China, People’s Republic
Topology and Control of Fuel Cell Generation Converters
Jun 2023
Publication
Fuel cell power generation is one of the important ways of utilizing hydrogen energy which has good prospects for development. However fuel cell volt-ampere characteristics are nonlinear the output voltage is low and the fluctuation range is large and a power electronic converter matching its characteristics is required to achieve efficient and stable work. Based on the analysis of the fuel cell’s characteristic mechanism maximum power point tracking algorithm fuel cell converter characteristics application and converter control strategy the paper summarizes the general principles of the topology of fuel cell converters. In addition based on the development status of new energy hydrogen energy is organically combined with other new energy sources and the concept of 100% absorption system of new energy with green hydrogen as the main body is proposed to provide a reference for the development of hydrogen energy.
Numerical Investigation on NOx Emission of a Hydrogen-Fuelled Dual-Cylinder Free-Piston Engine
Jan 2023
Publication
The free-piston engine is a type of none-crank engine that could be operated under variable compression ratio and this provides it flexible fuel applicability and low engine emission potential. In this work several 1-D engine models including conventional gasoline engines free-piston gasoline engines and free-piston hydrogen engines have been established. Both engine performance and emission performance under engine speeds between 5–11 Hz and with different equivalent ratios have been simulated and compared. Results indicated that the free-piston engine has remarkable potential for NOx reduction and the largest reduction is 57.37% at 6 Hz compared with a conventional gasoline engine. However the figure of NOx from the hydrogen free-piston engine is slightly higher than that of the gasoline free-piston engine and the difference increases with the increase of engine speed. In addition several factors and their relationships related to hydrogen combustion in the free-piston engine have been investigated and results show that the equivalent ratio ϕ = 0.88 is a vital point that affects NOx production and the ignition advance timing could also affect combustion duration the highest in-cylinder temperature and NOx production to a large extent.
Time‐Decoupling Layered Optimization for Energy and Transportation Systems under Dynamic Hydrogen Pricing
Jul 2022
Publication
The growing popularity of renewable energy and hydrogen‐powered vehicles (HVs) will facilitate the coordinated optimization of energy and transportation systems for economic and en‐ vironmental benefits. However little research attention has been paid to dynamic hydrogen pricing and its impact on the optimal performance of energy and transportation systems. To reduce the dependency on centralized controllers and protect information privacy a time‐decoupling layered optimization strategy is put forward to realize the low‐carbon and economic operation of energy and transportation systems under dynamic hydrogen pricing. First a dynamic hydrogen pricing mechanism was formulated on the basis of the share of renewable power in the energy supply and introduced into the optimization of distributed energy stations (DESs) which will promote hydro‐ gen production using renewable power and minimize the DES construction and operation cost. On the basis of the dynamic hydrogen price optimized by DESs and the traffic conditions on roads the raised user‐centric routing optimization method can select a minimum cost route for HVs to purchase fuels from a DES with low‐cost and/or low‐carbon hydrogen. Finally the effectiveness of the proposed optimization strategy was verified by simulations.
Analysis of Hydrogen Production Potential from Waste Plastics by Pyrolysis and In Line Oxidative Steam Reforming
Oct 2021
Publication
A study was carried out on the valorization of different waste plastics (HDPE PP PS and PE) their mixtures and biomass/HDPE mixtures by means of pyrolysis and in line oxidative steam reforming. A thermodynamic equilibrium simulation was used for determining steam reforming data whereas previous experimental results were considered for setting the pyrolysis volatile stream composition. The adequacy of this simulation tool was validated using experimental results obtained in the pyrolysis and in line steam reforming of different plastics. The effect the most relevant process conditions i.e. temperature steam/plastic ratio and equivalence ratio have on H2 production and reaction enthalpy was evaluated. Moreover the most suitable conditions for the oxidative steam reforming of plastics of different nature and their mixtures were determined. The results obtained are evidence of the potential interest of this novel valorization route as H2 productions of up to 25 wt% were obtained operating under autothermal conditions.
