Publications
A Green Hydrogen Energy System: Optimal Control Strategies for Integrated Hydrogen Storage and Power Generation with Wind Energy
Jul 2022
Publication
The intermittent nature of renewable energy resources such as wind and solar causes the energy supply to be less predictable leading to possible mismatches in the power network. To this end hydrogen production and storage can provide a solution by increasing flexibility within the system. Stored hydrogen as compressed gas can either be converted back to electricity or it can be used as feed-stock for industry heating for built environment and as fuel for vehicles. This research is the first to examine optimal strategies for operating integrated energy systems consisting of renewable energy production and hydrogen storage with direct gas-based use-cases for hydrogen. Using Markov decision process theory we construct optimal policies for day-to-day decisions on how much energy to store as hydrogen or buy from or sell to the electricity market and on how much hydrogen to sell for use as gas. We pay special emphasis to practical settings such as contractually binding power purchase agreements varying electricity prices different distribution channels green hydrogen offtake agreements and hydrogen market price uncertainties. Extensive experiments and analysis are performed in the context of Northern Netherlands where Europe’s first Hydrogen Valley is being formed. Results show that gains in operational revenues of up to 51% are possible by introducing hydrogen storage units and competitive hydrogen market-prices. This amounts to a e126000 increase in revenues per turbine per year for a 4.5 MW wind turbine. Moreover our results indicate that hydrogen offtake agreements will be crucial in keeping the energy transition on track.
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.
Ammonia Decomposition in the Process Chain for a Renewable Hydrogen Supply
Jun 2022
Publication
This review article deals with the challenge to identify catalyst materials from literature studies for the ammonia decomposition reaction with potential for application in large-scale industrial processes. On the one hand the requirements on the catalyst are quite demanding. Of central importance are the conditions for the primary reaction that have to be met by the catalyst. Likewise the catalytic performance i.e. an ideally quantitative conversion and a high lifetime are critical as well as the consideration of requirements on the product properties in terms of pressure or by-products for potential follow-up processes in this case synthesis gas applications. On the other hand the evaluation of the multitude of literature studies poses difficulties due to significant varieties in catalytic testing protocols.
Investigation of an Intensified Thermo-Chemical Experimental Set-Up for Hydrogen Production from Biomass: Gasification Process Integrated to a Portable Purification System—Part II
Jun 2022
Publication
Biomass gasification is a versatile thermochemical process that can be used for direct energy applications and the production of advanced liquid and gaseous energy carriers. In the present work the results are presented concerning the H2 production at a high purity grade from biomass feedstocks via steam/oxygen gasification. The data demonstrating such a process chain were collected at an innovative gasification prototype plant coupled to a portable purification system (PPS). The overall integration was designed for gas conditioning and purification to hydrogen. By using almond shells as the biomass feedstock from a product gas with an average and stable composition of 40%-v H2 21%-v CO 35%-v CO2 2.5%-v CH4 the PPS unit provided a hydrogen stream with a final concentration of 99.99%-v and a gas yield of 66.4%.
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.
Renewable Energy Pathways toward Accelerating Hydrogen Fuel Production: Evidence from Global Hydrogen Modeling
Dec 2022
Publication
Fossil fuel consumption has triggered worries about energy security and climate change; this has promoted hydrogen as a viable option to aid in decarbonizing global energy systems. Hydrogen could substitute for fossil fuels in the future due to the economic political and environmental concerns related to energy production using fossil fuels. However currently the majority of hydrogen is produced using fossil fuels particularly natural gas which is not a renewable source of energy. It is therefore crucial to increase the efforts to produce hydrogen from renewable sources rather from the existing fossil-based approaches. Thus this study investigates how renewable energy can accelerate the production of hydrogen fuel in the future under three hydrogen economy-related energy regimes including nuclear restrictions hydrogen and city gas blending and in the scenarios which consider the geographic distribution of carbon reduction targets. A random effects regression model has been utilized employing panel data from a global energy system which optimizes for cost and carbon targets. The results of this study demonstrate that an increase in renewable energy sources has the potential to significantly accelerate the growth of future hydrogen production under all the considered policy regimes. The policy implications of this paper suggest that promoting renewable energy investments in line with a fairer allocation of carbon reduction efforts will help to ensure a future hydrogen economy which engenders a sustainable low carbon society.
Design and Performance Assessment of a Solar-to-hydrogen System Thermally Assisted by Recovered Heat from a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell
Mar 2022
Publication
Solar-to-hydrogen plants are predominantly based on steam electrolysis. Steam electrolysis requires water electricity and heat. The excess electric energy is generally converted into hydrogen via an electrolyser. The use of waste heat in hydrogen generation process promises energy efficiency improvement and production fluctuation reductions. This work investigates the techno-economic performance of the proposed system which recovers the waste heat from molten carbonate fuel cell and uses solar energy to produce steam. Comparison of thermally assisted solar system with corresponding solar system is done. The fuel cell provides 80% of the required thermal energy. The solar PV array provides the required electricity. The thermally assisted solar-to-hydrogen system annual energy efficiency (38.5 %) is higher than that of solar- to- hydrogen system. The investment cost of the proposed system is 2.4 % higher than that using only solar parabolic trough collector for the same required amount of heat. The advantage is that the fuel cell simultaneously produces electricity and heat. The recovery of waste heat allows getting an annual overall efficiency of 63.2 % for the molten carbonate fuel cell. It yields 2152 MWh of electricity per year. The 1 MW electrolysers annually generates 74 tonnes of hydrogen.
CFD Modelling of Hydrogen and Hydrogen-methane Explosions - Analysis of Varying Concentration and Reduced Oxygen Atmospheres
Feb 2023
Publication
This paper evaluates the predictive capabilities of the advanced consequence model FLACS-CFD for deflagrations involving hydrogen. Two modelling approaches are presented: the extensively validated model system originally developed for hydrocarbons included in FLACS-CFD 22.1 and a Markstein number dependent model implemented in the in-house version FLACS-CFD 22.1 IH. The ability of the models to predict the overpressure and the flame arrival time for scenarios with different concentrations of hydrogen and thus different Lewis and Markstein numbers is assessed. Furthermore the effect of adding methane or nitrogen on overpressure for different regimes of premixed combustion are investigated. The validation dataset includes deflagrations in the open or in congested open areas and vented deflagrations in empty or congested enclosures. The overpressure predictions by FLACS-CFD 22.1 IH are found to be more accurate than those obtained with FLACS-CFD 22.1 for scenarios with varying hydrogen concentrations and/or added nitrogen or methane in the mixture. The predictions by FLACS-CFD 22.1 IH for lean hydrogen mixtures are within a factor of 2 of the values observed in the experiments. Further development of the model is needed for more accurate prediction of deflagrations involving rich hydrogen mixtures as well as scenarios with other fuels and/or conditions where the initial pressure or temperature deviate significantly from ambient conditions.
Feasibility Study of "CO2 Free Hydrogen Chain" Utilizing Australian Brown Coal Linked with CCS
Nov 2012
Publication
We had investigated feasible measures to reduce CO2 emission and came to conclusion that introduction of new fuel such as hydrogen with near zero CO2 emission is required for achieving Japan’s commitment of 80% CO2 reduction by 2050. Under this background we are proposing and aiming to realize “CO2 free hydrogen chain” utilizing Australian brown coal linked with CCS. In this chain hydrogen produced from brown coal is liquefied and transported to Japan by liquid hydrogen carrier. We have conducted feasibility study of commercial scale “CO2 free hydrogen chain” whose result shows the chain is technically and economically feasible.
Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Thermal Hydrogen Production in the United Arab Emirates
Oct 2022
Publication
Solar thermal technology can provide the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East region with abundant clean electricity to mitigate the rising levels of carbon dioxide and satisfy future demand. Hydrogen can play a key role in the large-scale application of solar thermal technologies such as concentrated solar plants in the region by storing the surplus electricity and exporting it to needed countries for profit placing the Middle East and the United Arab Emirates as major future green hydrogen suppliers. However a hydrogen supply chain comparison between hydrogen from CSP and other renewable under the UAE’s technical and economic conditions for hydrogen export is yet to be fully considered. Therefore in this study we provide a techno-economic analysis for well-to-ship solar hydrogen supply chain that compares CSP and PV technologies with a solid oxide water electrolyzer for hydrogen production assuming four different hydrogen delivery pathways based on the location of electrolyzer and source of electricity assuming the SOEC can be coupled to the CSP plant when placed at the same site or provided with electric heaters when placed at PV plant site or port sites. The results show that the PV plant achieves a lower levelized cost of electricity than that of the CSP plant with 5.08 ¢/kWh and 8.6 ¢/kWh respectively. Hydrogen production results show that the scenario where SOEC is coupled to the CSP plant is the most competitive scenario as it achieves the payback period in the shortest period compared to the other scenarios and also provides higher revenues and a cheaper LCOH of 7.85 $/kgH2.
Agreement for the Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Business Model
Dec 2022
Publication
The Heads of Terms for the Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement sets out the government’s proposal for the final hydrogen production business model design. It will form the basis of the Low Carbon Hydrogen Agreement the business model contract between the government appointed counterparty and a low carbon hydrogen producer.<br/>The business model will provide revenue support to hydrogen producers to overcome the operating cost gap between low carbon hydrogen and high carbon fuels. It has been designed to incentivise investment in low carbon hydrogen production and use and in doing so deliver the government’s ambition of up to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030.
Optimized Design and Control of an Off Grid solar PV/hydrogen Fuel Cell Power System for Green Buildings
Sep 2017
Publication
Modelling simulation optimization and control strategies are used in this study to design a stand-alone solar PV/Fuel Cell/Battery/Generator hybrid power system to serve the electrical load of a commercial building. The main objective is to design an off grid energy system to meet the desired electric load of the commercial building with high renewable fraction low emissions and low cost of energy. The goal is to manage the energy consumption of the building reduce the associate cost and to switch from grid-tied fossil fuel power system to an off grid renewable and cleaner power system. Energy audit was performed in this study to determine the energy consumption of the building. Hourly simulations modelling and optimization were performed to determine the performance and cost of the hybrid power configurations using different control strategies. The results show that the hybrid off grid solar PV/Fuel Cell/Generator/Battery/Inverter power system offers the best performance for the tested system architectures. From the total energy generated from the off grid hybrid power system 73% is produced from the solar PV 24% from the fuel cell and 3% from the backup Diesel generator. The produced power is used to meet all the AC load of the building without power shortage (<0.1%). The hybrid power system produces 18.2% excess power that can be used to serve the thermal load of the building. The proposed hybrid power system is sustainable economically viable and environmentally friendly: High renewable fraction (66.1%) low levelized cost of energy (92 $/MWh) and low carbon dioxide emissions (24 kg CO2/MWh) are achieved.
Hydrogen Strategy Update to the Market: July 2022
Jul 2022
Publication
Low carbon hydrogen is our new home-grown super-fuel which will be vital for our energy security and to meet our legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050. The UK Hydrogen Strategy published in August 2021 outlined a comprehensive roadmap for the development of a thriving UK hydrogen economy over the coming decade. In the British Energy Security Strategy published in April this year the government doubled the UK’s hydrogen production ambition to up to 10GW by 2030. This increased ambition cements our place firmly at the forefront of the global race to develop hydrogen as a secure low carbon replacement for fossil fuels in the transition to greater energy security and net zero. Since the publication of the UK Hydrogen Strategy we have continued to deliver on our commitments setting out new policy and funding for hydrogen across the value chain and bringing together the international community around shared hydrogen objectives to rapidly develop a global hydrogen economy. Hydrogen was a key component of the Net Zero Strategy COP26 and the British Energy Security Strategy. The Hydrogen Investment Package and opening of the £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund in April marked a major step forward in delivering government support to drive further private investment into hydrogen production in the UK. To keep industry informed on the government’s ongoing work to develop the hydrogen economy we committed in the UK Hydrogen Strategy to producing regular updates to the market as our policy develops. In addition to offering an accessible ‘one stop shop’ of government policy development and support schemes these updates will provide industry and investors with further clarity on the direction of travel of hydrogen policy across the value chain so that government and industry can work together most effectively and with the necessary pace to build a world-leading low carbon hydrogen sector in the UK.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power System—Development Perspectives for Hybrid Topologies
Mar 2023
Publication
In recent years the problem of environmental pollution especially the emission of greenhouse gases has attracted people’s attention to energy infrastructure. At present the fuel consumed by transportation mainly comes from fossil energy and the strong traffic demand has a great impact on the environment and climate. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) use hydrogen energy as a clean alternative to fossil fuels taking into account the dual needs of transportation and environmental protection. However due to the low power density and high manufacturing cost of hydrogen fuel cells their combination with other power supplies is necessary to form a hybrid power system that maximizes the utilization of hydrogen energy and prolongs the service life of hydrogen fuel cells. Therefore the hybrid power system control mode has become a key technology and a current research hotspot. This paper first briefly introduces hydrogen fuel cells then summarizes the existing hybrid power circuit topology categorizes the existing technical solutions and finally looks forward to the future for different scenarios of hydrogen fuel cell hybrid power systems. This paper provides reference and guidance for the future development of renewable hydrogen energy and hydrogen fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles.
Net Hydrogen Consumption Minimization of Fuel Cell Hybrid Trains Using a Time-Based Co-Optimization Model
Apr 2022
Publication
With increasing concerns on transportation decarbonization fuel cell hybrid trains (FCHTs) attract many attentions due to their zero carbon emissions during operation. Since fuel cells alone cannot recover the regenerative braking energy (RBE) energy storage devices (ESDs) are commonly deployed for the recovery of RBE and provide extra traction power to improve the energy efficiency. This paper aims to minimize the net hydrogen consumption (NHC) by co-optimizing both train speed trajectory and onboard energy management using a time-based mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model. In the case with the constraints of speed limits and gradients the NHC of co-optimization reduces by 6.4% compared to the result obtained by the sequential optimization which optimizes train control strategies first and then the energy management. Additionally the relationship between NHC and employed ESD capacity is studied and it is found that with the increase of ESD capacity the NHC can be reduced by up to 30% in a typical route in urban railway transit. The study shows that ESDs play an important role for FCHTs in reducing NHC and the proposed time-based co-optimization model can maximize the energy-saving benefits for such emerging traction systems with hybrid energy sources including both fuel cells and ESD.
