Applications & Pathways
Sustainable Aviation—Hydrogen Is the Future
Jan 2022
Publication
As the global search for new methods to combat global warming and climate change continues renewable fuels and hydrogen have emerged as saviours for environmentally polluting industries such as aviation. Sustainable aviation is the goal of the aviation industry today. There is increasing interest in achieving carbon-neutral flight to combat global warming. Hydrogen has proven to be a suitable alternative fuel. It is abundant clean and produces no carbon emissions but only water after use which has the potential to cool the environment. This paper traces the historical growth and future of the aviation and aerospace industry. It examines how hydrogen can be used in the air and on the ground to lower the aviation industry’s impact on the environment. In addition while aircraft are an essential part of the aviation industry other support services add to the overall impact on the environment. Hydrogen can be used to fuel the energy needs of these services. However for hydrogen technology to be accepted and implemented other issues such as government policy education and employability must be addressed. Improvement in the performance and emissions of hydrogen as an alternative energy and fuel has grown in the last decade. However other issues such as the storage and cost and the entire value chain require significant work for hydrogen to be implemented. The international community’s alternative renewable energy and hydrogen roadmaps can provide a long-term blueprint for developing the alternative energy industry. This will inform the private and public sectors so that the industry can adjust its plan accordingly.
Combustion Characteristics of Hydrogen Direct Injection in a Helium–oxygen Compression Ignition Engine
Jul 2022
Publication
The ignition of hydrogen in compression ignition (CI) engines by adding noble gas as a working gas can yield excellent thermal efficiency due to its high specific heat ratio. This paper emphasizes the potential of helium–oxygen atmosphere for hydrogen combustion in CI engines and provides data on the engine configuration. A simulation was conducted using Converge CFD software based on the Yanmar NF19SK engine parameters. Helium–oxygen atmosphere compression show promising hydrogen autoignition results with the in-cylinder temperature was significantly higher than that of air during the compression stroke. In a compression ignition engine with a low compression ratio (CR) and intake temperature helium–oxygen atmosphere is recognized as the best working gas for hydrogen combustion. The ambient intake temperature was sufficient for hydrogen ignition in low CR with minimal heat flux effect. The best intake temperature for optimum engine efficiency in a low CR engine is 340 K and the engine compression ratio for optimum engine efficiency at ambient intake temperature is CR12 with an acceptable cylinder wall heat flux value. The helium–oxygen atmosphere as a working gas for hydrogen combustion in CI engines should be consider based on the parameter provided for clean energy transition with higher thermal efficiency.
Research Progress, Trends, and Current State of Development on PEMFC-New Insights from a Bibliometric Analysis and Characteristics of Two Decades of Research Output
Nov 2022
Publication
The consumption of hydrogen could increase by sixfold in 2050 compared to 2020 levels reaching about 530 Mt. Against this backdrop the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been a major research area in the field of energy engineering. Several reviews have been provided in the existing corpus of literature on PEMFC but questions related to their evolutionary nuances and research hotspots remain largely unanswered. To fill this gap the current review uses bibliometric analysis to analyze PEMFC articles indexed in the Scopus database that were published between 2000–2021. It has been revealed that the research field is growing at an annual average growth rate of 19.35% with publications from 2016 to 2012 alone making up 46% of the total articles available since 2000. As the two most energy-consuming economies in the world the contributions made towards the progress of PEMFC research have largely been from China and the US. From the research trend found in this investigation it is clear that the focus of the researchers in the field has largely been to improve the performance and efficiency of PEMFC and its components which is evident from dominating keywords or phrases such as ‘oxygen reduction reaction’ ‘electrocatalysis’ ‘proton exchange membrane’ ‘gas diffusion layer’ ‘water management’ ‘polybenzimidazole’ ‘durability’ and ‘bipolar plate’. We anticipate that the provision of the research themes that have emerged in the PEMFC field in the last two decades from the scientific mapping technique will guide existing and prospective researchers in the field going forward.
