Production & Supply Chain
Project Cavendish - National Grid Gas Transmission
Sep 2020
Publication
The Isle of Grain (IoG) presents a technically feasible commercially viable strategic location to build and operate a hydrogen production facility which would be a key enabler to the UK meeting the Net Zero 2050 target.
As highlighted in the ‘Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming’ report published by The Committee on Climate Change in May 2019 hydrogen is set to have a major part to play in reducing UK carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is also seen as essential to support those supplies.
The report further recognises that this will involve increased investments and that CCS and hydrogen will require both capital funding and revenue support.
For hydrogen to have a part to play in the decarbonisation of London and the south east of England a large-scale hydrogen production facility will be required which will provide a multi vector solution through the decarbonisation of the gas grid.
This report and any attachment is freely available on the ENA Smarter Networks Portal here. IGEM Members can download the report and any attachment directly by clicking on the pdf icon above.
As highlighted in the ‘Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming’ report published by The Committee on Climate Change in May 2019 hydrogen is set to have a major part to play in reducing UK carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is also seen as essential to support those supplies.
The report further recognises that this will involve increased investments and that CCS and hydrogen will require both capital funding and revenue support.
For hydrogen to have a part to play in the decarbonisation of London and the south east of England a large-scale hydrogen production facility will be required which will provide a multi vector solution through the decarbonisation of the gas grid.
This report and any attachment is freely available on the ENA Smarter Networks Portal here. IGEM Members can download the report and any attachment directly by clicking on the pdf icon above.
Massive H2 Production With Nuclear Heating, Safety Approach For Coupling A VHTR With An Iodine Sulfur Process Cycle
Sep 2005
Publication
In the frame of a sustainable development investigations dealing with massive Hydrogen production by means of nuclear heating are carried out at CEA. For nuclear safety thermodynamic efficiency and waste minimization purposes the technological solution privileged is the coupling of a gas cooled Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) with a plant producing Hydrogen from an Iodine/Sulfur (I/S) thermochemical cycle. Each of the aforementioned facilities presents different risks resulting from the operation of a nuclear reactor (VHTR) and from a chemical plant including Hydrogen other flammable and/or explosible substances as well as toxic ones. Due to these various risks the safety approach is an important concern. Therefore this paper deals with the preliminary CEA investigations on the safety issues devoted to the whole plant focusing on the safety questions related to the coupling between the nuclear reactor and the Hydrogen production facility. Actually the H2 production process and the energy distribution network between the plants are currently at a preliminary design stage. A general safety approach is proposed based on a Defence In Depth (DID) principle permitting to analyze all the system configurations successively in normal incidental and accidental expected operating conditions. More precisely the dynamic answer of an installation to a perturbation affecting the other one during the previous conditions as well as the potential aggressions of the chemical plant towards the nuclear reactor have to be considered. The methodology presented in this paper is intended to help the designer to take into account the coupling safety constraints and to provide some recommendations on the global architecture of both plants especially on their coupling system. As a result the design of a VHTR combined to a H2 production process will require an iterative process between design and safety requirements.
Recent Progress in the Steam Reforming of Bio-Oil for Hydrogen Production: A Review of Operating Parameters, Catalytic Systems and Technological Innovations
Dec 2021
Publication
The present review focuses on the production of renewable hydrogen through the catalytic steam reforming of bio-oil the liquid product of the fast pyrolysis of biomass. Although in theory the process is capable of producing high yields of hydrogen in practice certain technological issues require radical improvements before its commercialization. Herein we illustrate the fundamental knowledge behind the technology of the steam reforming of bio-oil and critically discuss the major factors influencing the reforming process such as the feedstock composition the reactor design the reaction temperature and pressure the steam to carbon ratio and the hour space velocity. We also emphasize the latest research for the best suited reforming catalysts among the specific groups of noble metal transition metal bimetallic and perovskite type catalysts. The effect of the catalyst preparation method and the technological obstacle of catalytic deactivation due to coke deposition metal sintering metal oxidation and sulfur poisoning are addressed. Finally various novel modified steam reforming techniques which are under development are discussed such as the in-line two-stage pyrolysis and steam reforming the sorption enhanced steam reforming (SESR) and the chemical looping steam reforming (CLSR). Moreover we argue that while the majority of research studies examine hydrogen generation using different model compounds much work must be done to optimally treat the raw or aqueous bio-oil mixtures for efficient practical use. Moreover further research is also required on the reaction mechanisms and kinetics of the process as these have not yet been fully understood.