Prospects of Fuel Cell Combined Heat and Power Systems
Aug 2020
Publication
Combined heat and power (CHP) in a single and integrated device is concurrent or synchronized production of many sources of usable power typically electric as well as thermal. Integrating combined heat and power systems in today’s energy market will address energy scarcity global warming as well as energy-saving problems. This review highlights the system design for fuel cell CHP technologies. Key among the components discussed was the type of fuel cell stack capable of generating the maximum performance of the entire system. The type of fuel processor used was also noted to influence the systemic performance coupled with its longevity. Other components equally discussed was the power electronics. The thermal and water management was also noted to have an effect on the overall efficiency of the system. Carbon dioxide emission reduction reduction of electricity cost and grid independence were some notable advantages associated with fueling cell combined heat and power systems. Despite these merits the high initial capital cost is a key factor impeding its commercialization. It is therefore imperative that future research activities are geared towards the development of novel and cheap materials for the development of the fuel cell which will transcend into a total reduction of the entire system. Similarly robust systemic designs should equally be an active research direction. Other types of fuel aside hydrogen should equally be explored. Proper risk assessment strategies and documentation will similarly expand and accelerate the commercialization of this novel technology. Finally public sensitization of the technology will also make its acceptance and possible competition with existing forms of energy generation feasible. The work in summary showed that proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM fuel cell) operated at a lower temperature-oriented cogeneration has good efficiency and is very reliable. The critical issue pertaining to these systems has to do with the complication associated with water treatment. This implies that the balance of the plant would be significantly affected; likewise the purity of the gas is crucial in the performance of the system. An alternative to these systems is the PEM fuel cell systems operated at higher temperatures.
Place-based Allocation of R&D Funding: Directing the German Innovation System for Hydrogen Technologies in Space
Jul 2024
Publication
The geographical understanding of directionality in the literature on mission-oriented innovation systems is still underdeveloped. Therefore this article reflects on whether the allocation of funding for R&D activities to different places can direct innovation systems in space. A placebased approach to the allocation of funding and its effects on innovation systems is developed to analyze how the German national government allocates funding to the national innovation system for hydrogen technologies. The results show that the allocation of funding considers placebased characteristics and has a range of systemic outcomes encompassing the clustering of research activities the specialization of certain places in certain market segments and the in crease of the spatial reach of the national innovation system by integrating left behind places. However the funding contributes insufficiently to market formation at the local and regional scale and is contested due to existing alternative routes that the innovation system could take.
Fuel Cell Products for Sustainable Transportation and Stationary Power Generation: Review on Market Perspective
Mar 2023
Publication
The present day energy supply scenario is unsustainable and the transition towards a more environmentally friendly energy supply system of the future is inevitable. Hydrogen is a potential fuel that is capable of assisting with this transition. Certain technological advancements and design challenges associated with hydrogen generation and fuel cell technologies are discussed in this review. The commercialization of hydrogen-based technologies is closely associated with the development of the fuel cell industry. The evolution of fuel cell electric vehicles and fuel cell-based stationary power generation products in the market are discussed. Furthermore the opportunities and threats associated with the market diffusion of these products certain policy implications and roadmaps of major economies associated with this hydrogen transition are discussed in this review.
Industrial Boilers: Study to Develop Cost and Stock Assumptions for Options to Enable or Require Hydrogen-ready Industrial Boilers
Dec 2022
Publication
This study aims to help the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) determine whether the government should intervene to enable or require hydrogen-ready industrial boiler equipment. It will do this based on information from existing literature along with qualitative and quantitative information from stakeholder engagement. The study draws on evidence gathered through BEIS’ Call for Evidence (CfE) on hydrogen-ready industrial boilers. The assessment will advance the overall understanding of hydrogen-ready industrial boilers based on four outputs: definitions of hydrogen-readiness comparisons of the cost and resource requirement to install and convert hydrogen-ready industrial boiler equipment supply chain capacity for conversion to hydrogen and estimates of the UK industrial boiler population.
Hydrogen Embrittlement Characteristics in Cold-drawn High-strength Stainless Steel Wires
Mar 2023
Publication
Hydrogen uptake and embrittlement characteristics of a cold-drawn austenitic stainless steel wire were investigated. Slow strain rate testing and fracture surface analysis were applied to determine the hydrogen embrittlement resistance providing an apparent decrease in resistance to hydrogen embrittlement for a 50% degree of cold deformation. The hydrogen content was assessed by thermal desorption and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy establishing a correlation between the total absorbed hydrogen and the intensity of near-surface hydrogen. The sub-surface hydrogen content of the hot-rolled specimen was determined to be 791 wt.ppm.
Spatially-resolved Analysis of the Challenges and Opportunities of Power-to-Gas (PtG) in Baden-Württemberg until 2040
Mar 2017
Publication
The increasing penetration of renewable energies will make new storage technologies indispensable in the future. Power-to-Gas (PtG) is one long-term storage technology that exploits the existing gas infrastructure. However this technology faces technical economic environmental challenges and questions. This contribution presents the final results of a large research project which attempted to address and provide answers to some of these questions for Baden-Württemberg (south west Germany). Three energy scenarios out to 2040 were defined one oriented towards the Integrated Energy and Climate Protection Concept of the Federal State Government and two alternatives. Timely-resolved load profiles for gas and electricity for 2015 2020 2030 and 2040 have been generated at the level of individual municipalities. The profiles include residential and industrial electrical load gas required for heating (conventional and current-controlled CHP) as well as gas and electricity demand for mobility. The installation of rooftop PV-plants and wind power plants is projected based on bottom up cost-potential analyses which account for some social acceptance barriers. Residential load profiles are derived for each municipality. In times with negative residual load the PtG technology could be used to convert electricity into hydrogen or methane. The detailed analysis of four structurally-different model regions delivered quite different results. While in large cities no negative residual load is likely due to the continuously high demand and strong networks rural areas with high potentials for renewables could encounter several thousand hours of negative residual load. A cost-effective operation of PtG would only be possible under favorable conditions including high full load hours a strong reduction in costs and a technical improvement of efficiency. Whilst these conditions are not expected to appear in the short to mid-term but may occur in the long term in energy systems with very high shares of renewable energy sources
Behavior of Barrier Wall under Hydrogen Storage Tank Explosion with Simulation and TNT Equivalent Weight Method
Mar 2023
Publication
Hydrogen gas storage place has been increasing daily because of its consumption. Hydrogen gas is a dream fuel of the future with many social economic and environmental benefits to its credit. However many hydrogen storage tanks exploded accidentally and significantly lost the economy infrastructure and living beings. In this study a protection wall under a worst-case scenario explosion of a hydrogen gas tank was analyzed with commercial software LS-DYNA. TNT equivalent method was used to calculate the weight of TNT for Hydrogen. Reinforced concrete and composite protection wall under TNT explosion was analyzed with a different distance of TNT. The initial dimension of the reinforced concrete protection wall was taken from the Korea gas safety code book (KGS FP217) and studied the various condition. H-beam was used to make the composite protection wall. Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) simulation from LS-DYNA and ConWep pressure had a good agreement. Used of the composite structure had a minimum displacement than a normal reinforced concrete protection wall. During the worst-case scenario explosion of a hydrogen gas 300 kg storage tank the minimum distance between the hydrogen gas tank storage and protection wall should be 3.6 m.