Hydrogen Emissions from the Hydrogen Value Chain-emissions Profile and Impact to Global Warming
Feb 2022
Publication
Future energy systems could rely on hydrogen (H2) to achieve decarbonisation and net-zero goals. In a similar energy landscape to natural gas H2 emissions occur along the supply chain. It has been studied how current gas infrastructure can support H2 but there is little known about how H2 emissions affect global warming as an indirect greenhouse gas. In this work we have estimated for the first time the potential emission profiles (g CO2eq/MJ H2HHV) of H2 supply chains and found that the emission rates of H2 from H2 supply chains and methane from natural gas supply are comparable but the impact on global warming is much lower based on current estimates. This study also demonstrates the critical importance of establishing mobile H2 emission monitoring and reducing the uncertainty of short-lived H2 climate forcing so as to clearly address H2 emissions for net-zero strategies.
Energy Saving in Public Transport Using Renewable Energy
Jan 2017
Publication
Hydrogen produced by renewable sources represents an interesting way to reduce the energetic dependence on fossil fuels in the transportation sector. This paper shows a feasibility study for the production storage and distribution of hydrogen in the western Sicilian context using three different renewable sources: wind biomass and sea wave. The objective of this study is the evaluation of the hydrogen demand needed to replace all diesel supplied buses with electrical buses equipped with fuel cells. An economic analysis is presented with the evaluation of the avoidable greenhouse gas emissions. Four different scenarios correlate the hydrogen demand for urban transport to the renewable energy resources present in the territories and to the modern technologies available for the production of hydrogen. The study focuses on the possibility of tapping into the potential of renewable energies (wind biomass and sea wave) for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis. The use of hydrogen would reduce significantly the emissions of particulate and greenhouse gases in the urban districts under analysis.
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.
Experimental Study on the Effects of Hydrogen Injection Strategy on the Combustion and Emissions of a Hydrogen/Gasoline Dual Fuel SI Engine under Lean Burn Condition
Oct 2022
Publication
Hydrogen addition can improve the performance and extend the lean burn limit of gasoline engines. Different hydrogen injection strategies lead to different types of hydrogen mixture distribution (HMD) which affects the engine performance. Therefore the present study experimentally investigated the effects of hydrogen injection strategy on the combustion and emissions of a hydrogen/gasoline dual-fuel port-injection engine under lean-burn conditions. Four different hydrogen injection strategies were explored: hydrogen direct injection (HDI) forming a stratified hydrogen mixture distribution (SHMD); hydrogen intake port injection forming a premixed hydrogen mixture distribution (PHMD); split hydrogen direct injection (SHDI) forming a partially premixed hydrogen mixture distribution (PPHMD); and no hydrogen addition (NHMD). The results showed that 20% hydrogen addition could extend the lean burn limit from 1.5 to 2.8. With the increase in the excess air ratio the optimum HMD changed from PPHMD to SHMD. The maximum brake thermal efficiency was obtained with an excess air ratio of 1.5 with PPHMD. The coefficient of variation (COV) with NHMD was higher than that with hydrogen addition since the hydrogen enhanced the stability of ignition and combustion. The engine presented the lowest emissions with PHMD. There were almost no carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions when the excess air ratio was respectively more than 1.4 and 2.0.
Analysis of the Use of Recycled Aluminum to Generate Green Hydrogen in an Electric Bicycle
Feb 2023
Publication
This article proposes using recycled aluminum generating hydrogen in situ at low pressure to power a 250 W electric bicycle with a fuel cell (FC) to increase the average speed and autonomy compared to a conventional electric bicycle with a battery. To generate hydrogen the aluminum–water reaction with a 6 M NaOH solution is used as a catalyst. This article details the parts of the generation system the electronic configuration used the aluminum- and reagent-loading procedure and the by-products obtained as well as the results of the operation without pedaling with a resistance equivalent to a flat terrain and at maximum power of the accelerator for one and two loads of about 100 g of aluminum each. This allows us to observe different hybrid strategies with a low-capacity battery in each case. The goal is to demonstrate that it is possible to store energy in a long-lasting transportable low-pressure and sustainable manner using recycled-aluminum test tubes and to apply this to mobility
Import Options for Chemical Energy Carriers from Renewable Sources to Germany
Feb 2024
Publication
Import and export of fossil energy carriers are cornerstones of energy systems world-wide. If energy systems are to become climate neutral and sustainable fossil carriers need to be substituted with carbon neutral alternatives or electrified if possible. We investigate synthetic chemical energy carriers hydrogen methane methanol ammonia and Fischer-Tropsch fuels produced using electricity from Renewable Energy Source (RES) as fossil substitutes. RES potentials are obtained from GIS-analysis and hourly resolved time-series are derived using reanalysis weather data. We model the sourcing of feedstock chemicals synthesis and transport along nine different Energy Supply Chains to Germany and compare import options for seven locations around the world against each other and with domestically sourced alternatives on the basis of their respective cost per unit of hydrogen and energy delivered. We find that for each type of chemical energy carrier there is an import option with lower costs compared to domestic production in Germany. No single exporting country or energy carrier has a unique cost advantage since for each energy carrier and country there are cost-competitive alternatives. This allows exporter and infrastructure decisions to be made based on other criteria than energy and cost. The lowest cost means for importing of energy and hydrogen are by hydrogen pipeline from Denmark Spain and Western Asia and Northern Africa starting at 36 EUR/MWhLHV to 42 EUR/MWhLHV or 1.0 EUR/kgH2 to 1.3 EUR/kgH2 (in 2050 assuming 5% p.a. capital cost). For complex energy carriers derived from hydrogen like methane ammonia methanol or Fischer-Tropsch fuels imports from Argentina by ship to Germany are lower cost than closer exporters in the European Union or Western Asia and Northern Africa. For meeting hydrogen demand direct hydrogen imports are more attractive than indirect routes using methane methanol or ammonia imports and subsequent decomposition to hydrogen because of high capital investment costs and energetic losses of the indirect routes. We make our model and data available under open licenses for adaptation and reuse.
