Regenerative Hydrogen:

Potential and Perspective

Manfred Klell, HyCentA

7th A3PS Conference Eco-Mobility 2012, Vienna

Slide 2

Source: Züttel 2008

Hydrogen provides a sustainable energy cycle with closed loop feedstock:

Production from water through electrolysis

Storage as compressed gas, liquified or in compounds

Combustion in fuel cells or internal combustion engines emitting water

Hydrogen Economy

electrical

energy

biogas,

biomass

(electrical)

energy

Slide 3

Hydrogen Production

Steam Reforming of Methane – 95 % of produced hydrogen

Endothermic catalytic reaction of light hydrocarbons (methane, naphta)

with water, synthetic gas at 800 °C, 30 bar, high efficiency up to 80 %.

Shift reaction and PSA (pressure swing absorption) for 99.999 % H2.

CnHmOk + (n-k) H2O → n CO + (n+m/2-k) H2

Gasification is a traditional method to produce a fuel gas from organic substances in a complex

thermo-chemical process including pyrolysis (anaerobic), oxidation and reduction. Coal,

wood or any biomass is gasified in a reactor at temperatures between 500 and 2000 °C

yielding synthetic gas, efficiency around 50 %.

Electrolysis – CO2-free production method, efficiencies up to 70 %

Alkaline Electrolyzers (100-150°C), electrolyte: alkaline solution

of sodium or potassium hydroxide, PEM Electrolyzers (80-120°C),

electrolyte: proton exchange membrane, high pressures investigated.

H2O (l) → H2 (g) + ½ O2 (g) ΔRH = 286 kJ/mol

Slide 4

Hydrogen Storage

Compressed gaseous hydrogen CGH2:

relatively simple system,

compression consumes 10 - 15 % of energy content Hu

at pressures up to 700 bar safety issues

low energy density 1.7 kWh/kg, 0.7 kWh/dm³

Liquid hydrogen LH2:

cryogenic storage at ambient pressure at -253°C

liquefaction consumes 20 - 30 % of energy content Hu

complex and open storage system – boil off losses (1% to 3% per day)

medium energy density 2 kWh/kg, 1.2 kWh/dm³

Physical adsorption and chemical absorption:

H2 molecules are bound on the surface or in the atomic lattice,

energy densities theoretically high, practically low, in lab scale,

difficult conditions for charging and decharching (high or low

temperatures, high pressures, long time)

Slide 5

Hydrogen is highly inflammable in air and can be combusted in

internal combustion engines, fuel cells and turbines.

Hydrogen Application

H2 + ½ O2 → H2O

ΔRH = -286 kJ/mol

Slide 6

Hydrogen challenges

• CO2 free secondary energy carrier

• high costs of production and storage

• high costs of infrastructure and materials

• high costs of applications and components

• safety and standards

• public acceptance

• positive perspective for H2

Slide 7

Hydrogen Costs

7,101,70

30,6033,90

34,40

29,30

13,70

17,70

6,00 4,728,70 10,00

0,00

10,00

20,00

30,00

40,00

50,00

60,00

Co

sts

EU

RO

-Cen

t/kW

h (

Nett

o)

Costs for Hydrogen, Natural Gas and GasolineBasis: H2-Production of 50 t/a (1.6∙10

6 kWh/a)

Operating costs(Electricity, NG, Water)

Investment Costs(Amort. Period: 3a)

Slide 8

Hydrogen Infrastructure

• Reformer

– Investment: 1.500.000 €

– Operation: 300.000 €/a

– Costs H2,Oper: 6,15 €/kg

– Costs H2,tot: 16,34 €/kg

0,49 €/kWh

• Elektrolysis

– Investment: 2.100.000 €

– Operation: 365.000 €/a

– Costs H2,Oper: 5,89 €/kg

– Costs H2,tot: 17,18 €/kg

0,52 €/kWh

Slide 9

Enertrag Hybridkraftwerk: opened 25.10.2011 in Prenzlau, 3 wind turbines

Enercon E-82 à 2,3 MW, 500 kW Alkali-Electrolysis of 260 kg H2/d (h = 75 %),

storage of 1150 kg H2 at 45 bar. Invest. 21 Mio. €

Power to Gas

Slide 10

Power to Gas

Source: DVGW 2012

Slide 11

Onsite Infrastructure:

Reforming Biomethane to H2

Austrian Lighthouse Project; 2010 – 2013; 4,754 Mio. €:

In a customer fleet of warehouse trucks the battery is replaced by a power

package with a fuel cell range extender and a high pressure hydrogen tank

system. The hydrogen is produced locally by reforming biomethane.