Techno-economic Assessment of Blue and Green Ammonia as Energy Carriers in a Low-carbon Future
Feb 2022
Publication
Ammonia is an industrial chemical and the basic building block for the fertilizer industry. Lately attention has shifted towards using ammonia as a carbon-free energy vector due to the ease of transportation and storage in liquid state at − 33 ◦C and atmospheric pressure. This study evaluates the prospects of blue and green ammonia as future energy carriers; specifically the gas switching reforming (GSR) concept for H2 and N2 co-production from natural gas with inherent CO2 capture (blue) and H2 generation through an optimized value chain of wind and solar power electrolysers cryogenic N2 supply and various options for energy storage (green). These longer term concepts are benchmarked against conventional technologies integrating CO2 capture: the Kellogg Braun & Root (KBR) Purifier process and the Linde Ammonia Concept (LAC). All modelled plants utilize the same ammonia synthesis loop for a consistent comparison. A cash flow analysis showed that the GSR concept achieved an attractive levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA) of 332.1 €/ton relative to 385.1–385.9 €/ton for the conventional plants at European energy prices (6.5 €/GJ natural gas and 60 €/MWh electricity). Optimal technology integration for green ammonia using technology costs representative of 2050 was considerably more expensive: 484.7–772.1 €/ton when varying the location from Saudi Arabia to Germany. Furthermore the LCOA of the GSR technology drops to 192.7 €/ton when benefitting from low Saudi Arabian energy costs (2 €/GJ natural gas and 40 €/MWh electricity). This cost difference between green and blue ammonia remained robust in sensitivity analyses where input energy cost (natural gas or wind/solar power) was the most influential parameter. Given its low production costs and the techno-economic feasibility of international ammonia trade advanced blue ammonia production from GSR offers an attractive pathway for natural gas exporting regions to contribute to global decarbonization.
Underground Hydrogen Storage: Application of Geochemical Modelling in a Case Study in the Molasse Basin, Upper Austria
Feb 2019
Publication
Hydrogen storage in depleted gas fields is a promising option for the large-scale storage of excess renewable energy. In the framework of the hydrogen storage assessment for the “Underground Sun Storage” project we conduct a multi-step geochemical modelling approach to study fluid–rock interactions by means of equilibrium and kinetic batch simulations. With the equilibrium approach we estimate the long-term consequences of hydrogen storage whereas kinetic models are used to investigate the interactions between hydrogen and the formation on the time scales of typical storage cycles. The kinetic approach suggests that reactions of hydrogen with minerals become only relevant over timescales much longer than the considered storage cycles. The final kinetic model considers both mineral reactions and hydrogen dissolution to be kinetically controlled. Interactions among hydrogen and aqueous-phase components seem to be dominant within the storage-relevant time span. Additionally sensitivity analyses of hydrogen dissolution kinetics which we consider to be the controlling parameter of the overall reaction system were performed. Reliable data on the kinetic rates of mineral dissolution and precipitation reactions specifically in the presence of hydrogen are scarce and often not representative of the studied conditions. These uncertainties in the kinetic rates for minerals such as pyrite and pyrrhotite were investigated and are discussed in the present work. The proposed geochemical workflow provides valuable insight into controlling mechanisms and risk evaluation of hydrogen storage projects and may serve as a guideline for future investigations.
Numerical Simulation of Leaking Hydrogen Dispersion Behavior
Sep 2021
Publication
As one kind of clean zero carbon and sustainable energy hydrogen energy has been regarded as the most potential secondary energy. Recently hydrogen refueling station gradually becomes one of important distribution infrastructures that provides hydrogen sources for transport vehicles and other distribution devices. However the highly combustible nature of hydrogen may bring great hazards to environment and human. The safety design of hydrogen usage has been brought to public too. This paper is mainly focused on the hydrogen leakage and dispersion process. A new solver for gaseous buoyancy dispersion process is developed based on OpenFOAM [1]. Thermodynamic and transport properties of gases are updated by library Mutation ++ [2]. For validation two tests of hydrogen dispersion in partially opened space and closed space are presented. Numerical simulation of hydrogen dispersion behavior in hydrogen refueling station is carried out in this paper as well. From the results three phases of injection dispersion and buoyancy can be seen clearly. The profile of hydrogen concentration is tend to be Gaussian in dispersion region. Subsonic H2 jet in stagnant environment is calculated for refueling station the relationship between H2 concentration decay and velocity along the jet trajectory is obtained.
Towards Net-zero Compatible Hydrogen from Steam Reformation - Techno-economic Analysis of Process Design Options
Dec 2022
Publication
Increased consumption of low-carbon hydrogen is prominent in the decarbonisation strategies of many jurisdictions. Yet prior studies assessing the current most prevalent production method steam reformation of natural gas (SRNG) have not sufficiently evaluated how process design decisions affect life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This techno-economic case study assesses cradle-to-gate emissions of hydrogen produced from SRNG with CO2 capture and storage (CCS) in British Columbia Canada. Four process configurations with amine-based CCS using existing technology and novel process designs are evaluated. We find that cradle-to-gate GHG emission intensity ranges from 0.7 to 2.7 kgCO2e/kgH2 – significantly lower than previous studies of SRNG with CCS and similar to the range of published estimates for hydrogen produced from renewable-powered electrolysis. The levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) in this study (US$1.1–1.3/kgH2) is significantly lower than published estimates for renewable-powered electrolysis.
Optimal Design and Operation of Dual-Ejector PEMFC Hydrogen Supply and Circulation System
Jul 2022
Publication
A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system requires an adequate hydrogen supply and circulation to achieve its expected performance and operating life. An ejector-based hydrogen circulation system can reduce the operating and maintenance costs noise and parasitic power consumption by eliminating the recirculation pump. However the ejector’s hydrogen entrainment capability restricted by its geometric parameters and flow control variability can only operate properly within a relatively narrow range of fuel cell output power. This research introduced the optimal design and operation control methods of a dual-ejector hydrogen supply/circulation system to support the full range of PEMFC system operations. The technique was demonstrated on a 70 kW PEMFC stack with an effective hydrogen entrainment ratio covering 8% to 100% of its output power. The optimal geometry design ensured each ejector covered a specific output power range with maximized entrainment capability. Furthermore the optimal control of hydrogen flow and the two ejectors’ opening and closing times minimized the anode gas pressure fluctuation and reduced the potential harm to the PEMFC’s operation life. The optimizations were based on dedicated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and system dynamics models and simulations. Bench tests of the resulting ejector-based hydrogen supply/circulation system verified the simulation and optimization results.
Opportunities for Flexible Electricity Loads such as Hydrogen Production from Curtailed Generation
Jun 2021
Publication
Variable low-cost low-carbon electricity that would otherwise be curtailed may provide a substantial economic opportunity for entities that can flexibly adapt their electricity consumption. We used historical hourly weather data over the contiguous U.S. to model the characteristics of least-cost electricity systems dominated by variable renewable generation that powered firm and flexible electricity demands (loads). Scenarios evaluated included variable wind and solar power battery storage and dispatchable natural gas with carbon capture and storage with electrolytic hydrogen representing a prototypical flexible load. When flexible loads were small excess generation capacity was available during most hours allowing flexible loads to operate at high capacity factors. Expanding the flexible loads allowed the least-cost systems to more fully utilize the generation capacity built to supply firm loads and thus reduced the average cost of delivered electricity. The macro-scale energy model indicated that variable renewable electricity systems optimized to supply firm loads at current costs could supply 25% or more additional flexible load with minimal capacity expansion while resulting in reduced average electricity costs (10% or less capacity expansion and 10% to 20% reduction in costs in our modeled scenarios). These results indicate that adding flexible loads to electricity systems will likely allow more full utilization of generation assets across a wide range of system architectures thus providing new energy services with infrastructure that is already needed to supply firm electricity loads.
