|
The Hydrogen Economy
If the fuel cell is to become the modern steam
engine, basic research must provide breakthroughs in understanding, materials, and design
to make a hydrogen-based energy system a vibrant and competitive force.
|
George
W. Crabtree, Mildred S. Dresselhaus, and Michelle V. Buchanan
Physics Today December 2004 |
| The US Department of
Energy estimates that by 2040 cars and light trucks powered by fuel cells will require
about 150 megatons per year of hydrogen. The US currently produces about 9 megatons per
year, almost all of it by reforming natural gas. The challenge is to find inexpensive and
efficient routes to create hydrogen in sufficient quantities from non-fossil natural
resources. The most promising route is splitting water, which is a natural carrier of
hydrogen. It takes energy to split the water molecule and release hydrogen, but that
energy is later recovered during oxidation to produce water. To eliminate fossil fuels
from this cycle, the energy to split water must come from non-carbon sources, such as the
electron-hole pairs excited in a semiconductor by solar radiation, the heat from a nuclear
reactor or solar collector, or an electric voltage generated by renewable sources such as
hydropower or wind. more |
BREAKTHROUGH!
"We have been able to show that we can
produce hydrogen at commercially attractive rates in a very small unit and at conditions
that are typical of a high temperature, helium-cooled reactor."
Dr. Steve Herring, INEEL
Scientists Unveil
Project to Extract Hydrogen
in Nuclear Reactors
Mark Thiessen San
Francisco Chronicle November 29,
2004
|
 |
Details of Solid-Oxide Button Cell Fabricated by
Ceramatec |
Hydrogen Production
Method Could Bolster Fuel Supplies
Matthew L. Wald New
York Times November 28, 2004 |
The heart of the plan is an improvement on the most convenient way to make hydrogen, which
is to run electric current through water, splitting the H2O molecule into hydrogen and
oxygen. This process, called electrolysis, now has a drawback: if the electricity comes
from coal, which is the biggest source of power in this country, then the energy value of
the ingredients - the amount of energy given off when the fuel is burned - is three and a
half to four times larger than the energy value of the product. Also, carbon dioxide and
nitrogen oxide emissions increase when the additional coal is burned...
The new method involves running electricity through water that has a
very high temperature. As the water molecule breaks up, a ceramic sieve separates the
oxygen from the hydrogen. The resulting hydrogen has about half the energy value of the
energy put into the process, the developers say. Such losses may be acceptable, or even
desirable, because hydrogen for a nuclear reactor can be substituted for oil, which is
imported and expensive, and because the basic fuel, uranium, is plentiful. |
- DOE Researchers
Demonstrate Feasibility of Efficient Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy
U.S. Department of Energy November
30, 2004
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham stated, "The
Generation IV nuclear technologies will take us to the next level in terms of efficiency,
reliability, and safety. Coupling high temperature electrolyzer technology with the Gen IV
reactors provides another pathway to produce hydrogen for powering future fuel cell
vehicles."
...Improvements in solid oxide electrolyzer design made by Ceramatec,
Inc. will enable a 3-fold decrease in equipment size allowing greatly reduced capital
costs. INEEL developed the system concept design and performed the feasibility testing.
This demonstration follows Secretary Abraham's recent announcement of a
$2 million grant to Ceramatec who is teamed with INEEL, University of Washington, and
Hoeganaes Corporation in Riverton, New Jersey. The team will continue to work remaining
challenges to lower costs, increase materials durability and improve efficiency of the
solid oxide electrolyzer technology.
- Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and Infrastructure
Technologies
FY 2003 Progress Report
High-Temperature
Solid Oxide Electrolyser System
J. Stephen Herring , James O'Brien, Carl
Stoots, Paul Lessing, Ray Anderson
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
(INEEL)
Of the many methods proposed for
hydrogen production, water-splitting is considered ideal because it avoids CO2 emissions.
Two types of water-splitting technologies have been studied: thermochemical and
electrolysis. Chemicalreaction- based water-splitting processes are hindered by the
extremely corrosive process environment (for example, in the iodine-sulfur process, H2SO4
is produced and then dissociated at 850°C).
Conventional low-temperature electrolysis of steam results in an
unsatisfactory thermal efficiency. This work is an experimental research project being
conducted via a collaboration between the INEEL and Ceramatec, Inc. of Salt Lake City,
Utah, to test the high-temperature, electrolytic production of hydrogen from steam using a
reversible, solid oxide cell. The research team is designing and testing solid oxide cells
for operation in the electrolysis mode, and evaluating materials for the high-temperature
heat exchanger, condenser, and other components necessary for producing hydrogen using a
hightemperature process heat source plus electrical power. This high-temperature process
heat and the electrical power requirement could be supplied simultaneously by a
high-temperature nuclear reactor. Operation at high temperature reduces the electrical
energy requirement for electrolysis and also increases the thermal efficiency of the
power-generating cycle. The high-temperature electrolysis process will utilize heat from a
specialized secondary loop carrying a steam/hydrogen mixture. It is expected that with
this combination of a high-temperature reactor and hightemperature electrolysis, the
process will achieve a thermal conversion efficiency of 40 to 50% while avoiding the
challenging chemistry and corrosion issues associated with the thermochemical processes.
Planar solid oxide cell technology is being utilized because it has t he best potential
for high efficiency due to minimized voltage and current losses.
- US Pursuing New
Round of Nuclear Energy Plants
Eye for Energy November
24, 2004
|
MIT Will Direct New Nuclear
Energy Lab
Goal of thermochemical hydrogen production
Meghana Limaye Massachusetts
Institute of Technology December
3, 2004
U.S.
Department of Energy Announces Awards to
Three Universities for Nuclear Hydrogen Research
US DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science &
Technology December 23, 2004 |
Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative
US DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & Technology
October 2004 The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative addresses the need for
greater utilization of our energy resources by developing energy conversion systems to
economically produce hydrogen for use in our national transportation system. Program
milestones include:
• FY 2007: Begin operation of integrated
laboratory-scale thermochemical and high-temperature electrolysis hydrogen production
systems.
• FY 2009: Select technologies to be demonstrated in the pilot-scale hydrogen
production experiment.
• FY 2011: Begin operation of a pilot-scale hydrogen production system.
• FY 2013: Complete the final design of a commercial-scale nuclear hydrogen
production system.