High Purity, Self-sustained, Pressurized Hydrogen Production from Ammonia in a Catalytic Membrane Reactor
Dec 2021
Publication
The combination of catalytic decomposition of ammonia and in situ separation of hydrogen holds great promise for the use of ammonia as a clean energy carrier. However finding the optimal catalyst – membrane pair and operation conditions have proved challenging. Here we demonstrate that cobalt-based catalysts for ammonia decomposition can be efficiently 2 used together with a Pd-Au based membrane to produce high purity hydrogen at elevated pressure. Compared to a conventional packed bed reactor the membrane reactor offers several operational advantages that result in energetic and economic benefits. The robustness and durability of the combined system has been demonstrated for more than 1000 h on stream yielding a very pure hydrogen stream (>99.97 % H2) and recovery (>90 %). When considering the required hydrogen compression for storage/utilization and environmental issues the combined system offers the additional advantage of production of hydrogen at moderate pressures along with full ammonia conversion. Altogether our results demonstrate the possibility of deploying high pressure (350 bar) hydrogen generators from ammonia with H2 efficiencies of circa 75% without any external energy input and/or derived CO2 emissions.
Experimental Characterization and Energy Performance Assessment of a Sorption-Enhanced Steam–Methane Reforming System
Aug 2021
Publication
The production of blue hydrogen through sorption-enhanced processes has emerged as a suitable option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sorption-enhanced steam–methane reforming (SESMR) is a process intensification of highly endothermic steam–methane reforming (SMR) ensured by in situ carbon capture through a solid sorbent making hydrogen production efficient and more environmentally sustainable. In this study a comprehensive energy model of SESMR was developed to carry out a detailed energy characterization of the process with the aim of filling a current knowledge gap in the literature. The model was applied to a bench-scale multicycle SESMR/sorbent regeneration test to provide an energy insight into the process. Besides the experimental advantages of higher hydrogen concentration (90 mol% dry basis 70 mol% wet basis) and performance of CO2 capture the developed energy model demonstrated that SESMR allows for substantially complete energy self-sufficiency through the process. In comparison to SMR with the same process conditions (650 ◦C 1 atm) performed in the same experimental rig SESMR improved the energy efficiency by about 10% further reducing energy needs.
Dynamic Model to Expand Energy Storage in Form of Battery and Hydrogen Production Using Solar Powered Water Electrolysis for Off Grid Communities
Feb 2022
Publication
In this model we used a 50 WP photovoltaic panel to produce electrical energy. This electricity production was used directly and stored in a battery. In this design we coupled batteries and hydrogen as a means of storing energy. In case of overcharging the battery it will be attached with water electrolysis to convert the excess amount of chemical energy of the battery into hydrogen energy storage. Hydrogen will be stored as a compacted gas and in chemical storage. We used PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolysis technologies to breakdown water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen which were then stored in the designed tanks. Different supply voltages were used in our practical readings with an average gaining of 22.8 mL/min on a voltage supply of 2. While using Ansys simulation software we extrapolated hydrogen production until reaching 300 mL/min on 12 V of supply (which represents 220% higher production). By using the second phase of this model hydrogen energy was converted back into electrical energy with the help of a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell when needed. This model explores the feasibility of energy storage in the form of hydrogen and chemical energy for off-grid communities and remote areas comprising batteries water electrolysis and fuel cells. The main purpose of hydrogen storage in this system is to store and handle the extra energy of system produced through PV panel and utilize it for any desired requirements.