Sustainability Assessment and Engineering of Emerging Aircraft Technologies—Challenges, Methods and Tools
Jul 2020
Publication
Driven by concerns regarding the sustainability of aviation and the continued growth of air traffic increasing interest is given to emerging aircraft technologies. Although new technologies such as battery-electric propulsion systems have the potential to minimise in-flight emissions and noise environmental burdens are possibly shifted to other stages of the aircraft’s life cycle and new socio-economic challenges may arise. Therefore a life-cycle-oriented sustainability assessment is required to identify these hotspots and problem shifts and to derive recommendations for action for aircraft development at an early stage. This paper proposes a framework for the modelling and assessment of future aircraft technologies and provides an overview of the challenges and available methods and tools in this field. A structured search and screening process is used to determine which aspects of the proposed framework are already addressed in the scientific literature and in which areas research is still needed. For this purpose a total of 66 related articles are identified and systematically analysed. Firstly an overview of statistics of papers dealing with life-cycle-oriented analysis of conventional and emerging aircraft propulsion systems is given classifying them according to the technologies considered the sustainability dimensions and indicators investigated and the assessment methods applied. Secondly a detailed analysis of the articles is conducted to derive answers to the defined research questions. It illustrates that the assessment of environmental aspects of alternative fuels is a dominating research theme while novel approaches that integrate socio-economic aspects and broaden the scope to battery-powered fuel-cell-based or hybrid-electric aircraft are emerging. It also provides insights by what extent future aviation technologies can contribute to more sustainable and energy-efficient aviation. The findings underline the need to harmonise existing methods into an integrated modelling and assessment approach that considers the specifics of upcoming technological developments in aviation.
Towards a Low-Carbon Society via Hydrogen and Carbon Capture and Storage: Social Acceptance from a Stakeholder Perspective
Apr 2020
Publication
Transformation concepts towards a low-carbon society often require new technology and infrastructure that evoke protests in the population. Therefore it is crucial to understand positions and conflicts in society to achieve social acceptance. This paper analyses these positions using the example of implementing hydrogen and carbon capture and storage infrastructure to decarbonise the German energy system. The empirical basis of the study are explorative stakeholder interviews which were conducted with experts from politics economics civil society and science and analysed within a discursive and attitudinal framework using qualitative content analysis. These stakeholder positions are assumed to represent dominant social perceptions and reflect chances and risks for acceptance. The results indicate different positions while pursuing the common goal of addressing climate change. The general conflict concerns strategies towards a low-carbon society especially the speed of phasing-out fossil energies. Regarding the combination of hydrogen and carbon capture and storage as instrument in the context of the energy transition the stakeholder interviews indicate controversial as well as consensual perceptions. The assessments range from rejection to deeming it absolutely necessary. Controversial argumentations refer to security of supply competitiveness and environmental protection. In contrast consensus can be reached by balancing ecological and economic arguments e.g. by linking hydrogen technologies with renewable and fossil energy sources or by limiting the use of carbon capture and storage only to certain applications (industry bioenergy). In further decisions this balancing of arguments combined with openness of technology transparency of information and citizen participation need to be considered to achieve broad acceptance.
Influences on Hydrogen Production at a Wind Farm
Dec 2022
Publication
If an affordable infrastructure for low-carbon-intensity hydrogen can be developed then hydrogen is expected to become a key factor in decarbonizing the atmosphere. This research focuses on factors an existing wind farm operator would consider when weighing participating in the electricity market the hydrogen market or both. The solutions depend on the state of technology which is changing rapidly the local market structures the local natural resources and the local pre-existing infrastructure. Consequently this investigation used an assessment approach that examined the variation of net present value. The investigation identified profitability conditions under three different scenarios: 1) Make and sell what makes economic sense at the time of production 2) Use electrolyzer and fuel cell to consume power from the grid at times of low net demand and to produce electricity at times of high net demand 3) Same as #2 but also market hydrogen directly when profitable.
Fuzzy Logic-based Energy Management System for Grid-connected Residential DC Microgrids with Multi-stack Fuel Cell Systems: A Multi-objective Approach
Aug 2022
Publication
Hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) are considered for use in renewable residential DC microgrids. This architecture is shown as a technically feasible solution to deal with the stochasticity of renewable energy sources however the complexity of its design and management increases inexorably. To address this problem this paper proposes a fuzzy logic-based energy management system (EMS) for use in grid-connected residential DC microgrids with HESS. It is a hydrogen-based HESS composed of batteries and multi-stack fuel cell system. The proposed EMS is based on a multivariable and multistage fuzzy logic controller specially designed to cope with a multi-objective problem whose solution increases the microgrid performance in terms of efficiency operating costs and lifespan of the HESS. The proposed EMS considers the power balance in the microgrid and its prediction the performance and degradation of its subsystems as well as the main electricity grid costs. This article assesses the performance of the developed EMS with respect to three reference EMSs present in the literature: the widely used dual-band hysteresis and two based on multi-objective model predictive control. Simulation results show an increase in the performance of the microgrid from a technical and economic point of view.
Techno-economic Study of Power-to-Power Renewable Energy Storage Based on the Smart Integration of Battery, Hydrogen, and Micro Gas Turbine Technologies
Mar 2023
Publication
This paper deals with the integration of a Power-to-Power Energy Storage System (P2P-ESS) based on a hydrogen driven micro gas turbine (mGT) for an off-grid application with a continuous demand of 30 kWe for three European cities: Palermo Frankfurt and Newcastle. In the first part of the analysis the results show that the latitude of the location is a very strong driver in determining the size of the system (hence footprint) and the amount of seasonal storage. The rated capacity of the PV plant and electrolyzer are 37%/41% and 58%/64% higher in Frankfurt and Newcastle respectively as compared to the original design for Palermo. And not only this but seasonal storage also increases largely from 3125 kg H2 to 5023 and 5920 kg H2 . As a consequence of this LCOE takes values of 0.86 e/kWh 1.26 e/kWh and 1.5 e/kWh for the three cities respectively whilst round-trip efficiency is approximately 15.7% for the three designs at the 3 cities. Finally with the aim to reduce the footprint and rating of the different systems a final assessment of the system hybridised with battery storage shows a 20% LCOE reduction and a 10% higher round-trip efficiency.
Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution from Biomass Conversion
Feb 2021
Publication
Biomass has incredible potential as an alternative to fossil fuels for energy production that is sustainable for the future of humanity. Hydrogen evolution from photocatalytic biomass conversion not only produces valuable carbon-free energy in the form of molecular hydrogen but also provides an avenue of production for industrially relevant biomass products. This photocatalytic conversion can be realized with efficient sustainable reaction materials (biomass) and inexhaustible sunlight as the only energy inputs. Reported herein is a general strategy and mechanism for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from biomass and biomass-derived substrates (including ethanol glycerol formic acid glucose and polysaccharides). Recent advancements in the synthesis and fundamental physical/mechanistic studies of novel photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from biomass conversion are summarized. Also summarized are recent advancements in hydrogen evolution efciency regarding biomass and biomass-derived substrates. Special emphasis is given to methods that utilize unprocessed biomass as a substrate or synthetic photocatalyst material as the development of such will incur greater benefts towards a sustainable route for the evolution of hydrogen and production of chemical feedstocks.