• FY 2017: Complete construction and checkout of the nuclear hydrogen demonstration
facility and initiate demonstration of commercial-scale hydrogen production. |
Sunlight to Fuel
Hydrogen Future
Wired December 7, 2004
| JAPAN TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY |
|
 |
Zero CO2
-emission Process for the Production and Storage of Hydrogen from Methane
Otsuka & Yamanaka Laboratory |
|
Methane is the most abundant fossil energy resource on the earth. It is contained in
natural gas, petroleum-associated gas and in methane-hydrate. However, the energy
production by burning of methane inevitably emits a huge amount of CO2 into the
atmosphere. On the other hand, hydrogen is a clean fuel that emits no CO2 when it is
burned or used in H2-O2 fuel cells. However, the current processes for the production of
hydrogen from methane (natural gas) and water or from other fossil resources and water
also emit a huge amount of CO2. Under these circumstances, we are proposing a new
utilization of methane as hydrogen source without CO2-emission together with a novel
hydrogen storage method which applies a redox of metal oxides. |
 |
Wind turbines to produce hydrogen to power Mawson Station.
New HOGEN 20 electrolysers are being
purchased by the Bureau of Meteorology as part of an upgrade of facilities at Mawson. |
 |
AUSTRALIA HYDRO TASMANIA UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA December
8, 2004
TASMANIAN MINISTRY OF INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY & RESOURCES
|
Hydrogen
Highlight of Tasmanian
Renewable Energy Projects |
The State Government today announced a range of
renewable energy projects for remote locations around Tasmania, including the use of
cutting-edge hydrogen technology.
Speaking at the launch of the Tasmanian Government’s energy
policy, Powering Prosperity, the Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, Bryan
Green, said the most exciting of these was a project to upgrade the power supply on Cape
Barren Island.
“The Cape Barren Island proposal is particularly interesting, as
it involves the use of hydrogen as an energy storage medium in combination with a new wind
turbine,” Mr Green said.
The proposal has been developed by the Tasmanian Government and Hydro
Tasmania in partnership with the Australian Greenhouse Office.
It involves wind providing electricity, which will either feed directly
into the distribution grid, or in times of low energy demand, be used to separate hydrogen
from water for use as a fuel in a support generation system.
“This cutting edge hydrogen technology has been developed by Hydro
Tasmania and the University of Tasmania and this project provides an opportunity to
demonstrate how hydrogen and wind can be used together to provide a clean, environmentally
sustainable power supply in remote regions,” Mr Green said.
He said the Federal Department of Family and Community Services was
considering the proposal, which had the potential to make Cape Barren Island’s
electricity virtually completely renewable.
Tasmania has secured about $6.5 million under the Federal
Government’s Remote Renewable Power Generation Program (RRPGP) to encourage the
development of renewable energy solutions for remote communities. |
"President's Prize" Awarded to
Antarctic Hydrogen Engineering Team
Sustainable Antarctic Engineering a Winner
Australian Antarctic Division December 1,
2004 |
An engineering team from the Australian Antarctic
Division has won the prestigious President's Prize at the Australian Engineering
Excellence Awards for developing a wind-hydrogen system at Mawson station in Antarctica.
In congratulating the team last week, the Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said it was heartening to have innovative work in
sustainable energy systems recognised.
"It is an excellent example of the Australian Government leading
the way in environmental responsibility and great to see national acknowledgement for this
team of very talented and dedicated people," he said.
The President's prize is awarded annually at the discretion of the
National President of Engineers Australia for services to the engineering profession. It
recognises members who have promulgated the contribution engineering makes to the general
welfare of the Australian people.
A key theme for this year's President, Mr Doug Jones, has been
sustainability and ensuring engineers and industry leaders assume sustainable practices in
all that they do.
When awarding the prize, Mr Jones said: ''The award is for the
intensely innovative work performed by these engineers in developing a sustainable energy
system that incorporates wind power generation and hydrogen fuel cells.
'This environmentally-sound, cost effective, sustainable energy system
is the first serious attempt by any nation to use wind power generation in Antarctica on a
large scale.'
The Australian Antarctic Division's engineering team is led by Chief
Engineer, Chris Paterson.
Senator Campbell said that as well as recognising the
Mawson wind turbines and the hydrogen demonstration project, the award also acknowledged
the Australian Antarctic Division's proactive management of the satellite link between
Kingston and the Antarctic stations to make the most efficient use of bandwidth, and the
work of the mechanical workshop in the refurbishment (recycling) of Hagglunds vehicles.
He said the two wind turbines operating at Mawson station were
leading to considerable energy savings and significantly reducing the amount of diesel
fuel that has to be shipped into Antarctica.
To further develop the potential of sustainable energy, trials
would begin this summer at Mawson to generate hydrogen using energy from the Mawson wind
turbines. The Australian Antarctic Division received a grant of half a million dollars
from the Australian Greenhouse Office to demonstrate the use of hydrogen generated by wind
in Antarctica.
The hydrogen will be stored and used in a test fuel cell and as
fuel in a heater and a cooker at a scientific research site near Mawson. |
|
|
US DEPT OF ENERGY BOC HERA HYDROGEN STORAGE SOLUTIONS
MEMBRANE REACTOR TECHNOLOGIES
BOC
December 1, 2004 |
BOC-led
Team Wins U.S. Dept. of Energy
Hydrogen Energy Award
BOC, as the project leader, is partnering with Canada-based
Membrane Reactor Technologies (MRT) and HERA Hydrogen Storage Systems Inc. (HERA) to
develop and demonstrate advanced hydrogen generation and delivery systems that integrate
MRT’s membrane reactor and HERA’s thermal hydride compression into a single
package. The companies are working to develop a solution for the economic and technical
challenge of delivering low-cost, high-purity hydrogen to industrial users, vehicles and
stationary/mobile power plants. |
Statoil Plans Norway's First
Hydrogen Station
Datamonitor November 26, 2004
US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GE GLOBAL RESEARCH
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
ARGONNE NATIONAL LAB NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
FUNCTIONAL COATING TECHNOLOGY GE Global Research November 17, 2004 |
GE Global Research
to Lead DOE Projects in Production Of Hydrogen |
The
three projects, chosen through a merit-review, competitive solicitation process, are part
of a $75 million research effort announced by DOE to support President Bush's Hydrogen
Fuel Initiative. ...The three programs, being led by GE Global Research are:
- Solar Electrochemical Water Splitting
GE Global Research, along with the California Institute of Technology, will
discover materials and develop designs for a solar-to-hydrogen system. The idea is to
develop a system that will employ solar energy to extract hydrogen from water using a
photoelectrochemical process. This world class team is ideally suited to meet DOE's goals
of developing devices with nine percent solar-to-hydrogen efficiency, a lifetime of 10,000
hours, and a hydrogen cost of $22/kg by 2010, $5/kg by 2015 and ultimately, are cost
competitive with gasoline.