Experimental and Theoretical Insights to Demonstrate the Hydrogen Evolution Activity of Layered Platinum Dichalcogenides Electrocatalysts
Mar 2021
Publication
Hydrogen is a highly efficient and clean renewable energy source and water splitting through electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution is a most promising approach for hydrogen generation. Layered transition metal dichalcogenides-based nano-structures have recently attracted significant interest as robust and durable catalysts for hydrogen evolution. We systematically investigated the platinum (Pt) based dichalcogenides (PtS2 PtSe2 and PtTe2) as highly energetic and robust hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts. PtTe2 catalyst unveiled the rapid hydrogen evolution process with the low overpotentials of 75 and 92 mV (vs. RHE) at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and the small Tafel slopes of 64 and 59 mV/dec in acidic and alkaline medium respectively. The fabricated PtTe2 electrocatalyst explored a better catalytic activity than PtS2 and PtSe2. The density functional theory estimations explored that the observed small Gibbs free energy for H-adsorption of PtTe2 was given the prominent role to achieve the superior electrocatalytic and excellent stability activity towards hydrogen evolution due to a smaller bandgap and the metallic nature. We believe that this work will offer a key path to use Pt based dichalcogenides for hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts.
Thermodynamic Assessment of a Solar-Driven Integrated Membrane Reactor for Ethanol Steam Reforming
Nov 2020
Publication
To efficiently convert and utilize intermittent solar energy a novel solar-driven ethanol steam reforming (ESR) system integrated with a membrane reactor is proposed. It has the potential to convert low-grade solar thermal energy into high energy level chemical energy. Driven by chemical potential hydrogen permeation membranes (HPM) can separate the generated hydrogen and shift the ESR equilibrium forward to increase conversion and thermodynamic efficiency. The thermodynamic and environmental performances are analyzed via numerical simulation under a reaction temperature range of 100–400 ◦C with permeate pressures of 0.01–0.75 bar. The highest theoretical conversion rate is 98.3% at 100 ◦C and 0.01 bar while the highest first-law efficiency solar-to-fuel efficiency and exergy efficiency are 82.3% 45.3% and 70.4% at 215 ◦C and 0.20 bar. The standard coal saving rate (SCSR) and carbon dioxide reduction rate (CDRR) are maximums of 101 g·m−2 ·h −1 and 247 g·m−2 ·h −1 at 200 ◦C and 0.20 bar with a hydrogen generation rate of 22.4 mol·m−2 ·h −1 . This study illustrates the feasibility of solar-driven ESR integrated with a membrane reactor and distinguishes a novel approach for distributed hydrogen generation and solar energy utilization and upgradation.
Review of Hydrogen Production Techniques from Water Using Renewable Energy Sources and Its Storage in Salt Caverns
Feb 2022
Publication
Hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important energy carrier in sector integration for fuel cell transportation heat and electricity. Underground salt caverns are one of the most promising ways to store the hydrogen obtained from water electrolysis using power generation from renewable energy sources (RES). At the same time the production of hydrogen can be used to avoid energy curtailments during times of low electricity demand or low prices. The stored hydrogen can also be used during times of high energy demand for power generation e.g. with fuel cells to cover the fluctuations and shortages caused by low RES generation. This article presents an overview of the techniques that were used and proposed for using excess energy from RES for hydrogen production from water and its storage techniques especially in underground salt caverns for the aforementioned purpose and its feasibility. This paper compares and summarizes the competing technologies based on the current state-of-the-art identifies some of the difficulties in hydrogen production and storage and discusses which technology is the most promising. The related analysis compares cost and techno-economic feasibility with regard to hydrogen production and storage systems. The paper also identifies the potential technical challenges and the limitations associated with hydrogen integration into the power grid.