Wind Power to Methanol: Renewable Methanol Production Using Electricity, Electrolysis of Water and CO2 Air Capture
Feb 2020
Publication
A 100 MW stand-alone wind power to methanol process has been evaluated to determine the capital requirement and power to methanol efficiency. Power available for electrolysis determines the amount of hydrogen produced. The stoichiometric amount of CO2– required for the methanol synthesis – is produced using direct air capture. Integration of utilities for CO2 air capture hydrogen production from co-harvested water and methanol synthesis is incorporated and capital costs for all process steps are estimated. Power to methanol efficiency is determined to be around 50%. The cost of methanol is around 300€ ton−1 excluding and 800€ ton−1 including wind turbine capital cost. Excluding 300 M€ investment cost for 100 MW of wind turbines total plant capital cost is around 200 M€. About 45% of the capital cost is reserved for the electrolysers 50% for the CO2 air capture installation and 5% for the methanol synthesis system. The conceptual design and evaluation shows that renewable methanol produced from air captured CO2 water and renewable electricity is becoming a realistic option at reasonable costs of 750–800 € ton−1.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Changing the Game in Hydrogen Compression
Oct 2021
Publication
In the second episode of EAH's Season 3 Patrick Andrew and Chris sit down with Maria Fennis CEO of HyET. HyET Hydrogen is a leading SME in the field of electrochemical hydrogen compression founded in 2008. HyET has introduced the first commercially viable Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor (EHPC) the HCS 100 in 2017. HyET enters partnerships with key stakeholders to develop products with a focus on application. Maria is a leading voice in the compression arena and it is a pleasure to have her on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Stationary Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems for Railway Electrification: A Review
Sep 2021
Publication
This article provides an overview of modern technologies and implemented projects in the field of renewable energy systems for the electrification of railway transport. In the first part the relevance of the use of renewable energy on the railways is discussed. Various types of power-generating systems in railway stations and platforms along the track as well as in separate areas are considered. The focus is on wind and solar energy conversion systems. The second part is devoted to the analysis of various types of energy storage devices used in projects for the electrification of railway transport since the energy storage system is one of the key elements in a hybrid renewable energy system. Systems with kinetic storage electrochemical storage batteries supercapacitors hydrogen energy storage are considered. Particular attention is paid to technologies for accumulating and converting hydrogen into electrical energy as well as hybrid systems that combine several types of storage devices with different ranges of charge/discharge rates. A comparative analysis of various hybrid electric power plant configurations depending on the functions they perform in the electrification systems of railway transport has been carried out.