- Small Scale Natural Gas/Bio-derived Liquid Reformers
GE Global Research, along with the University of Minnesota and Argonne National
Laboratory, will develop a revolutionary compact reforming technology that will enable
hydrogen to be produced from natural gas and renewable fuels, such as methanol and
ethanol. The proposed hydrogen reformer will allow for significantly greater compactness
and lower capital costs than conventional approaches. The concept was selected as a result
of detailed process analyses of more than 20 reforming concepts for application in
refueling stations. Preliminary analysis demonstrated that the reformer is capable of
meeting all performance targets, such as high efficiency, compactness, low capital costs,
low emissions and high turndown capability. This project is focused on technology that can
be developed and commercialized within a short period of time (approx. 5 years).
- Next Generation Electrolyzers
GE Global Research, along with Northwestern University and Functional Coating
Technology, LLC, will develop an electrolyzer concept that is efficient, affordable and
environmentally friendly. Electrolysis, extracting hydrogen from water, is one of the
cleanest methods for producing hydrogen from an abundant source that produces no carbon
emissions and allows for distributed hydrogen generation. Yet current electrolysis
production technologies are energy-intensive and not cost-competitive on a large scale.
High temperature steam electrolysis using solid oxide technology has the potential for
highly efficient and affordable hydrogen generation. A reversible solid oxide electrolysis
cell (SOEC) hydrogen production system capable of producing either hydrogen or electricity
on demand is a pathway to a cost-competitive, distributed renewable system.
|
| CANADA HYDROGENICS STUART ENERGY
SYSTEMS November 11, 2004 |
"When the dust settles, this is
going to be viewed as an industry-defining combination that may well, in my view, |
surpass
Ballard as the driver of the marketplace."
Jon Slangerup, CEO of Stuart Energy
Hydrogenics
Takes Over Stuart Energy
in an All-stock Deal Worth CN$155 Million
Tyler Hamilton The Totonto Star |
"We're
in a race, a serious race, and those that create critical mass early on and are able to
focus on profitability early on are the ones that will be able to command the
future," said Slangerup, who will be an adviser to the new company and move back to
California.
Combined, the two companies will have $120 million in cash and
short-term investments and annual revenues next year around $50 million. The new
Hydrogenics will have 84 patents, 459 applications for patents and an expanded global
sales force.
Today, Hydrogenics has 225 employees and Stuart Energy has 170. Rivard
said the companies' two headquarters will be consolidated in the first half of 2005 and
between 50 and 100 jobs will likely be eliminated.
...Some analysts wondered whether Stuart Energy, founded in 1948 by
Alexander Stuart and his son "Sandy" Stuart, should instead acquire Hydrogenics. |
|
|
RENEWABLE ENERGY EXPANSION VITAL TO
ECONOMICS OF ELECTROLYSIS |
 |
U.S. Department of Energy Funds Report
Identifying
Job Growth Opportunities in Windpower |
"...investment in wind will particularly target the
most populous regions of the country, and will especially benefit regions that are most in
need of new manufacturing jobs." |
 |
Wind
Turbine Development:
Location of Manufacturing Activity
Renewable Energy Policy Project
Over 16,000 firms in all 50 states have the technical potential to enter the
growing wind turbine manufacturing sector, according to research recently completed by
REPP. The results indicate that a national investment in wind has the clear potential to
benefit regions of the U.S. other than those with a wind resource. The 20 states that
would |
| potentially benefit the most, receiving 80% of the job creation, are
the same states that account for 76% of the manufacturing jobs lost in the U.S. over the
last 3 1/2 years. In addition, the report looks at 90 firms in 25 states identified as
already active in manufacturing wind turbine components, and describes in detail the
components that make up a modern wind turbine. |
State |
Potential Number of Jobs |
Average Investment
($ Billions) |
2001 Population |
Manufacturing Jobs Lost, Jan. 2001 - May 2004* |
California |
12,717 |
4.24 |
34,501,130
|
318,000 |
Ohio |
11,688 |
3.90 |
11,373,541
|
165,500 |
Texas |
8,943 |
2.98 |
21,325,018
|
169,600 |
Michigan |
8,549 |
2.85 |
9,990,817
|
129,300 |
Illinois |
8,530 |
2.84 |
12,482,301
|
131,500 |
Indiana |
8,317 |
2.77 |
6,114,745
|
63,500 |
Pennsylvania |
7,622 |
2.54 |
12,287,150
|
155,200 |
Wisconsin |
6,956 |
2.32 |
5,401,906
|
68,300 |
New York |
6,549 |
2.18 |
19,011,378
|
130,500 |
South Carolina |
4,964 |
1.65 |
4,063,011
|
56,800 |
North Carolina |
4,661 |
1.55 |
8,186,268
|
156,600 |
Tennessee |
4,233 |
1.41 |
5,740,021
|
59,700 |
Alabama |
3,571 |
1.19 |
4,464,356
|
45,300 |
Georgia |
3,532 |
1.18 |
8,383,915
|
65,700 |
Virginia |
3,386 |
1.13 |
7,187,734
|
57,500 |
Florida |
3,371 |
1.12 |
16,396,515
|
56,800 |
Missouri |
3,234 |
1.08 |
5,629,707
|
36,700 |
Massachusetts |
3,210 |
1.07 |
6,379,304
|
84,900 |
Minnesota |
3,064 |
1.02 |
4,972,294
|
38,800 |
New Jersey |
2,920 |
0.97 |
8,484,431
|
65,400 |
|
|
|
|
|
20 State Total |
120,017 |
40 |
212,375,542 |
2,055,600
|
% U.S. Total |
80% |
80% |
75% |
76% |
|
- Distributed Energy Systems Named One of the Fastest Growing
Technology Companies in North America on Deloitte Technology Fast 500 List
Distributed Energy Systems Oct 29, 2004
- GE Energy
Reports More Than $1.3 Billion in Orders and Commitments for New U.S. Wind Projects; PTC
Extension Spurs Surge in U.S. Wind Turbine Sales GE Energy
Oct 18, 2004
- Optimized
Hydrogen and Electricity Generation from Wind
L.J. Fingersh National Renewable Energy
Laboratory June 2003
- Renewable Energy Policy Project:
Hydrogen & Fuel Cells
If the problems of extracting hydrogen can be solved in a pollution free,
cost effective manner and if technologies such as fuel cells can be made cost effective,
then hydrogen has the potential to provide clean, alternative energy for a number of uses,
including lighting, heating, cooling, and transportation.
- Renewable Energy Promotes US Job
Growth Better Than Investment in Fossil Fuels University of California, Berkeley
- EHN
Undertakes an Innovative Research Project to Produce H2 from Wind Power EHN August 12, 2004
|
"Investment in new renewable energy
sources leads to roughly 10 times more jobs than a comparable investment in the
fossil-fuel sector. This difference underscores the economic benefits of moving our
economy and society from one of energy 'hunter gatherers' to one of 'energy farmers' and
innovators."