Discussion on the Feasibility of the Integration of Wind Power and Coal Chemical Industries for Hydrogen Production
Oct 2021
Publication
To improve the utilization rate of the energy industry and reduce high energy consumption and pollution caused by coal chemical industries in north western China a planning scheme of a wind‐coal coupling energy system was developed. This scheme involved the analysis method evaluation criteria planning method and optimization operation check for the integration of a comprehensive evaluation framework. A system was established to plan the total cycle revenue to maximize the net present value of the goal programming model and overcome challenges associated with the development of new forms of energy. Subsequently the proposed scheme is demonstrated using a 500‐MW wind farm. The annual capacity of a coal‐to‐methanol system is 50000. Results show that the reliability of the wind farm capacity and the investment subject are the main factors affecting the feasibility of the wind‐coal coupled system. Wind power hydrogen production generates O2 and H2 which are used for methanol preparation and electricity production in coal chemical systems respectively. Considering electricity price constraints and environmental benefits a methanol production plant can construct its own wind farm matching its output to facilitate a more economical wind‐coal coupled system. Owing to the high investment cost of wind power plants an incentive mechanism for saving energy and reducing emissions should be provided for the wind‐ coal coupled system to ensure economic feasibility and promote clean energy transformation.
Converting Sewage Water into H2 Fuel Gas Using Cu/CuO Nanoporous Photocatalytic Electrodes
Feb 2022
Publication
This work reports on H2 fuel generation from sewage water using Cu/CuO nanoporous (NP) electrodes. This is a novel concept for converting contaminated water into H2 fuel. The preparation of Cu/CuO NP was achieved using a simple thermal combustion process of Cu metallic foil at 550 ◦C for 1 h. The Cu/CuO surface consists of island-like structures with an inter-distance of 100 nm. Each island has a highly porous surface with a pore diameter of about 250 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of monoclinic Cu/CuO NP material with a crystallite size of 89 nm. The prepared Cu/CuO photoelectrode was applied for H2 generation from sewage water achieving an incident to photon conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 14.6%. Further the effects of light intensity and wavelength on the photoelectrode performance were assessed. The current density (Jph) value increased from 2.17 to 4.7 mA·cm−2 upon raising the light power density from 50 to 100 mW·cm−2 . Moreover the enthalpy (∆H*) and entropy (∆S*) values of Cu/CuO electrode were determined as 9.519 KJ mol−1 and 180.4 JK−1 ·mol−1 respectively. The results obtained in the present study are very promising for solving the problem of energy in far regions by converting sewage water to H2 fuel.
Effect of Au Plasmonic Material on Poly M-Toluidine for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Generation from Sewage Water
Feb 2022
Publication
This study provides H2 gas as a renewable energy source from sewage water splitting reaction using a PMT/Au photocathode. So this study has a dual benefit for hydrogen generation; at the same time it removes the contaminations of sewage water. The preparation of the PMT is carried out through the polymerization process from an acid medium. Then the Au sputter was carried out using the sputter device under different times (1 and 2 min) for PMT/Au-1 min and PMT/Au-2min respectively. The complete analyses confirm the chemical structure such as XRD FTIR HNMR SEM and Vis-UV optical analyses. The prepared electrode PMT/Au is used for the hydrogen generation reaction using Na2S2O3 or sewage water as an electrolyte. The PMT crystalline size is 15 nm. The incident photon to current efficiency (IPCE) efficiency increases from 2.3 to 3.6% (at 390 nm) and the number of H2 moles increases from 8.4 to 33.1 mmol h−1 cm−2 for using Na2S2O3 and sewage water as electrolyte respectively. Moreover all the thermodynamic parameters such as activation energy (Ea) enthalpy (∆H*) and entropy (∆S*) were calculated; additionally a simple mechanism is mentioned for the water-splitting reaction.
