Science and Engineering of Hydrogen-Based Energy Technologies

Hydrogen Production and Practical Applications in Energy Generation

Paulo Emilio Miranda

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780128142523
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Renewable Power Resources
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Science and Engineering of Hydrogen-Based Energy Technologies explores the generation of energy using hydrogen and hydrogen-rich fuels in fuel cells from the perspective of its integration into renewable energy systems using the most sound and current scientific knowledge.

The book first examines the evolution of energy utilization and the role expected to be played by hydrogen energy technologies in the world's energy mix, not just for energy generation, but also for carbon capture, storage and utilization. It provides a general overview of the most common and promising types of fuel cells, such as PEMFCs, SOFCs and direct alcohol fuel cells. The co-production of chemical and electrolysis cells, as well as the available and future materials for fuel cells production are discussed. It then delves into the production of hydrogen from biomass, including waste materials, and from excess electricity produced by other renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal. The main technological approaches to hydrogen storage are presented, along with several possible hydrogen energy engineering applications.

Science and Engineering of Hydrogen-Based Energy Technologies's unique approach to hydrogen energy systems makes it useful for energy engineering researchers, professionals and graduate students in this field. Policy makers, energy planning and management professionals, and energy analysts can also benefit from the comprehensive overview that it provides.

• Presents engineering fundamentals, commercially deployed technologies, up-and-coming developments and applications through a systemic approach
• Explores the integration of hydrogen technologies in renewable energy systems, including solar, wind, bioenergy and ocean energy
• Covers engineering standards, guidelines and regulations, as well as policy and social aspects for large-scale deployment of these technologies

Chapter 1

Hydrogen Energy

Sustainable and Perennial

Paulo Emílio V. de Miranda Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Abstract

Hydrogen energy involves the use of hydrogen and/or hydrogen-containing compounds to generate energy to be supplied to all practical uses needed with high energy efficiency, overwhelming environmental and social benefits, as well as economic competitiveness. The world is presently experimenting the dawning of hydrogen energy in all sectors that includes energy production, storage, and distribution; electricity, heat, and cooling for buildings and households; the industry; transportation; and the fabrication of feedstock. Energy efficiency and sustainability are two important factors driving the transition from the present fossil fuel–based economy to a circular economy, that is, a renewable circular sustainable fuel utilization cycle that will characterize the highly efficient engineering and the energy technological choices of the 21st century. This chapter analyzes advanced technological options for hydrogen production and discusses methods and prospects of its utilization in the main energy sectors to fully implement the use of hydrogen energy technologies. The unexpected possibility of discovering and harvesting natural hydrogen on earth, once believed inexistent, is unveiled and analyzed for understanding possible geological interpretations to guide future activity of sustainable and perennial fuel.

Keywords

Fuel cells; Hydrogen energy; Hydrogen energy technologies; Hydrogen production; Natural hydrogen

Overview

Hydrogen energy unveils perennial and sustainable energy production and utilization methods to fulfill all needs required by the human society. It represents an opportunity to utilize a great possible variety of raw materials and an energy source, such as electricity, heat, or mechanical work, to obtain fuel to be used in energy-efficient devices and therefrom to generate the same energy elements, such as electricity, heat, or mechanical work, with very limited noise and no aggressive wastes. This circular path concerning energy production and use had not been achieved and made possible for large-scale utilization until the advent of hydrogen energy became a reality.

The adoption and implementation of hydrogen energy makes more clean and sustainable energy available and introduces the creative and innovative concept of a circular economy, restorative by nature. This requires the use of intermittent renewable energy and the adequate control of seasonal energy storage. It also calls for a transition from the present fossil fuel–based energy system that is hitherto characterized for being structured in such a way that it possesses fuel ownership spotted in selective geographical locations, that it presents growing consumption of known reserves to depletion, that its exploitation devastates the environment, and that its utilization is made using energy-inefficient and pollutant engineering procedures and technologies. Such transition is able to create a system that is based on renewable energies, such as hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal, and oceanic energies, and is also based on a host of raw materials as source of the energy carrier that includes water and virtually any type of biomass. It makes the selection of primary energy and raw material to be adopted under judicious local possibilities and the possession of fuel to be widely distributed throughout the world, potentially decreasing concentrated ownership for market control. It also introduces the utilization of the most efficient energy converter known, the fuel cell. It abandons the sequential and inefficient conversion of energy forms used by heat engines, turbines, and motors, to make the direct, unique, and highly efficient electrochemical energy conversion of the chemical energy contained in the fuel into electric energy and heat, thereby producing water.

Other energy transitions have been experienced before. Since several thousand centuries ago, biomass, mainly wood, has been used as a source of energy, and watermills and windmills were known since several thousand years ago. Renewable energies and fuels dominated the scene for the period the human kind continuously developed to enter modern times. A transition to the fossil fuel era was made with the use of coal and the steam engine and characterized the Industrial Revolution from the 18th century. The peak supply of world energy with wood occurred around 1850 and that of coal to transition to petroleum happened by 1930. The internal combustion engine was the invention that accelerated the use of oil derivatives and the supply of world energy with oil peaked in 2000. Curiously, the world’s first automobile powered with an internal combustion engine used hydrogen as fuel, which was designed and demonstrated by François Isaac de Rivaz in 1806. Due to political and economic crises related to the commercialization of oil, since the years 1970 the consumption of natural gas increased steadily and is expected to peak by 2050, when the hydrogen economy will be installed and will have paved the way to take the world lead for energy supply. The transition from one fuel to another has not eliminated the use of previous ones. Instead, their utilization has been superimposed with progressive higher amounts. Wood, coal, oil, and natural gas are all simultaneously supplied, as well as the electricity from hydropower, nuclear, thermal, and geothermal plants. In complement to that, much electricity is also generated using modern...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Foreword
• Preface
• Chapter 1. Hydrogen Energy: Sustainable and Perennial
• Chapter 2. Fuel Cells
• Chapter 3. Potential of Hydrogen Production From Biomass
• Chapter 4. Energy Storage Using Hydrogen Produced From Excess Renewable Electricity: Power to Hydrogen
• Chapter 5. Hydrogen Energy Engineering Applications and Products
• Chapter 5.2. Hydrogen Storage and Transport Technologies
• Chapter 5.2.2. Hydrogen Storage and Transport by Organic Hydrides and Application of Ammonia
• Chapter 5.3. Utilization of Hydrogen Energy
• Chapter 5.3.2. Application of Hydrogen Combustion for Electrical and Motive Power Generation
• Chapter 5.3.3. Application of Hydrogen by Use of Chemical Reactions of Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide
• Chapter 5.3.4. Application of Hydrogen Storage Alloys
• Chapter 6. Regulatory Framework, Safety Aspects, and Social Acceptance of Hydrogen Energy Technologies
• Chapter 7. Roadmapping
• Chapter 8. Market, Commercialization, and Deployment—Toward Appreciating Total Owner Cost of Hydrogen Energy Technologies
• Index