Prof. Daniel Kammen
UC Berkeley's Renewable &
Appropriate Energy Lab |
|
FUEL SAFETY: AMMONIA |
|
Anhydrous Ammonia Pipeline Rupture
and Leak with Vapor Cloud
6 miles west of Kingman, Kansas Magellan Ammonia
Pipeline/Enid Lateral
National Transportation Safety Board
October 27, 2004 |
|
About 11:15 a.m. central daylight time on October 27, 2004, an
8-inch-diameter pipeline owned by Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P.,
(Magellan) and operated by Enterprise Products Operating L.P. (Enterprise)
ruptured near Kingman, Kansas, and released approximately 4,858 barrels
(204,000 gallons) of anhydrous ammonia. Nobody was killed or injured due
to the release. The anhydrous ammonia leaked into a creek and killed more
than 25,000 fish including some from threatened species. The cost of the
accident was $680,715, including $459,415 for environmental remediation.
|
NEW ZEALAND
INVESTIGATES HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGIES |
| NEW ZEALAND UNIVERSITY OF
CANTERBURY NANOCLUSTER DEVICES NANODYNAMICS
The New Zealand Herald
October 23, 2004 |
New Zealand's Nanocluster Devices Contracts with Nanodynamics for
Development of New Applications Including Hydrogen Sensors |
 |
Novel methods for manipulating clusters of atoms - and
forming them into electrically conducting wire - are being taken into the American market
by scientist Simon Brown, of Canterbury
University's physics and astronomy department. Brown is executive director of Christchurch
technology company Nanocluster Devices (NCD), which has just signed a joint venture with a
leading American nanotechnology |
| manufacturer to commercialise his research. Work
by Brown and a team of researchers led to the discovery that, under certain conditions,
clusters of atoms form naturally into very thin electrically conducting wires. Potential
applications of the technology include the printed circuit board market, the hydrogen fuel
cell market and the computer hard-drive market. ...The method can be used for creating
sensors for hydrogen and other chemicals for power distribution. |
|
|
| WISCONSIN VIRENT ENERGY SYSTEMS |
October 14, 2004 |
Venture May Help Bring Hydrogen to
Gas Stations
Thomas Content
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The $1.94 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy will
be used to support research related to the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative unveiled last year by
President Bush in his State of the Union address, said David Garman, acting undersecretary
of energy.
Virent Energy has developed an environmentally friendly, renewable
method to make hydrogen from the sugars in corn and other plants. The company was created
to bring to market technology patented by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers. |
| JAPAN SAPPORO BREWERIES HIROSHIMA
UNIVERSITY |
October 8, 2004 |
Scientists Generate Hydrogen
and Methane from Bread
In the process, a portion of bread generates hydrogen when it is fermented
with a bacteria found by Hiroshima University professor Naomichi Nishio. The remaining
material produces methane gas when exposed to different bacteria. The methane gas contains
no sulfur and is 10 percent more efficient in caloric value than the same gas generated by
the existing method of producing it alone through fermentation, the partners said. Bread
is added every day, and the system has continued to generate hydrogen and methane gas for
more than six months. |
|
|
| AUSTRALIA URANIUM INFORMATION CENTER |
October 2004 |
NUCLEAR HYDROGEN |
The
Hydrogen Economy UIC Nuclear Issues Briefing
Paper #73
The economics of hydrogen production depend on the efficiency of the
method used, and may be expressed as the ratio of energy output (in the H2) to the input.
Hydrogen production by electrolysis is about 80% efficient considering only the
electricity, but the thermal efficiency of producing that electricity ranges from about
34% in light water reactors to 50% in advanced systems, giving overall efficiencies of
25-40%. A significant investment in electrolytic cells is also required. The oxygen
by-product also has value.
For thermochemical processes an overall efficiency of greater than 50%
is projected. Combined cycle plants producing both H2 and electricity may reach
efficiencies of 60%.
High temperature - 750-1000°C, is required, together with isolation of
the chemical plant from the reactor, for safety reasons.
Three potentially-suitable reactor concepts have been identified: |
- High-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), either the pebble bed or hexagonal fuel
block type. Modules of up to 285 MWe will operate at 950°C but can be hotter.
- Advanced high-temperature reactor (AHTR), a modular reactor using a coated-particle
graphite-matrix fuel and with molten fluoride salt as primary coolant. This is similar to
the HTGR but operates at low pressure.
- Lead-cooled fast reactor, though these operate at lower temperatures than the HTGRs -
the best developed is the Russian BREST reactor which runs at only 540°C. A US project is
the STAR-H2 which will deliver 780°C for hydrogen production and lower temperatures for
desalination.
|
Small
Nuclear Power Reactors
UIC Nuclear Issues Briefing Paper #60
Advanced
Nuclear Power Reactors UIC Nuclear Issues Briefing
Paper #16 |
 |
Chemical & Engineering News September 13, 2004
THERMOCHEMICAL HYDROGEN
Nuclear Power for
the Future
VHTR, helium- and lead-cooled fast reactors, and the molten salt reactor are all
designed to generate electricity and also to operate at sufficiently high temperatures to
produce hydrogen by thermochemical water cracking. |
| At present, about 97% of hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels by steam
reformation of methane. Around 3% is produced by electrolysis of water, but the
electricity costs for the process are relatively high. "The direct thermal
decomposition of water is impractical, as it requires temperatures in excess of 2,500
°C," [Tim J. Abram, manager of advanced reactor systems at BNFL] says.