Comparison of Hydrogen Powertrains with the Battery Powered Electric Vehicle and Investigation of Small-Scale Local Hydrogen Production Using Renewable Energy
Jan 2021
Publication
Climate change is one of the major problems that people face in this century with fossil fuel combustion engines being huge contributors. Currently the battery powered electric vehicle is considered the predecessor while hydrogen vehicles only have an insignificant market share. To evaluate if this is justified different hydrogen power train technologies are analyzed and compared to the battery powered electric vehicle. Even though most research focuses on the hydrogen fuel cells it is shown that despite the lower efficiency the often-neglected hydrogen combustion engine could be the right solution for transitioning away from fossil fuels. This is mainly due to the lower costs and possibility of the use of existing manufacturing infrastructure. To achieve a similar level of refueling comfort as with the battery powered electric vehicle the economic and technological aspects of the local small-scale hydrogen production are being investigated. Due to the low efficiency and high prices for the required components this domestically produced hydrogen cannot compete with hydrogen produced from fossil fuels on a larger scale
High Performance of Biohydrogen Production in Packed-Filter Bioreactor via Optimizing Packed-Filter Position
Jul 2021
Publication
In this present investigation a packed-filter bioreactor was employed to produce hydrogen utilizing an expired soft drink as a substrate. The effects of feeding substrate concentrations ranging from 19.51 10.19 5.34 3.48 to 2.51 g total sugar/L were examined and the position of the packed filter installed in the bioreactor at dimensionless heights (h/H) of 1/4 2/4 3/4 and 4/4 was studied. The results revealed that with a substrate concentration of 20 g total sugar/L and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 h a packed filter placed at the half-height position of the bioreactor (h/H 2/4) has the optimal hydrogen production rate hydrogen yield and average biomass concentration in the bioreactor resulting in 55.70 ± 2.42 L/L/d 0.90 ± 0.06 mol H2/mol hexose and 17.86 ± 1.09 g VSS/L. When feeding substrate concentrations varied from 20 10 to 5 g total sugar/L with the packed-filter position at h/H 2/4 Clostridium sp. Clostridium tyrobutyricum and Bifidobacterium crudilactis were the predominant bacteria community. Finally it was discovered that the packed-filter bioreactor can produce stable hydrogen in high-strength organic effluent.
Optimal Operation of the Hydrogen-based Energy Management System with P2X Demand Response and Ammonia Plant
Jul 2021
Publication
Hydrogen production is the key in utilizing an excess renewable energy. Many studies and projects looked at the energy management systems (EMSs) that allow to couple hydrogen production with renewable generation. In the majority of these studies however hydrogen demand is either produced for powering fuel cells or sold to the external hydrogen market. Hydrogen demand from actual industrial plants is rarely considered. In this paper we propose an EMS based on the industrial cluster of GreenLab Skive (GLS) that can minimize the system’s operational cost or maximize its green hydrogen production. EMS utilizes a conventional and P2X demand response (DR) flexibility from electrolysis plant hydrogen storage tank electric battery and hydrogen-consuming plants to design the optimal schedule with maximized benefits. A potential addition to the existing components at GLS - an ammonia plant is modelled to identify its P2X potential and assess the economic viability of its construction. The results show a potential reduction of 51.5–61.6% for the total operational cost of the system and an increase of the share of green hydrogen by 10.4–37.6% due to EMS operation.
Goal and Scope in Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis: The Case of Hydrogen Production from Biomass
Aug 2014
Publication
The framework for life cycle sustainability analysis (LCSA) developed within the project CALCAS (Co-ordination Action for innovation in Life-Cycle Analysis for Sustainability) is introducing a truly integrated approach for sustainability studies. However it needs to be further conceptually refined and to be made operational. In particular one of the gaps still hindering the adoption of integrated analytic tools for sustainability studies is the lack of a clear link between the goal and scope definition and the modeling phase. This paper presents an approach to structure the goal and scope phase of LCSA so as to identify the relevant mechanisms to be further detailed and analyzed in the modeling phase. The approach is illustrated with an on-going study on a new technology for the production of high purity hydrogen from biomass to be used in automotive fuel cells.
