its ability to handle loads to a battery-only system.
Recent Progress in Conducting Polymers for Hydrogen Storage and Fuel Cell Applications
Oct 2020
Publication
Hydrogen is a clean fuel and an abundant renewable energy resource. In recent years huge scientific attention has been invested to invent suitable materials for its safe storage. Conducting polymers has been extensively investigated as a potential hydrogen storage and fuel cell membrane due to the low cost ease of synthesis and processability to achieve the desired morphological and microstructural architecture ease of doping and composite formation chemical stability and functional properties. The review presents the recent progress in the direction of material selection modification to achieve appropriate morphology and adsorbent properties chemical and thermal stabilities. Polyaniline is the most explored material for hydrogen storage. Polypyrrole and polythiophene has also been explored to some extent. Activated carbons derived from conducting polymers have shown the highest specific surface area and significant storage. This review also covers recent advances in the field of proton conducting solid polymer electrolyte membranes in fuel cells application. This review focuses on the basic structure synthesis and working mechanisms of the polymer materials and critically discusses their relative merits.
Biohydrogen—A Green Fuel for Sustainable Energy Solutions
Oct 2022
Publication
Energy plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of modern nations. Today hydrogen is considered the most promising alternative fuel as it can be generated from clean and green sources. Moreover it is an efficient energy carrier because hydrogen burning only generates water as a byproduct. Currently it is generated from natural gas. However it can be produced using other methods i.e. physicochemical thermal and biological. The biological method is considered more environmentally friendly and pollution free. This paper aims to provide an updated review of biohydrogen production via photofermentation dark fermentation and microbial electrolysis cells using different waste materials as feedstocks. Besides the role of nanotechnology in enhancing biohydrogen production is examined. Under anaerobic conditions hydrogen is produced during the conversion of organic substrate into organic acids using fermentative bacteria and during the conversion of organic acids into hydrogen and carbon dioxide using photofermentative bacteria. Different factors that enhance the biohydrogen production of these organisms either combined or sequentially using dark and photofermentation processes are examined and the effect of each factor on biohydrogen production efficiency is reported. A comparison of hydrogen production efficiency between dark fermentation photofermentation and two-stage processes is also presented.
Flexibility Improvement Evaluation of Hydrogen Storage Based on Electricity-Hydrogen Coupled Energy Model
Nov 2021
Publication
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 decarbonization in the energy sector is crucial. Hydrogen is expected to be vital for achieving the aim of carbon neutrality for two reasons: use of power-to-hydrogen (P2H) can avoid carbon emissions from hydrogen production which is traditionally performed using fossil fuels; Hydrogen from P2H can be stored for long durations in large scales and then delivered as industrial raw material or fed back to the power system depending on the demand. In this study we focus on the analysis and evaluation of hydrogen value in terms of improvement in the flexibility of the energy system particularly that derived from hydrogen storage. An electricity–hydrogen coupled energy model is proposed to realize the hourly-level operation simulation and capacity planning optimization aiming at the lowest cost of energy. Based on this model and considering Northwest China as the region of study the potential of improvement in the flexibility of hydrogen storage is determined through optimization calculations in a series of study cases with various hydrogen demand levels. The results of the quantitative calculations prove that effective hydrogen storage can improve the system flexibility by promoting the energy demand balance over a long term contributing toward reducing the investment cost of both generators and battery storage and thus the total energy cost. This advantage can be further improved when the hydrogen demand rises. However a cost reduction by 20% is required for hydrogen-related technologies to initiate hydrogen storage as long-term energy storage for power systems. This study provides a suggestion and reference for the advancement and planning of hydrogen storage development in regions with rich sources of renewable energy.
Decarbonisation of Heavy-duty Diesel Engines Using Hydrogen Fuel: A Review of the Potential Impact NOx Emissions
Jul 2022
Publication
As countries seek ways to meet climate change commitments hydrogen fuel offers a low-carbon alternative for sectors where battery electrification may not be viable. Blending hydrogen with fossil fuels requires only modest technological adaptation however since combustion is retained nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions remain a potential disbenefit. We review the potential air quality impacts arising from the use of hydrogen–diesel blends in heavy-duty diesel engines a powertrain which lends itself to hydrogen co-fuelling. Engine load is identified as a key factor influencing NOx emissions from hydrogen–diesel combustion in heavy-duty engines although variation in other experimental parameters across studies complicates this relationship. Combining results from peer-reviewed literature allows an estimation to be made of plausible NOx emissions from hydrogen–diesel combustion relative to pure-diesel combustion. At 0–30% engine load which encompasses the average load for mobile engine applications NOx emissions changes were in the range 59 to +24% for a fuel blend with 40 e% hydrogen. However at 50–100% load which approximately corresponds to stationary engine applications NOx emissions changes were in the range 28 to +107%. Exhaust gas recirculation may be able to reduce NOx emissions at very high and very low loads when hydrogen is blended with diesel and existing exhaust aftertreatment technologies are also likely to be effective. Recent commercial reporting on the development of hydrogen and hydrogen–diesel dual fuel combustion in large diesel engines are also summarised. There is currently some disconnection between manufacturer reported impacts of hydrogen-fuelling on NOx emissions (always lower emissions) and the conclusions drawn from the peer reviewed literature (frequently higher emissions).