Thermochemical hydrogen production, on the other hand, can be achieved at temperatures of
less than 900 °C. One such process is the sulfur-iodine cycle, in which sulfur dioxide
and iodine are added to water, resulting in an exothermic reaction that creates sulfuric
acid and hydrogen iodide. At 450 °C, the HI decomposes to iodine (which is recycled) and
hydrogen. Sulfuric acid decomposes at 850 °C, forming sulfur dioxide (which is recycled),
water, and oxygen. "The only feeds to the process are water and high-temperature
heat, typically 900 °C, and the only products are hydrogen, oxygen, and low-grade
heat," Abram explains. "Nuclear power is particularly well suited to hydrogen
production by such a process because of its near-zero emissions." |
Technology Brief:
Analysis of Current-Day Commercial Electrolyzers
NREL September 2004
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY RELEASES REPORTS ON
RECENT H2 DEMONSTRATIONS |
| GERMANY FACHHOCHSCHULE STRALSUND |
Windmill-Electrolyser
System
for Hydrogen Production at Stralsund Frank Menzl |
Solar/Wind Hydrogen Production at Stralsund, Germany |
This system was designed to show that the intermittent
operation of an electrolyser, with a changing power input due to a changing wind speed, is
possible. A process control system allows collection of data that can be used in
simulation calculations. The demonstration and testing of this windmill- electrolyser
system provides valuable experience in the operation and design of such integrated
systems. |
| The
system is also one step towards an island solution for a hydrogen-based energy supply. |
| CALIFORNIA
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SCHATZ ENERGY RESEARCH CENTER |
Hydrogen for Remote Power:
SERC/YUROK Telecommunications Station
P. Lehman, C. Chamberlin, J. I. Zoellick, R. A. Engel, D. S. Rommel |
 |
Schoolhouse Peak is located within Redwood National Park in
Humboldt County, California, approximately thirty miles by line-of-sight from the city of
Eureka. The repeater station and two other nearby repeaters, known as the Wiregrass and
Miners Creek sites, form a chain that allows the upper Yurok reservation to maintain a
telephone communications link via microwave signals with Pacific Bell’s central
system in Eureka. The Schatz Energy Research Center built and operated a PEM fuel cell
power system to supply back-up power to the Schoolhouse Peak remote photovoltaic-powered
radiotelephone repeater. ...Primary power is supplied by the photovoltaic array. The array
powers the telecommunications load directly, with surplus energy charging a set of
batteries. The fuel cell starts automatically when solar insolation is |
| insufficient
to maintain the state-of-charge of the system’s battery. A cellular modem permits
remote monitoring and control. The fuel cell system was designed and constructed over a
period of several months and was first activated in November 1999. It operated reliably
until June 2000, logging 3,239 operating hours over 229 days and 177 automated start-stop
cycles. Batteries were maintained at an average state-of-charge of 74%. An improved and
rebuilt fuel cell stack subsequently ran for 3,836 hours over 269 days. |
| UNITED
STATES HONDA |
| Honda Solar Hydrogen Refuelling Station |
| The system, when running exclusively on solar energy, can
produce about 5,700 liters (at 350 bar) of gaseous hydrogen per year. This is enough to
fuel one car for a year. By using both solar power and electricity from the grid, the
station's production capability is 26,000 liters per year. ...Cars can be fueled at the
rate of 20 liters per minute. Hydrogen is dispensed to the vehicle using a unique
fast-fill and multi-bank cascade system. A mass flow sensor records the amount of fuel
delivered. Several new technologies were developed for the
station. An innovative pure water recirculation system keeps water losses in the
electrolyser at a minimum. The control system maximizes hydrogen production efficiency by
regulating fluctuations in electric power production caused by changes in sunlight
intensity. |
| CANADA UNIVERSITY OF QUEBEC, TROIS RIVIERES |
Stand-Alone
Renewable Energy System Based on Hydrogen Production
Tapan K. Bose, Kodjo Agbossou, Mohan Kolhe, Jean Hamelin
In order to demonstrate a variety of possible configurations, the
RE stand-alone system at HRI is operating with two different types of primary renewable
energy sources. It includes a wind energy converter as well as a photovoltaic array. In
addition, as in any typical self-sufficient RE system, facilities for short-term and
long-term energy storage must also be provided. A battery bank is used for short-term
energy storage because it has a high charging-discharging efficiency and can be used to
lessen the effects caused by instantaneous load ripples, spikes, electrolyser transients
and wind energy peaks. However, batteries alone are not appropriate for long-term storage
because of their low energy density, self-discharge and leakage. The combination of a
battery bank with long-term energy storage in the form of hydrogen can significantly
improve the performance of stand-alone RE systems. In such a RE system, electricity
production in excess of demand is converted to hydrogen, using an electrolyser, and
electricity requirement in excess of production is met by converting the stored hydrogen
back to electricity using a fuel cell. |
| CALIFORNIA AMERICAN
HONDA FUELMAKER PLUG DTI (UK)
Sept 10 2004 |
American Honda Invests in Natural
Gas Home Refuelling
Honda, which has owned almost 20% of the Canadian FuelMaker
Corporation since 2000, is working directly with FuelMaker to complete development of
Phill(TM) a natural gas home refuelling appliance. It will be available for purchase in
limited quantities in California by spring 2005, a price of about $2,000. Depending on US
Federal, State, and local government rebates, the actual cost of ownership may be reduced
to consumers. Honda is also in an esablished alliance with US firm PlugPower, to develop
home hydrogen-from-natural gas reforming units that could fuel hydrogen fuel cell cars and
also supply electricity to the grid. |
AUSTRALIA UNITED KINGDOM
UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES The
Scotsman (UK) September 1, 2004 |
Energy Eureka That's Easy as H²O
Julia Horton
...they claim to have found a way of using titanium dioxide - which is often used
in toothpaste to give it its distinctive white colour - to "harvest" sunlight,
acting as a catalyst to split water to produce hydrogen. Researchers at [Sydney,
Australia's University of New South Wales] Centre for Materials and Energy Conversion
claim it would then be "a simple engineering exercise" to make an
energy-harvesting device with no moving parts and no pollutants to turn the so-called
solar hydrogen into "the cheapest, cleanest and most abundant energy source ever
developed". It would involve feeding the hydrogen gas into a fuel cell to create a
battery where a chemical reaction would produce electricity, which could be connected to
homes and businesses via underground cables to supply their power needs. The researchers
are convinced that they have created a revolutionary new way to harness the power of the
Sun to extract "almost unlimited" world energy supplies from water without
producing any pollution at all. The main by-products would be oxygen and water. The team
has even gone so far as to calculate that by placing ten-metre by ten-metre solar hydrogen
panels on the rooftops of 1.6 million houses, their proposed method could be used to
supply Australia’s entire energy needs. And, while the reality of such breakthrough
theories in the field of science is usually light years away, the Australian scientists
claim that their solution will be a reality within just seven years. Kerr MacGregor,
chairman of the Edinburgh-based Scottish Solar Energy Group, says: "If they can make
it work on a large enough scale, it is an amazing breakthrough. The problem with energy in
the world is not electricity, it is the chemical fuel for transporting [that energy, ie
coal, gas, etc]. "One of the answers is hydrogen, so if they can get it direct from
sunlight that is just wonderful. From a worldwide perspective it is a massive
breakthrough."
- Future Shock
Stephanie Peatling The Age
(AU) August 27, 2004
Australian cities will be a whole lot quieter in the not too distant
future, according to one man's vision. Silent cars will glide around city streets,
roof-top panels harnessing the sun's energy will generate enough power for the whole
country, the pace of global warming will have slowed, and powerlines will be replaced by
underground pipes. Australia will be one of the wealthiest countries in the world, having
beaten the rest of the world and captured the power of the sun to produce solar hydrogen
energy.