Recent Combustion Strategies in Gas Turbines for Propulsion and Power Generation toward a Zero-Emissions Future: Fuels, Burners, and Combustion Techniques
Oct 2021
Publication
The effects of climate change and global warming are arising a new awareness on the impact of our daily life. Power generation for transportation and mobility as well as in industry is the main responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed currently 80% of the energy is still produced by combustion of fossil fuels; thus great efforts need to be spent to make combustion greener and safer than in the past. For this reason a review of the most recent gas turbines combustion strategy with a focus on fuels combustion techniques and burners is presented here. A new generation of fuels for gas turbines are currently under investigation by the academic community with a specific concern about production and storage. Among them biofuels represent a trustworthy and valuable solution in the next decades during the transition to zero carbon fuels (e.g. hydrogen and ammonia). Promising combustion techniques explored in the past and then abandoned due to their technological complexity are now receiving renewed attention (e.g. MILD PVC) thanks to their effectiveness in improving the efficiency and reducing emissions of standard gas turbine cycles. Finally many advances are illustrated in terms of new burners developed for both aviation and power generation. This overview points out promising solutions for the next generation combustion and opens the way to a fast transition toward zero emissions power generation.
Alkaline Fuel cell Technology - A review
Apr 2021
Publication
The realm of alkaline-based fuel cells has with the arrival of anionic exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) taken a great step to replace traditional liquid electrolyte alkaline fuel cells (AFCs). The following review summarises progress bottleneck issues and highlights the most recent research trends within the field. The activity of alkaline catalyst materials has greatly advanced however achieving long-term stability remains a challenge. Great AEMFC performances are reported though these are generally obtained through the employment of platinum group metals (PGMs) thus emphasising the importance of R&D related to non-PGM materials. Thorough design strategies must be utilised for all components to avoid a mismatch of electrochemical properties between electrode components. Lastly AEMFC optimisation challenges on the system-level will also have to be assessed as few application-size AEMFCs have been built and tested.
Preliminary Analysis of Compression System Integrated Heat Management Concepts Using LH2-Based Parametric Gas Turbine Model
Apr 2021
Publication
The investigation of the various heat management concepts using LH2 requires the development of a modeling environment coupling the cryogenic hydrogen fuel system with turbofan performance. This paper presents a numerical framework to model hydrogen-fueled gas turbine engines with a dedicated heat-management system complemented by an introductory analysis of the impact of using LH2 to precool and intercool in the compression system. The propulsion installations comprise Brayton cycle-based turbofans and first assessments are made on how to use the hydrogen as a heat sink integrated into the compression system. Conceptual tubular compact heat exchanger designs are explored to either precool or intercool the compression system and preheat the fuel to improve the installed performance of the propulsion cycles. The precooler and the intercooler show up to 0.3% improved specific fuel consumption for heat exchanger effectiveness in the range 0.5–0.6 but higher effectiveness designs incur disproportionately higher pressure losses that cancel-out the benefits.
Study on Applicability of Energy-Saving Devices to Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered Ships
Mar 2022
Publication
The decarbonisation of waterborne transport is arguably the biggest challenge faced by the maritime industry presently. By 2050 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry by 50% compared to 2008 with a vision to phase out fossil fuels by the end of the century as a matter of urgency. To meet such targets action must be taken immediately to address the barriers to adopt the various clean shipping options currently at different technological maturity levels. Green hydrogen as an alternative fuel presents an attractive solution to meet future targets from international bodies and is seen as a viable contributor within a future clean shipping vision. The cost of hydrogen fuel—in the shortterm at least—is higher compared to conventional fuel; therefore energy-saving devices (ESDs) for ships are more important than ever as implementation of rules and regulations restrict the use of fossil fuels while promoting zero-emission technology. However existing and emerging ESDs in standalone/combination for traditional fossil fuel driven vessels have not been researched to assess their compatibility for hydrogen-powered ships which present new challenges and considerations within their design and operation. Therefore this review aims to bridge that gap by firstly identifying the new challenges that a hydrogen-powered propulsion system brings forth and then reviewing the quantitative energy saving capability and qualitive additional benefits of individual existing and emerging ESDs in standalone and combination with recommendations for the most applicable ESD combinations with hydrogen-powered waterborne transport presented to maximise energy saving and minimise the negative impact on the propulsion system components. In summary the most compatible combination ESDs for hydrogen will depend largely on factors such as vessel types routes propulsion operation etc. However the mitigation of load fluctuations commonly encountered during a vessels operation was viewed to be a primary area of interest as it can have a negative impact on hydrogen propulsion system components such as the fuel cell; therefore the ESD combination that can maximise energy savings as well as minimise the fluctuating loads experienced would be viewed as the most compatible with hydrogen-powered waterborne transport.
Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenolysis as an Efficient Route in Cleavage of Lignin and Model Compounds
Aug 2018
Publication
Cleavage of aromatic ether bonds through hydrogenolysis is one of the most promising routes for depolymerisation and transformation of lignin into value-added chemicals. Instead of using pressurized hydrogen gas as hydrogen source some reductive organic molecules such as methanol ethanol isopropanol as well as formates and formic acid can serve as hydrogen donor is the process called catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis. This is an emerging and promising research field but there are very few reports. In this paper a comprehensive review of the works is presented on catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis of lignin and lignin model compounds aiming to breakdown the aromatic ethers including α-O-4 β-O-4 and 4-O-5 linkages with focus on reaction mechanisms. The works are organised regarding to different hydrogen donors used to gain an in-depth understanding of the special role of various hydrogen donors in this process. Perspectives on current challenges and opportunities of future research to develop catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis as a competitive and unique strategy for lignin valorisation are also provided.
Exploring Possible Transition Pathways for Hydrogen Energy: A Hybrid Approach Using Socio-technical Scenarios and Energy System Modelling
Jul 2014
Publication
Hydrogen remains an important option for long-term decarbonisation of energy and transport systems. However studying the possible transition paths and development prospects for a hydrogen energy system is challenging. The long-term nature of technological transitions inevitably means profound uncertainties diverging perspectives and contested priorities. Both modelling approaches and narrative storyline scenarios are widely used to explore the possible future of hydrogen energy but each approach has shortcomings.<br/>This paper presents a hybrid approach to assessing hydrogen transitions in the UK by confronting qualitative socio-technical scenarios with quantitative energy systems modelling through a process of ‘dialogue’ between scenario and model. Three possible transition pathways are explored each exploring different uncertainties and possible decision points. Conclusions are drawn for both the future of hydrogen and on the value of an approach that brings quantitative formal models and narrative scenario techniques into dialogue.
Numerical Study on Tri-fuel Combustion: Ignition Properties of Hydrogen-enriched Methane-diesel and Methanol-diesel Mixtures
Jan 2020
Publication
Simultaneous and interactive combustion of three fuels with differing reactivities is investigated by numerical simulations. In the present study conventional dual-fuel (DF) ignition phenomena relevant to DF compression ignition (CI) engines are extended and explored in tri-fuel (TF) context. In the present TF setup a low reactivity fuel (LRF) methane or methanol is perfectly mixed with hydrogen and air to form the primary fuel blend at the lean equivalence ratio of 0.5. Further such primary fuel blends are ignited by a high-reactivity fuel (HRF) here n-dodecane under conditions similar to HRF spray assisted ignition. Here ignition is relevant to the HRF containing parts of the tri-fuel mixtures while flame propagation is assumed to occur in the premixed LRF/ containing end gas regions. The role of hydrogen as TF mixture reactivity modulator is explored. Mixing is characterized by n-dodecane mixture fraction ξ and molar ratio . When x < 0.6 minor changes are observed for the first- and second-stage ignition delay time (IDT) of tri-fuel compared to dual-fuel blends (x = 0). For methane when x > 0.6 first- and second-stage IDT increase by factor 1.4–2. For methanol a respective decrease by factor 1.2–2 is reported. Such contrasting trends for the two LRFs are explained by reaction sensitivity analysis indicating the importance of OH radical production/consumption in the ignition process. Observations on LRF/ end gas laminar flame speed () indicate that increases with x due to the highly diffusive features of . For methane increase with x is more significant than for methanol.
EUA- Bringing Hydrogen Alive
Apr 2021
Publication
The UK is on course to become a global leader in hydrogen technology. Over £3bn is ready to be invested into hydrogen today. The pace of activity is rapid and the opportunities are vast.
Join us at our free to attend event where you will gain unique insights into how the Hydrogen industry is progressing together with exclusive access to future plans.
The dynamic and lively session will demonstrate the viability of hydrogen as a key component to achieve Net Zero.
Confirmed contributors include:
Join us at our free to attend event where you will gain unique insights into how the Hydrogen industry is progressing together with exclusive access to future plans.
The dynamic and lively session will demonstrate the viability of hydrogen as a key component to achieve Net Zero.
Confirmed contributors include:
- National Grid Gas Transmission
- Cadent
- Chris Train Previous CEO Cadent
- DNV
- Worcester Bosch
- ITM Power
- Northern Gas Networks
- Decarbonising Heat in Buildings - New Research Findings from the Gas Distribution Networks
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