Optimal Strategies of Deployment of Far Offshore Co-located Wind-wave Energy Farms
Nov 2021
Publication
The most profitable offshore energy resources are usually found away from the coast. Nevertheless the accessibility and grid integration in those areas are more complicated. To avoid this problematic large scale hydrogen production is being promoted for far offshore applications. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the ability of wave energy converters to maximize hydrogen production in hybrid wind and wave far offshore farms. To that end wind and wave resource data are obtained from ERA5 for different locations in the Atlantic ocean and a Maximum Covariance Analysis is proposed for the selection of the most representative locations. Furthermore the suitability of different sized wave energy converters for auxiliary hydrogen production in the far offshore wind farms is also analysed. On that account the hydrodynamic parameters of the oscillating bodies are obtained via simulations with a Boundary Element Method based code and their operation is modelled using the software tool Matlab. The combination of both methodologies enables to perform a realistic assessment of the contribution of the wave energy converters to the hydrogen generation of an hybrid energy farm especially during those periods when the wind turbines would be stopped due to the variability of the wind. The obtained results show a considerable hydrogen generation capacity of the wave energy converters up to 6.28% of the wind based generation which could remarkably improve the efficiency of the far offshore farm and bring important economical profit. Wave energy converters are observed to be most profitable in those farms with low covariance between wind and waves where the disconnection times of the wind turbines are prone to be more prolonged but the wave energy is still usable. In such cases a maximum of 101.12 h of equivalent rated production of the wind turbine has been calculated to be recovered by the wave energy converters.
Hydrogen-Rich Gas Production from Two-Stage Catalytic Pyrolysis of Pine Sawdust with Nano-NiO/Al2O3 Catalyst
Feb 2022
Publication
Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis is economically and technologically attractive from the perspectives of energy and the environment. The two-stage catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust for hydrogen-rich gas production is investigated using nano-NiO/Al2O3 as the catalyst at high temperatures. The influences of residence time (0–30 s) and catalytic temperature (500–800 ◦C) on pyrolysis performance are examined in the distribution of pyrolysis products gas composition and gas properties. The results show that increasing the residence time decreased the solid and liquid products but increased gas products. Longer residence times could promote tar cracking and gas-phase conversion reactions and improve the syngas yield H2/CO ratio and carbon conversion. The nano-NiO/A12O3 exhibits excellent catalytic activity for tar removal with a tar conversion rate of 93% at 800 ◦C. The high catalytic temperature could significantly improve H2 and CO yields by enhancing the decomposition of tar and gas-phase reactions between CO2 and CH4 . The increasing catalytic temperature increases the dry gas yield and carbon conversion but decreases the H2/CO ratio and low heating value.
Interfacial Confinement of Ni-V2O3 in Molten Salts for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Apr 2020
Publication
Implementation of non-precious electrocatalysts is key-enabling for water electrolysis to relieve challenges in energy and environmental sustainability. Self-supporting Ni-V2O3.electrodes consisting of nanostrip-like V2O3.perpendicularly anchored on Ni meshes are herein constructed via the electrochemical reduction of soluble NaVO3 in molten salts for enhanced electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Such a special configuration in morphology and composition creates a well confined interface between Ni and V2O3. Experimental and Density-Functional-Theory results confirm that the synergy between Ni and V2O3.accelerates the dissociation of H2O for forming hydrogen intermediates and enhances the combination of H* for generating H2.
Development of Visible-Light-Driven Rh–TiO2-CeO2 Hybrid Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Production
Jul 2021
Publication
Visible-light-driven hydrogen production through photocatalysis has attracted enormous interest owing to its great potential to address energy and environmental issues. However photocatalysis possesses several limitations to overcome for practical applications such as low light absorption efficiency rapid charge recombination and poor stability of photocatalysts. Here the preparation of efficient noble metal–semiconductor hybrid photocatalysts for photocatalytic hydrogen production is presented. The prepared ternary Rh–TiO2–CeO2 hybrid photocatalysts exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance toward the hydrogen production reaction compared with their counterparts ascribed to the synergistic combination of Rh TiO2 and CeO2.
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