"Hydrogen will make Australia rich, and a paradise with a clean
environment," says Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu, director of the UN Industrial
Development Organisation. He is based at the University of Miami's Clean Energy Research
Institute. "Hydrogen will be the locomotive of the economy in this country."
- Solar Energy Used
to Create Hydrogen Fuel
Australian Broadcasting
August 27, 2004
The breakthrough made by scientists from the University of New South Wales, means
Australia is tantalisingly close to being able to generate its entire energy needs from
water and the sun. The centre for materials research and energy conversion unveiled its
new technology this morning at the international conference on materials for hydrogen
energy. It revealed that it's managed to improve the semi-conducting properties of
titanium dioxide. This means that this abundant source can now be used instead of
greenhouse gas-producing methane, to harvest sunlight and split water to produce hydrogen
fuel.
- New Process Could
Help Make Hydrogen Fuel Affordable
Stephanie Peatling National Geographic
August 27, 2004
|
| UNITED KINGDOM UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS |
Guardian August 26, 2004 |
Salad Oil May Fuel Hydrogen Car of
the Future Tim Radford
There is a problem: finding a source of hydrogen. At the moment, the chief
source available is burning the very fossil fuels hydrogen is intended to replace. Dr
Dupont and her colleagues think they may have an answer: a hydrogen generator that uses
only sunflower oil, air and water vapour. The secret lies in two catalysts, one based on
nickel, the other on carbon. "Hydrogen from sunflower oil could provide a more
environmentally-friendly alternative," she told the American Chemical Society
conference in Philadelphia yesterday. Her oil comes direct from supermarket shelves -
"we'd happily toss our salad with it." Her generator, so far, exists only on a
laboratory bench, and has yet to supply hydrogen to any fuel cells. But a similar device
could deliver hydrogen to the garage forecourt to fill the fuel cells of tomorrow's cars,
she said. |
| VIRGINIA VIRGINIA TECH |
EurekaAlert
August 25, 2004 |
Molecular Assemblies Created to
Convert Water to Hydrogen Gas
Supramolecular complexes created by Karen Brewer's group at
Virginia Tech convert light energy (solar energy) into a fuel that can be transported,
stored, and dispensed, such as hydrogen gas. ...Previous research has focused on
collecting electrons using light energy. The Brewer group has gone the next step and
created molecular machines that use light to bring electrons together (photoinitiated
electron collection) then deliver the electrons to the fuel precursor, in this case,
water, to produce hydrogen. The researchers create a large molecular assembly called a
supramolecular complex. Light signals this molecular assembly or machine to collect
electrons and make them available for delivery to substrates. |
| RUSSIA US LAWRANCE BERLELEY NATIONAL LAB WIND SAIL Aug 21, 2004 |
Russian
Scientists, California Lab Developing New Wind Turbine
Billings Gazette (WYOMING)/Knight Ridder
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory has teamed up with former soviet weapons scientists to
design a small-scale wind turbine that could be used by individuals to provide power to
their homes. ...The new turbine has vertical, fiberglass blades that rotate around a mast
like an eggbeater. ...Lawrence Berkeley helped form a new company, known as Wind Sail, to
commercialize the new turbine. Several more prototypes are being built in Russia's main
helicopter factory and are expected to arrive in Berkeley for testing this fall. ...Ryan
Wiser of the lab's Environmental Energies Technology division has been analyzing the
market for small wind turbines. Currently there are only around 300 small turbines in
California, he said. Many of the smaller turbines are owned by people with homes too
remote to connect to the traditional power grid. But Wiser thinks the rising cost of
fossil fuel energy combined with technological advances and government rebates will make
owning a wind turbine more attractive for homeowners connected to the grid. ...hydrogen
fuel cell technology created for the Soviet space program could be used for a wind-powered
hydrogen storage system. |
| UNITED KINGDOM HYDROGEN SOLAR |
BBC
August 12, 2004 |
Sun and Hydrogen 'to Fuel Future'
Jo Twist |
| Hydrogen Solar says it has managed to convert more than 8% of
sunlight directly into hydrogen with fuel cell technology it has specially developed. For
an energy source to be commercially viable, it must reach an efficiency of 10%, which is
an industry standard. ...The key to the process has been the advances in novel coatings
brought about by recent developments in nanotechnology. more |
How
Do They Work Together at Proton Energy?
Must be Chemistry Mary
Ellen Godin The Record Journal Sept 19, 2004
To engineers and scientists at Proton Energy Systems, the car of the
future won't be a gasoline-electric hybrid, but one that's powered by hydrogen and emits
only water. But the hybrids are useful — until hydrogen technology proves itself. The
federal government agrees, and to prove it, has given the eight-year-old company a
contract valued at $3.8 million to develop ways to reduce the cost of high-pressure
hydrogen generation and fueling. |
|
|
|
FUEL SAFETY: NATURAL GAS |
|
Natural Gas Leak, Explosion, and Fire
DuBois, Pennsylvania National Fuel Gas Distribution
Corporation
National Transportation Safety Board
August 21, 2004 |
|
On August 21, 2004, about 8:54 a.m., a natural gas explosion destroyed a
residence located at 48 Woodland Lane in DuBois, Pennsylvania. The two
residents were killed in this accident. |
SPAIN
CANADA STUART
ENERGY UNIVERSITY OF NAVARRA
EHN
HYDROELECTRIC ENERGY OF NAVARRA
STRATKRAFT SF
August 12, 2004 |
 |
EHN
Undertakes an Innovative Research Project to Produce H2 from Wind Power
The initiative comes under the collaboration agreement signed on 9 October 2003 in
Hamburg between EHN, Stuart Energy Systems Corporation (a leading Canadian group in the
field of hydrogen technologies) and Statkraft SF (the largest electricity company in
Norway). The projects sets out to evaluate, |
| demonstrate and implement energy solutions
based on hydrogen generated from renewable energy sources. ...EHN commissioned the project
to the Universidad Pública de Navarra, on whose premises the installation of the required
technical equipment was completed last Friday (6th August). The equipment includes an
electrolyser –supplied by Stuart Energy- with rated power of 5 kW and a production
capacity of 1 standard cubic meter of hydrogen per hour. The project also includes a 10 kW
electronic converter with current control and microprocessor-supervised operation,
developed by the UPNA. This converter will feed the electrolyser with voltage and current
similar to the levels produced on a wind farm, under all kinds of operating conditions. |
|
|
| CALIFORNIA ILLINOIS HYRADIX SUNLINE TRANSIT AGENCY August 5, 2004 |
HyRadix Hydrogen Generator Passes Permitting Hurdle -
HyRadix
The HyRadix Adeo(TM) hydrogen generator in service at SunLine Transit in Thousand
Palms, California recently received final permitting approval from the Riverside County
Fire Department. ...The Adeo hydrogen generator uses proprietary high
pressure auto-thermal reforming technology developed by HyRadix to convert natural gas or
propane into high purity, ultra-low CO content hydrogen for the refueling of hydrogen
vehicles. The Adeo unit forms the core of the first reformer-based hydrogen refueling
station operating in the State of California.
|
CONNECTICUT DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SYSTEMS
AIR PRODUCTS
Mass High Tech
August 4, 2004 |
| Proton Energy Systems Selected by
DOE for Hydrogen Car Fuel Research Under the project, Proton and Air
Products will perform research and development activities on a low-cost,
electrolysis-based hydrogen generation system capable of delivering hydrogen at 5,000
pounds per square inch and greater for automotive fueling. Proton and Air Products will
evaluate different system designs, including various renewable technology inputs.