Accomanying studies

Project management Power Pack with fuel Cell

and 350 bar H2 system

Eco

Solution

Forklifts

E-LOG Biofleet

http://www.schenker.at/index.html

Slide 12

E-LOG Biofleet

• Technical specification and arrangement of:

reformer, natural gas compressor, hydrogen comressor,

high pressure storage, dispenser, EX protection zone

Slide 13

E-LOG Biofleet

• DRGA 514: Wasserstofftankstellen (VdTÜV)

• ÖVGW G97: Erdgas-Betankungsanlagen

Slide 14

Analysis of H2 Filling Process

Master Theses at HyCentA:

• Striednig, M., 2013: Thermodynamische Analyse

eines Betankungsprozesses mit Druckgas

Theoretical und practical investigations of the temperature rise during

the filling process of a pressure tank due to compression and Joule-Thomson-effect.

Slide 15

Numerical simulation

of the temperature rise in a vehicle tank / Matlab Simulink

HP hydrogen

storage

@ 400 bar

Equations:

• Mass balance

𝒅𝒎

𝒅𝒕= 𝒎 𝒆𝒊𝒏

• 1st law of thermodynamics

𝜹𝑾𝒕 + 𝜹𝑸𝒂 + 𝒅𝒎𝒊 𝒉𝒊 + 𝒆𝒂,𝒊𝒊

= 𝒅𝑼+ 𝒅𝑬𝒂

• 2nd law of thermodynamics

𝒅𝑺𝑸 + 𝒅𝒎𝒊 𝒔𝒊 + 𝒅𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒓 = 𝒅𝑺

𝒊

• Equation of state

𝒑𝒗

𝑹𝑻= 𝒁

Dispenser (mass flow control)

Vehicle tank

@ 260 bar

Analysis of H2 Filling Process

Slide 16

Verification of simulation results at HyCentA test-bed:

Measurement of: • Axial temperature distribution (TC 1-8)

• Vehicle tank surface temperature (TS 1-3)

• HP Storage surface temperature (TB)

• In-line gas temperature (TL)

• Gas temperature after proportional valve (TT 702)

• Gas pressure after proportional valve (PT 701)

• Ambient temperature

TS 1

Vehicle Tank Dispenser

TC1 TC2 TC3 TC 4 TC 5 TC6 TC7 TC8

TS 1 TS 2 TS 3

TB

TL

TT 702

PT 701

HP Storage

Analysis of H2 Filling Process

Slide 17

Typical measurement results:

APRR: 271.79 [bar/min]

NWP: 199.69 [bar]

SOC: 99.81 [%]

Analysis of H2 Filling Process

Slide 18

HYCAR 1 – Multi-Flex-Fuel

First Austrian multi-flex-fuel vehicle for operation with gasoline, natural gas,

hydrogen, and mixtures of CNG and CGH2, see SAE paper 2009-01-1420,

IJVD vol. 54 no.2 2010, IJHE vol. 37 no.15 2012

© TU Graz/Lunghammer

Slide 19

Hydrogen Center Austria

Centre of Education & Centre of Research

TU Graz since October 2005

Slide 20

Facilities

• Infrastructure meeting all safety standards

• Test stands with supply of helium, nitrogen,

hydrogen

• Electronic control center

• State of the art testing and

measuring equipment

• Specialized personnel

• Filling facility for gaseous hydrogen at 350 bar

Slide 21

Activities

• Testing activities with customer-specific hydrogen test setups

with electronic process control

• Thermodynamic analysis of processes and systems

• Economical and ecological analysis of processes and systems

• Expertise in questions of safety, standards and regulations

• Conceptual design of compressed hydrogen gas-systems for

stationary and mobile application

• Scientific research, lecturing and publications

Slide 22

Lecturing and publications

• Hydrogen Conferences in Graz

2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

• Lecture at TU Graz:

Hydrogen in Energy

and Vehicle Technology

• Manfred Klell:

Thermodynamik des Wasserstoffs.

Habilitationsschrift, TU Graz 2010

• Studybook 2012: Eichlseder/Klell:

Wasserstoff in der Fahrzeugtechnik

Erzeugung, Speicherung, Anwendung.

VIEWEG Verlag, 3nd edition.

Slide 23

www.hycenta.at

Contact:

HyCentA Research GmbH

Univ.-Doz. DI Dr. Manfred Klell (CEO)

Inffeldgasse 15

A-8010 Graz

Tel.: 0316-873-9500

klell@hycenta.at