How to Reduce the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Air Pollution Caused by Light and Heavy Duty Vehicles with Battery-electric, Fuel Cell-electric and Catenary Trucks
Mar 2021
Publication
The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is one of the greatest global challenges through 2050. Besides greenhouse gas emissions air pollution such as nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions has gained increasing attention in agglomerated areas with transport vehicles being one of the main sources thereof. Alternative fuels that fulfill the greenhouse gas reduction goals also offer the possibility of solving the challenge of rising urban pollution. This work focuses on the electric drive option for heavy and light duty vehicle freight transport. In this study fuel cell-electric vehicles battery-electric vehicles and overhead catenary line trucks were investigated taking a closer look at their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution and also considering the investment and operating costs of the required infrastructure. This work was conducted using a bottom-up transport model for the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Two scenarios for reducing these emissions were analyzed at a spatial level. In the first of these selected federal highways with the highest traffic volume were equipped with overhead catenary lines for the operation of diesel-hybrid overhead trucks on them. For the second spatial scenario the representative urban area of the city of Cologne was investigated in terms of air pollution shifting articulated trucks to diesel-hybrid overhead trucks and rigid trucks trailer trucks and light duty vehicles to battery-electric or fuel cell-electric drives. For the economic analysis the building up of a hydrogen infrastructure in the cases of articulated trucks and all heavy duty vehicles were also taken into account. The results showed that diesel-hybrid overhead trucks are only a cost-efficient solution for highways with high traffic volume whereas battery overhead trucks have a high uncertainty in terms of costs and technical feasibility. In general the broad range of costs for battery overhead trucks makes them competitive with fuel cell-electric trucks. Articulated trucks have the highest potential to be operated as overhead trucks. However the results indicated that air pollution is only partially reduced by switching conventional articulated trucks to electric drive models. The overall results show that a comprehensive approach such as fuel cell-electric drives for all trucks would most likely be more beneficial.
Techno-economic Evaluation of Medium Scale Power to Hydrogen to Combined Heat and Power Generation Systems
Jun 2022
Publication
The European Hydrogen Strategy and the new « Fit for 55 » package indicate the urgent need for the alignment of policy with the European Green Deal and European Union (EU) climate law for the decarbonization of the energy system and the use of hydrogen towards 2030 and 2050. The increasing carbon prices in EU Emission Trading System (ETS) as well as the lack of dispatchable thermal power generation as part of the Coal exit are expected to enhance the role of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) in the future energy system. In the present work the use of renewable hydrogen for the decarbonization of CHP plants is investigated for various fossil fuel substitution ratios and the impact of the overall efficiency the reduction of direct emissions and the carbon footprint of heat and power generation are reported. The analysis provides insights on efficient and decarbonized cogeneration linking the power with the heat sector via renewable hydrogen production and use. The levelized cost of hydrogen production as well as the levelized cost of electricity in the power to hydrogen to combined heat and power system are analyzed for various natural gas substitution scenarios as well as current and future projections of EU ETS carbon prices.
A Comprehensive Study on Production of Methanol from Wind Energy
Apr 2022
Publication
Methanol is a promising new alternative fuel that emits significantly less carbon dioxide than gasoline. Traditionally methanol was produced by gasifying natural gas and coal. Syn-Gas is created by converting coal and natural gas. After that the Syn-Gas is converted to methanol. Alternative renewable energy-to-methanol conversion processes have been extensively researched in recent years due to the traditional methanol production process’s high carbon footprint. Using an electrolysis cell wind energy can electrolyze water to produce hydrogen. Carbon dioxide is a gas that can be captured from the atmosphere and industrial processes. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen are combusted in a reactor to produce methanol and water; the products are then separated using a distillation column. Although this route is promising it has significant cost and efficiency issues due to the low efficiency of the electrolysis cells and high manufacturing costs. Additionally carbon dioxide capture is an expensive process. Despite these constraints it is still preferable to store excess wind energy in the form of methanol rather than sending it directly to the grid. This process is significantly more carbon-efficient and resource-efficient than conventional processes. Researchers have proposed and/or simulated a variety of wind power methods for methanol processes. This paper discusses these processes. The feasibility of wind energy for methanol production and its future potential is also discussed in this paper.
Control of a Three-Phase Current Source Rectifier for H2 Storage Applications in AC Microgrids
Mar 2022
Publication
The share of electrical energy from renewable sources has increased considerably in recent years in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To mitigate the uncertainties of these sources and to balance energy production with consumption an energy storage system (ESS) based on water electrolysis to produce hydrogen is studied. It can be applied to AC microgrids where several renewable energy sources and several loads may be connected which is the focus of the study. When excess electricity production is converted into hydrogen via water electrolysis low DC voltages and high currents are applied which needs specific power converters. The use of a three-phase buck-type current source converter in a single conversion stage allows for an adjustable DC voltage to be obtained at the terminals of the electrolyzer from a three-phase AC microgrid. The voltage control is preferred to the current control in order to improve the durability of the system. The classical control of the buck-type rectifier is generally done using two loops that correspond only to the control of its output variables. The lack of control of the input variables may generate oscillations of the grid current. Our contribution in this article is to propose a new control for the buck-type rectifier that controls both the input and output variables of the converter to avoid these grid current oscillations without the use of active damping methods. The suggested control method is based on an approach using the flatness properties of differential systems: it ensures the large-signal stability of the converter. The proposed control shows better results than the classical control especially in oscillation mitigation and dynamic performances with respect to the rejection of disturbances caused by a load step.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Hydrogen Utilization as Alternative Fuel in Cement Production
Jul 2022
Publication
Growing attention to the environmental aspect has urged the effort to reduce CO2 emission as one of the greenhouse gases. The cement industry is one of the biggest CO2 emitters in this world. Alternative fuel is one of the challenging issues in cement production due to the limited fossil fuel resources and environmental concerns. Meanwhile hydrogen (H2) has been reported as a promising non-carbon fuel with ammonia (NH3) as the main candidate for chemical storage methods. In this work an integrated system of cement production with an alternative H2-based fuel is proposed consisting of the dehydrogenation process of NH3 and the H2 combustion to provide the required thermal energy for clinker production. Different catalysts are employed and evaluated to analyze the specific energy input (SEI). The result shows that the conversion rate strongly determines the SEI with minimum SEI (3829.8 MJ t-clinker-1 ) achieved by Ni-Pt-based catalyst at a reaction temperature of 600 ºC. Compared to the conventional fuel of coal the H2-based integrated cement production system shows a significant decrease of 44% in CO2 emission due to carbon-free combustion using H2 as the fuel. The current study on the proposed integrated system of H2-based cement production also provides an initial thermodynamic analysis and basic observation for the adoption of non-carbon-based H2 including the storage system of NH3 in the cement production process.