Proton’s proprietary high-pressure cell stack will be a key component in the design
of the system. |
JAPAN
July 14, 2004
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY |
DRAMATIC INCREASE IN
BIOGAS RECOVERY FROM WASTE |
 |
World First Biogas
Plant to Recover Hydrogen and Methane Quickly from Kitchen Waste AIST
Energy Technology Research Institute
It is estimated that the development of the new
process reduces the overall process time from 25days to 15days, upgrades the percent
decomposition of organic waste from 60-65% to 80%, and improves the overall energy
recovery of the system from 40-46% to 55% or more (in term of heat quantity) in comparison
to the conventional methane fermentation. |
UNITED STATES
Rocky Mountain News July 10, 2004
US NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY |
Energetic Future Richard H.
Truly, Director, US National Renewable Energy Lab
Many energy experts envision hydrogen to be the hallmark of our energy
destination. In public-private partnerships involving the national laboratories,
commercial companies and universities, we are researching breakthrough technologies for
producing, delivering, storing and using hydrogen. And while early hydrogen production
will come mostly from fossil fuels, much research is currently directed toward producing
hydrogen from renewables. Here in Colorado, NREL has been doing hydrogen research
throughout its history and has recently been assigned a new mission of building a
capability of independent systems integrations and analysis for the program. This is very
appropriate considering the large number of companies and industries that must succeed for
the eventual hydrogen economy to be realized. Because it is so cross-cutting, hydrogen
will eventually blur the distinctions among the electricity, natural gas and
transportation industries, requiring an integrated strategy that avoids looking for
solutions for each industry in isolation.
|
 |
Optimized
Hydrogen and Electricity
Generation from Wind L.J.
Fingersh
National Renewable Energy Laboratory June 2003It
is possible to efficiently connect multiple hydrogen-
generating and -consuming devices to a modern variable-
speed wind turbine without substantial additional complexity in the electrical
power control system. In fact, it may be |
possible to connect an electrolyzer, regeneration device,
and battery to an existing turbine design with only the addition of some switches and
protection devices and no additional power electronics. By reusing existing wind turbine
components in this way, significant total system cost savings can be achieved.
A wind energy system that includes an integrated hydrogen system also
provides grid integration benefits. By including components whose energy consumption or
production can be controlled, dispatchability is added to the wind energy power plant
system. This dispatchability can be used to provide power at peak times of the day or year
or to provide other ancillary services to the grid. In addition, it may be possible to
reduce transmission line capacity from the wind plant by using the hydrogen system to
“clip the power peaks” of the wind output. In this way, the grid capacity factor
would be increased. With regeneration or batteries added, capacity factor would be
increased even more.
One of the more exciting prospects for adding hydrogen components to a wind
energy plant is the increased number of available options for site-specific optimization.
For example, one might choose to provide more electricity and less hydrogen if the winds
are steady and grid needs are high (as in California). One might also choose to produce
more hydrogen and less electricity in locations with strong winds but small electrical
loads (as in North Dakota). Even the type of grid available could influence the system
optimization. Weak grids might need more hydrogen-based regeneration or more battery power
when compared to stronger grids so that the wind plant could be dispatched when necessary
to support the weaker grid.
The addition of hydrogen to conventional renewable power generation offers
numerous advantages over stand-alone systems. Elimination of redundant systems, enhanced
efficiency, improved performance capability, and opportunities to provide optimized
application specific design are just a few of the possibilities. Future in-depth analyses
and systems integration studies will prove invaluable in determining the specific
configurations and applications providing the lowest cost of energy. |
2004 Annual
Hydrogen Program Review Proceedings
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY |
| UNITED STATES US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
May 24, 2004 |
Reviewing the first year of the President’s Hydrogen Fuel
Initiative
Steve Chalk, DOE Hydrogen Program Manager
Cost of a fuel cell prototype remains high (~$3,000/kW), but the high
volume1production cost of today’s technology has been reduced to $225/kW.
Hydrogen from Fossil Fuels
C. Lowell Miller, Director, DOE Office of Coal Fuels
& Industrial Systems
Hydrogen is cleanly produced from coal through gasification.
Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative Overview
David Henderson, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy,
Science and Technology
The goal of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) is to demonstrate the
commercial-scale production of hydrogen using nuclear energy by 2017.
Basic Research
Needs For the Hydrogen Economy
Walter J. Stevens, DOE Office of Science |
 |
To be economically competitive with the present fossil fuel
economy, the cost of fuel cells must be lowered by a factor of 10 or more and the cost of
producing hydrogen must be lowered by a factor of 4. Moreover, the performance and
reliability of hydrogen technology for transportation and other uses must be improved
dramatically. Simple incremental advances in the present state of the art cannot bridge
this gap. The only hope of narrowing the gap significantly is a comprehensive, long-range
program of innovative, |
high-risk/high-payoff basic research that is intimately coupled
to and coordinated with applied programs. The best scientists from universities and
national laboratories and the best engineers and scientists from industry must work in
interdisciplinary groups to find breakthrough solutions to the fundamental problems of
hydrogen production, storage, and use. The objective of such a program must not be
evolutionary advances but revolutionary breakthroughs in understanding and in controlling
the chemical and physical interactions of hydrogen with materials.
Hydrogen
Production and Delivery
Pete Devlin, DOE Office of Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, &
Infrastructure Technologies
Delivery Objectives: 1. By 2006, define a
cost-effective and energyefficient hydrogen fuel delivery infrastructure for the
introduction and long-term use of hydrogen for transportation and stationary power. 2. By
2015, reduce the total cost of hydrogen fuel delivery to <$1.00/kg. Develop hydrogen
fuel delivery technologies that enable the introduction and long-term viability of
hydrogen as an energy carrier for transportation and stationary power. |
| EUROPEAN UNION
EUROPEAN COMMISSION |
|
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Research in the European Union
Mr. Joaquín Martin Bermejo, DG Research – RTD/J-2
“….our objective is to realise a step-by-step shift, towards a fully integrated
hydrogen economy, based on renewable energy sources, by the middle of the century. ….