The Hydrogen Economy and Jobs of the Future
Nov 2018
Publication
Growth in the hydrogen and fuel cell industries will lead to vast new employment opportunities and these will be created in a wide variety of industries skills tasks and earnings. Many of these jobs do not currently exist and do not have occupational titles defined in official classifications. In addition many of these jobs require different skills and education than current jobs and training requirements must be assessed so that this rapidly growing part of the economy has a sufficient supply of trained and qualified workers. We discuss the current hydrogen economy and technologies. We then identify by occupational titles the new jobs that will be created in the expanding hydrogen/fuel cell economy estimate the average US salary for each job identify the minimum educational attainment required to gain entry into that occupation and specify the recommended university degree for the advanced educational requirements. We provide recommendations for further research.
Study on the Effect of Second Injection Timing on the Engine Performances of a Gasoline/Hydrogen SI Engine with Split Hydrogen Direct Injecting
Oct 2020
Publication
Split hydrogen direct injection (SHDI) has been proved capable of better efficiency and fewer emissions. Therefore to investigate SHDI deeply a numerical study on the effect of second injection timing was presented at a gasoline/hydrogen spark ignition (SI) engine with SHDI. With an excess air ratio of 1.5 five different second injection timings achieved five kinds of hydrogen mixture distribution (HMD) which was the main factor affecting the engine performances. With SHDI since the HMD is manageable the engine can achieve better efficiency and fewer emissions. When the second injection timing was 105◦ crank angle (CA) before top dead center (BTDC) the Pmax was the highest and the position of the Pmax was the earliest. Compared with the single hydrogen direct injection (HDI) the NOX CO and HC emissions with SHDI were reduced by 20% 40% and 72% respectively.
NewGasMet - Flow Metering of Renewable Gases (Biogas, Biomethane, Hydrogen, Syngas and Mixtures with Natural Gas): Report on the Impact of Renewable Gases, and Mixtures with Natural Gas, on the Accuracy, Cost and Lifetime of Gas Meters
May 2022
Publication
For the usage of domestic gas meters with combustible gases like hydrogen natural gas or mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas in public grids the metrological behaviour of the gas meters has to fulfil the requirements described in the Measuring Instrument Directive (MID). The MID requires also that a measuring instrument shall be suitable for the application. The tightness of a meter is required in order to obtain correct results in case of accuracy tests but also for an application in the grid or for durability tests to avoid risks such as explosive gas mixtures. Due to the different properties of renewable gases leak tightness to one gas mixtures does not necessarily imply leak tightness for other gases. Hydrogen molecules are smaller than those in conventional natural gas which can more easily result in a gas leakage. The EMPIR project NEWGASMET includes beside metrological investigations also a durability test with hydrogen. In order to carry out these activities but also for further hydrogen leakage investigations for instance the investigation of proper seal materials used in the gas meter installation a reliable gas tightness test was developed.
A Review of Renewable Hydrogen Generation and Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Technology for Sustainable Energy Development
Mar 2023
Publication
Beyond its typical usage as an economical fuel for creating ammonia methanol and petroleum refineries hydrogen has become a modern form of energy. Energy-scarce advanced countries like Japan and Korea are concerned about energy privacy and environmental responsibility. Many wealthy countries have been fervently building hydrogen networks and renewable energy sources to fulfil their main goals or the growing requirement for energy. In this study we concentrate on proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) generally viewed as financially viable for vehicle industries especially for automobiles demanding less hydrogen infrastructure facilities like fleets of cabs buses and logistical automobiles. This overview includes all of the significant PEMFC components focusing on the reaction gas diffusion and polymer. Without question the equipment necessary for a consistent supply of ultra-pure hydrogen is essential for the effectiveness of PEMFC in extensive requests.
Seasonal Hydrogen Storage for Residential On- and Off-grid Solar Photovoltaics Prosumer Applications: Revolutionary Solution or Niche Market for the Energy Transition until 2050?
Apr 2023
Publication
Appropriate climate change mitigation requires solutions for all actors of the energy system. The residential sector is a major part of the energy system and solutions for the implementation of a seasonal hydrogen storage system in residential houses has been increasingly discussed. A global analysis of prosumer systems including seasonal hydrogen storage with water electrolyser hydrogen compressor storage tank and a fuel cell studying the role of such a seasonal household storage in the upcoming decades is not available. This study aims to close this research gap via the improved LUT-PROSUME model which models a fully micro sector coupled residential photovoltaic prosumer system with linear optimisation for 145 regions globally. The modelling of the cost development of hydrogen storage components allows for the simulation of a residential system from 2020 until 2050 in 5-year steps in hourly resolution. The systems are cost-optimised for either on– or off-grid operation in eight scenarios including battery electric vehicles which can act as an additional vehicle-to-home electricity storage for the system. Results show that implementation of seasonal hydrogen systems only occurs in least cost solutions in high latitude countries when the system is forced to run in off-grid mode. In general a solar photovoltaic plus battery system including technologies that can cover the heat demand is the most economic choice and can even achieve lower cost than a full grid supply in off-grid operation for most regions until 2050. Additional parameters including the self-consumption ratio the demand cover ratio and the heat cover ratio can therefore not be improved by seasonal storage systems if economics is the main deciding factor for a respective system. Further research opportunities and possible limitations of the system are then identified.
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