Carbon Footprint and Energy Transformation Analysis of Steel Produced via a Direct Reduction Plant with an Integrated Electric Melting Unit
Aug 2022
Publication
The production of fat steel products is commonly linked to highly integrated sites which include hot metal generation via the blast furnace basic oxygen furnace (BOF) continuous casting and subsequent hot-rolling. In order to reach carbon neutrality a shift away from traditional carbon-based metallurgy is required within the next decades. Direct reduction (DR) plants are capable to support this transition and allow even a stepwise reduction in CO2 emissions. Nevertheless the implementation of these DR plants into integrated metallurgical plants includes various challenges. Besides metallurgy product quality and logistics special attention is given on future energy demand. On the basis of carbon footprint methodology (ISO 14067:2019) diferent scenarios of a stepwise transition are evaluated and values of possible CO2equivalent (CO2eq) reduction are coupled with the demand of hydrogen electricity natural gas and coal. While the traditional blast furnace—BOF route delivers a surplus of electricity in the range of 0.7 MJ/kg hot-rolled coil; this surplus turns into a defcit of about 17 MJ/ kg hot-rolled coil for a hydrogen-based direct reduction with an integrated electric melting unit. On the other hand while the product carbon footprint of the blast furnace-related production route is 2.1 kg CO2eq/kg hot-rolled coil; this footprint can be reduced to 0.76 kg CO2eq/kg hot-rolled coil for the hydrogen-related route provided that the electricity input is from renewable energies. Thereby the direct impact of the processes of the integrated site can even be reduced to 0.15 kg CO2eq/ kg hot-rolled coil. Yet if the electricity input has a carbon footprint of the current German or European electricity grid mix the respective carbon footprint of hot-rolled coil even increases up to 3.0 kg CO2eq/kg hot-rolled coil. This underlines the importance of the availability of renewable energies.
Optimizing an Integrated Hybrid Energy System with Hydrogen-based Storage to Develop an Off-grid Green Community for Sustainable Development in Bangladesh
Dec 2024
Publication
An integrated renewable system that utilizes solid waste-based biogas is important steps towards the sustainable energy solutions to rural off-grid communities in Bangladesh. In this study a hybrid energy system consisting of photovoltaic modules wind turbines biogas generators fuel cells and electrolyzer-hydrogen tank-based energy storage is optimized using non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). The hybrid system is optimized based on the cost of energy and human health damage as objective functions and a fuzzy decision-making technique is employed to determine the optimal solution to the multi-objective approach. Additionally several economic ecological and social indicators are also investigated while meeting a certain load reliability. An energy management strategy has been developed in the MATALB environment to satisfy the community load and the battery-driven electric vehicle load. Results from this comprehensive analysis suggest that the optimal configuration of PV/WT/FC/BG has an energy cost of 0.1634 $/kWh and an ecosystem damage of 0.00098 species.year. The human health damage and the human development index of the optimized system are 0.1732 DALYs and 0.696 DALYs respectively. Additionally the proposed system has a lifecycle emission of 123730 kg CO2-eq/year carbon emission penalties of $1856/year a job creation potential of 30 jobs/MW over the 25 years of project lifetime. The hybrid system oversees solid waste management solutions and provides the community with sustainable energy and vehicle recharge.
Coordinated Volt-Var Control of Reconfigurable Microgrids with Power-to-Hydrogen Systems
Dec 2024
Publication
The integration of electrolyzers and fuel cells can cause voltage fluctuations within microgrids if not properly scheduled. Therefore controlling voltage and reactive power becomes crucial to mitigate the impact of fluctuating voltage levels ensuring system stability and preventing damage to equipment. This paper therefore seeks to enhance voltage and reactive power control within reconfigurable microgrids in the presence of innovative power-to-hydrogen technologies via electrolyzers and hydrogen-to-power through fuel cells. Specifically it focuses on the simultaneous coordination of an electrolyzer hydrogen storage and a fuel cell alongside on-load tap changers smart photovoltaic inverters renewable energy sources diesel generators and electric vehicle aggregation within the microgrid system. Additionally dynamic network reconfiguration is employed to enhance microgrid flexibility and improve the overall system adaptability. Given the inherent unpredictability linked to resources the unscented transformation method is employed to account for these uncertainties in the proposed voltage and reactive power management. Finally the model is formulated as a convex optimization problem and is solved through GUROBI version 11 which leads to having a time-efficient model with high accuracy. To assess the effectiveness of the model it is eventually examined on a modified 33-bus microgrid in several cases. Through the results of the under-study microgrid the developed model is a great remedy for the simultaneous operation of diverse resources in reconfigurable microgrids with a flatter voltage profile across the microgrid.
Extended Design Philosophy of Hydrogen Transport Pipelines
Oct 2024
Publication
This paper examines some specific design issues associated with hydrogen transportation via pipelines based on recent field development study of high-throughput hydrogen pipelines. A mechanical design review is undertaken and the current design practices and challenge are examined first. An array of key parameters considered to have significant bearing on the hydrogen pipeline general mechanical design are considered and assessed including OOR imperfections combined stress and design factors thermal gradients joint mismatch and fabrication fatigue assessment installation specifications and material consideration. Some of these are typically ignored for the conventional pipeline design but open to rationalization for hydrogen charged pipeline systems subject to material embrittlement risk arising from hydrogen absorption. Complementary to the current design standards and as a spur to discussion on the hydrogen pipeline design analysis special considerations and recommendations are proposed on materials specification additional design criteria and construction assessments and their rationale to mitigate material embrittlement with a view to improving hydrogen pipeline design reliability and integrity management potentially leading to some tangible cost saving.
Mapping Local Green Hydrogen Cost-potentials by a Multidisciplinary Approach
Sep 2024
Publication
S. Ishmam,
Heidi Heinrichs,
C. Winkler,
B. Bayat,
Amin Lahnaoui,
Solomon Nwabueze Agbo,
E.U. Pena Sanchez,
David Franzmann,
N. Oijeabou,
C. Koerner,
Y. Michael,
B. Oloruntoba,
C. Montzka,
H. Vereecken,
H. Hendricks Franssen,
J. Brendt,
S. Brauner,
S. Venghaus,
Daouda Kone,
Bruno Korgo,
Kehinde Olufunso Ogunjobi,
V. Chiteculo,
Jane Olwoch,
Z. Getenga,
Jochen Linßen,
Detlef Stolten and
Wilhelm Kuckshinrichs
For fast-tracking climate change response green hydrogen is key for achieving greenhouse gas neutral energy systems. Especially Sub-Saharan Africa can benefit from it enabling an increased access to clean energy through utilizing its beneficial conditions for renewable energies. However developing green hydrogen strategies for Sub-Saharan Africa requires highly detailed and consistent information ranging from technical environmental economic and social dimensions which is currently lacking in literature. Therefore this paper provides a comprehensive novel approach embedding the required range of disciplines to analyze green hydrogen costpotentials in Sub-Saharan Africa. This approach stretches from a dedicated land eligibility based on local preferences a location specific renewable energy simulation locally derived sustainable groundwater limitations under climate change an optimization of local hydrogen energy systems and a socio-economic indicator-based impact analysis. The capability of the approach is shown for case study regions in Sub-Saharan Africa highlighting the need for a unified interdisciplinary approach.
Determining the Spanish Public’s Intention to Adopt Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles
Aug 2025
Publication
Understanding what people think about hydrogen energy and how this influences their acceptance of the associated technology is a critical area of research. The public’s willingness to adopt practical applications of hydrogen energy such as hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (HFCVs) is a key factor in their deployment. To analyse the direct and indirect effects of key attitudinal variables that could influence the intention to use HFCVs in Spain an online questionnaire was administered to a representative sample of the Spanish population (N = 1000). A path analysis Structural Equation Model (SEM) was applied to determine the effect of different attitudinal variables. A high intention to adopt HFCVs in Spain was found (3.8 out of 5) assuming their wider availability in the future. The path analysis results indicated that general acceptance of hydrogen technology and perception of its benefits had the greatest effect on the public’s intention to adopt HFCVs. Regarding indirect effects the role of trust in hydrogen technology was notable having significant mediating effects not only through general acceptance of hydrogen energy and local acceptance of hydrogen refuelling stations (HRS) but also through positive and negative emotions and benefits perception. The findings will assist in focusing the future hydrogen communication strategies of both the government and the private (business) sector.