.We must focus on technologies that can sustain economic growth, neutralise the debate on
climate change and eliminate harmful pollution forever..…. In achieving this goal we
shall contribute to quality of life, peace and stability the world over”. --
President Romano Prodi |
| GENERAL ELECTRIC GLOBAL RESEARCH
PRAXAIR |
 |
Autothermal Cyclic
Reforming and H2 Refueling System
Ravi Kumar, Court Moorefield, Parag Kulkarni,
Boris Eiteneer, John Reinker, and Vladimir Zamansky, GE : Mike Manning,
Praxair
Design a reformer based refueling system that
can meet the DOE cost (<$2.50/kg) target; fabricate and operate an integrated 60 kg of
H2/day reforming and refueling system. |
| OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY |
|
Development of Supports and Membranes for Hydrogen Separation
Tim Armstrong, Brian Bischoff, Roddie Judkins, E. Andrew
Payzant, Scott Speakman
Develop a composite support tube structure especially for palladium
membranes.
Hydrogen
Transition Modeling and Analysis : HYTRANS v. 1.0
David Greene, Paul Leiby, Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Elzbieta
Tworek, University of Tennessee & StrataG; David Bowman, Consultant
The HyTrans project contributes to the
HFCIT Hydrogen Delivery goal of, “performing an analysis to help define a
cost-effective, energy efficient and safe hydrogen fuel delivery infrastructure for the
introduction and long-term use of hydrogen for transportation and stationary power.”
It also contributes to overcoming the barrier of, “Lack of Hydrogen/Carrier and
Infrastructure Options Analysis”. |
| NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY
LABORATORY |
Biological Systems for Hydrogen
Photoproduction
Maria L. Ghirardi, Pin-Ching Maness and Michael Seibert |
 |
We discovered how to produce an active algal
[Fe]-hydrogenase in E. coli by co-expressing it with assembly genes identified under a DOE
Office of Science project. This discovery allows us obtain large amounts of active
recombinant algal (and other Fe-) hydrogenases, thereby accelerating our ability to
generate and test site-directed mutants. |
Photoelectrochemical
Water Splitting John
A. Turner
The goal of this research is to develop a stable, cost effective,
photoelectrochemical based system that will split water using sunlight as the only energy
input.
Renewable
Electrolysis Integrated System Development and Testing
Ben Kroposki and Carolyn Elam |
 |
Past research on integrating electrolyzers with renewables has
focused on integrating commercially available electrolyzers and renewables, both complete
with their own dedicated power electronics and controller. Designing a single power
electronics package and controller will eliminate this redundancy; allow matching of
renewable power output to electrolyzer power requirements leading to gains in system
efficiency. This new design will eliminate the need for a constant voltage DC bus and
associated battery bank present in all systems previously studied. Typically power
electronics can be up to 30% of each system’s cost. |
WinDS-H2 Model and
Analysis
Walter Short, Donna Heimiller, Michael Berlinski, Nate Blair
Identify the scenarios, time frames and regions of the U.S. in which
wind turbines that generate both electricity and hydrogen are likely to become economical.
From a market perspective, optimize wind system concepts that produce both electricity and
hydrogen, both today and in the future
Moving Toward
Consistent Analysis in the HFC&IT Program: H2A
Margaret K. Mann
Bring consistency and transparency to hydrogen analysis. |
| SRI INTERNATIONAL
NANOGRAM NEOPHOTONICS |
Discovery of Photocatalysts for Hydrogen Production
Theodore Mill, Albert Hirschon, Michael Coggiola and
Brent MacQueen (PI),SRI International; Nobi Kambe, NanoGram Corp; Timothy
Jenks, Neophotonics |
 |
Develop
tools that will allow for the high throughput analysis of materials prepared with
commercially relevant synthetic means with respect to PEC hydrogen; use
Neophotonics/NanoGram's laser pyrolysis to prepare new materials
(composition/phase/particle size) for screening with respect to PEC hydrogen. |
| TELEDYNE ENERGY SYSTEMS |
|
Hydrogen Generation from Electrolysis
Steve Cohen, Samir Ibrahim
Develop low-cost, high efficiency, & safe alkaline water
electrolysis system for hydrogen production. |
| CANADA STUART ENERGY
CHEVRONTEXACO Stuart
Energy July 6,
2004 |
 |
Stuart Energy to
Supply Hydrogen Fueling Technology to ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures
|
| Stuart Energy Systems Corporation (TSX:
HHO) has been selected to design, build and integrate SES hydrogen fueling station modules
that intelligently interface with ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures' proprietary hydrogen
reformer technology. The technology will form part of a hydrogen fueling station project
from which ChevronTexaco Technology Ventures intends to deliver clean hydrogen to a fleet
of fuel cell vehicles. The Stuart Energy Station (SES) Compression, Storage and Fuel
Dispenser Modules will manage the flow of hydrogen from the reformer unit to the vehicles.
The intelligent SES system will also provide operational data.
|
MONTANA UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
IOWA AMES LABORATORY
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA |
 |
College
Considers Hydrogen Project
AP/Billings Gazette June 29, 2004
The hydrogen-powered campus and the new curriculum are the dream
of Paul Williamson, dean of the College of Technology, which
is part of the University of Montana system. His vision is part of an emerging plan for
the Fort Missoula area. more |
|
|
| DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SYSTEMS |
SolarAccess.com June 21, 2004 |
Hydrogen from Electrolysis
Chip Schroeder, CEO, Distributed Energy Systems
Renewables give us electricity, but not fuel. The only practical way to turn
renewably-
generated power (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal) into fuel is through electrolysis.
|
| MAINE CHEWONKI FOUNDATION |
Chewonki Foundation
June 22, 2004 |
Maine’s First Hydrogen
Project Officially Under Way
The centerpiece of the quarter-million-dollar
project is the design, installation, and operation of a hydrogen energy system fueled by
renewable energy. The system will create hydrogen from water by electrolysis, releasing
oxygen into the air as a byproduct. The electrolysis will be powered by renewable energy,
including solar power from photovoltaic panels on the roof of Chewonki’s Center for
Environmental Education, and “green power” purchased from Maine Renewable
Energy. The hydrogen will be stored until backup power is needed. If the regular power
supply is interrupted, the fuel cells will create electricity from the hydrogen, providing
up to four days of backup power for Chewonki’s Center. |
CREATING HYDROGEN
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