Technical Failures in Green Hydrogen Production and Reliability Engineering Responses: Insights from Database Analysis and a Literature Review
Nov 2024
Publication
Green hydrogen represents a promising solution for renewable energy application and carbon footprint reduc tion. However its production through renewable energy powered water electrolysis is hindered by significant cost arising from repair maintenance and economic losses due to unexpected downtimes. Although reliability engineering is highly effective in addressing such issues there is limited research on its application in the hydrogen field. To present the state-of-the-art research this study aims to explore the potential of reducing these events through reliability engineering a widely adopted approach in various industries. For this purpose it examines past accidents occurred in water electrolysis plants from the hydrogen incident and accident database (HIAD 2.1). Besides a literature review is performed to analyze the state-of-the-art application of reliability engineering techniques such as failure analysis reliability assessment and reliability-centered maintenance in the hydrogen sector and similar industries. The study highlights the contributions and potentials of reliability engineering for efficient and stable green hydrogen production while also discussing the gaps in applying this approach. The unique challenges posed by hydrogen’s physical properties and innovative technologies in water electrolysis plants necessitate advancement and specialized approaches for reliability engineering.
Two-stage Operation Optimization Strategy of Park Integrated Energy System Cluster Coupled with Hydrogen Energy Storage
Jan 2025
Publication
In response to the issues of insufficient flexibility in the operation of hydrogen storage and hydrogen production equipment with poor economic viability when operated independently in the park firstly a comprehensive energy system model for hydrogen storage and power generation which considering the multi-operational conditions of alkaline electrolyzers (ELE) is constructed. This model is integrated into the comprehensive en ergy system of the park as a multi-energy supply device. Multiple park comprehensive energy systems are then interconnected to form a park comprehensive energy system cluster through the sharing of electric energy. Subsequently an operational optimization strategy is proposed to address the issues of electric energy sharing and profit settlement in the park cluster system. This strategy consists of two stages. In the first stage the alternating direction method of multipliers with dynamic step size (DSS-ADMM) is employed to solve the electric energy transaction volume among parks. In the second stage based on the operating costs of the park cluster system under different degrees of electric energy sharing the Shapley value method from cooperative game theory is used to settle park profits. Finally the results indicate that the operational mode of hydrogen storage which considering the multi-operational conditions of alkaline ELE effectively enhances the flexibility in pre paring hydrogen during electrolysis meeting various energy supply needs within the park. The sharing of electric energy among parks promotes the reduction of park operating costs resulting in a 6.05 % decrease in the total cost of the park cluster system. Meanwhile the Shapley value method effectively settles park profits with in dividual parks receiving profits of 1652.9583 ¥ 404.2334 ¥ and 734.7739 ¥ respectively
Decarbonization of Natural Gas Systems in the EU - Costs, Barriers, and Constraints of Hydrogen Production with a Case Study in Portugal
Jul 2022
Publication
The European Union (EU) imports a large amount of natural gas and the injection of renewable hydrogen (H2) into the natural gas systems could help decarbonize the sector. The new geopolitical and energy market situation demands urgent actions in the clean energy transition and energy independence from fossil fuels. This paper aims to investigate techno-economic analysis barriers and constraints in the EU policies/frameworks that affect natural gas decarbonization. First the study examines the levelized cost of hydrogen production (LCOH). The LCOH is evaluated for blue and grey hydrogen i.e. Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) natural gas as the feed stock with and without carbon capture and green hydrogen (three type electrolyzers with electricity from the grid solar and wind) for the years 2020 2030 and 2050. Second the study evaluates the current policies and framework based on a SWOT (Strength Weakness Opportunities and Weakness) analysis which includes a PEST (Political Economic Social and Technological) macro-economic factor assessment with a case study in Portugal. The results show that the cheapest production costs continue to be dominated by grey hydrogen (1.33 €/kg.H2) and blue hydrogen (1.68 €/kg.H2) in comparison to green hydrogen (4.65 €/kg.H2 and 3.54 €/kg.H2) from grid electricity and solar power in the PEM - Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for the year 2020 respectively. The costs are expected to decrease to 4.03 €/kg.H2 (grid-electricity) and 2.49 €/kg.H2 (solar – electricity) in 2030. The LCOH of the green grid-electricity and solar/wind-powered Alkaline Electrolyzer (ALK) and Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) are also expected to decrease in the time-span from 2020 to 2050. A sensitivity analysis shows that investments costs electricity price the efficiency of electrolyzers and carbon tax (for SMR) could play a key role in reducing LCOH thereby making the economic competitiveness of hydrogen production. The key barriers are costs amendments in rules/regulations institutions and market creation public perception provisions of incentives and constraints in creating market demand.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Low-density Gas Dispersion Characteristics in Semi-confined Environments
Oct 2023
Publication
Hydrogen as a clean fuel offers a practical pathway to achieve net-zero targets. However due to its physical and chemical characteristics there are some safety concerns for large-scale hydrogen utilisation particularly in process safety management. Leakage of gaseous hydrogen especially in semi-confined spaces such as tunnels can lead to catastrophic outcomes including uncontrolled fire and explosion. The current paper describes the outcome of an experimental and numerical study that aims to understand the dispersion of leaked light gas in a semi-confined space to support the adoption of hydrogen. A dispersion chamber with dimensions of 4m × 0.3m × 0.3m was constructed to investigate a baseline gas leakage scenario. To reduce the risk of the experiment in the laboratory helium is utilised as a surrogate for hydrogen. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are con ducted using FLACS-CFD to model the dispersion of leaked gas in different scenarios focusing on the impact of the ventilation velocity leakage rate and slope. The results from comprehensive numerical simulations show that ventilation is a critical safety management measure that can significantly reduce the growth of flammable clouds and mitigate the fire and explosion risk. Even with the lowest ventilation velocity of 0.25 m/s an improvement in the gas concentration level of 29.34% can be achieved in the downstream chamber. The current results will help to further enhance the understanding of hydrogen safety aspects.
A Critical Analysis of Morocco’s Green Hydrogen Roadmap: A Modelling Approach to Assess Country Readiness from the Energy Trilemma Perspective
Apr 2024
Publication
Morocco despite its heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels which made up 68% of electricity generation in 2020 has recognised its significant renewable energy potential. The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitment is to reduce emissions by 45.5% from baseline levels with international assistance and abstain from constructing new coal plants. Moreover the Green Hydrogen Roadmap aims to export 10 TWh of green hydrogen by 2030 as well as use it for local electricity storage. This paper critically analyses this Roadmap and Morocco’s readiness to reach its ambitious targets focusing specifically on an energy trilemma perspective and using OSeMOSYS (Open-Source energy Modelling System) for energy modelling. The results reveal that the NDC scenario is only marginally more expensive than the least-cost scenario at around 1.3% (approximately USD 375 million) and facilitates a 23.32% emission reduction by 2050. An important note is the continued reliance on existing coal power plants across all scenarios which challenges both energy security and emissions. The assessment of the Green Hydrogen Scenarios highlights that it could be too costly for the Moroccan government to fund the Green Hydrogen Roadmap at this scale which leads to increased imports of polluting fossil fuels for cost reduction. In fact the emission levels are 39% higher in the green hydrogen exports scenario than in the least-cost scenario. Given these findings it is recommended that the Green Hydrogen Roadmap be re-evaluated with a suggestion for a postponement and reduction in scope.
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