Hydrogen Diffusion and Its Effect on Hydrogen Embrittlement in DP Steels with Different Martensite Content
Dec 2020
Publication
The hydrogen diffusion behavior and hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility of dual phase (DP) steels with different martensite content were investigated using the slow strain-rate tensile test and hydrogen permeation measurement. Results showed that a logarithmic relationship was established between the hydrogen embrittlement index (IHE) and the effective hydrogen diffusion coefficient (Deff). When the martensite content is low ferrite/ martensite interface behaves as the main trap that captures the hydrogen atoms. Also when the Deff decreases IHE increases with increasing martensite content. However when the martensite content reaches approximately 68.3% the martensite grains start to form a continuous network Deff reaches a plateau and IHE continues to increase. This is mainly related to the reduction of carbon content in martensite and the length of ferrite/martensite interface which promotes the diffusion of hydrogen atoms in martensite and the aggregation of hydrogen atoms at the ferrite/martensite interface. Finally a model describing the mechanism of microstructure-driven hydrogen diffusion with different martensite distribution was established.
A Review on Environmental Efficiency Evaluation of New Energy Vehicles Using Life Cycle Analysis
Mar 2022
Publication
New energy vehicles (NEVs) especially electric vehicles (EVs) address the important task of reducing the greenhouse effect. It is particularly important to measure the environmental efficiency of new energy vehicles and the life cycle analysis (LCA) model provides a comprehensive evaluation method of environmental efficiency. To provide researchers with knowledge regarding the research trends of LCA in NEVs a total of 282 related studies were counted from the Web of Science database and analyzed regarding their research contents research preferences and research trends. The conclusion drawn from this research is that the stages of energy resource extraction and collection carrier production and energy transportation maintenance and replacement are not considered to be research links. The stages of material equipment and car transportation and operation equipment settling and forms of use need to be considered in future research. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCEVs) vehicle type classification the water footprint battery recovery and reuse and battery aging are the focus of further research and comprehensive evaluation combined with more evaluation methods is the direction needed for the optimization of LCA. According to the results of this study regarding EV and hybrid power vehicles (including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and extended range electric vehicles (EREV)) well-to-wheel (WTW) average carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions have been less than those in the same period of gasoline internal combustion engine vehicles (GICEV). However EV and hybrid electric vehicle production CO2 emissions have been greater than those during the same period of GICEV and the total CO2 emissions of EV have been less than during the same period of GICEV.
Numerical Simulation of Hydrogen Leakage from Fuel Cell Vehicle in an Outdoor Parking Garage
Aug 2021
Publication
It is significant to assess the hydrogen safety of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) in parking garages with a rapidly increased number of FCVs. In the present work a Flame Acceleration Simulator (FLACS) a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) module using finite element calculation was utilized to predict the dispersion process of flammable hydrogen clouds which was performed by hydrogen leakage from a fuel cell vehicle in an outdoor parking garage. The effect of leakage diameter (2 mm 3 mm and 4 mm) and parking configurations (vertical and parallel parking) on the formation of flammable clouds with a range of 4–75% by volume was considered. The emission was assumed to be directed downwards from a Thermally Activated Pressure Relief Device (TPRD) of a 70 MPa storage tank. The results show that the 0.7 m parking space stipulated by the current regulations is less than the safety space of fuel cell vehicles. Compared with a vertical parking configuration it is safer to park FCVs in parallel. It was also shown that release through a large TPRD orifice should be avoided as the proportion of the larger hydrogen concentration in the whole flammable domain is prone to more accidental severe consequences such as overpressure.
Distinct facets to enhance the process of hydrogen production via methanol steam reforming—A review
Jan 2022
Publication
Methanol steam reforming manifests great potential for generating hydrogen owing to its lower reaction temperature (200–300 °C) and higher hydrogen/carbon ratio comparing with ethanol and methane reforming. In this case methanol steam reforming is applied in various renewable energy systems to assist the energy conversion and improve the system efficiency. The performance of methanol steam reforming reaction strongly depends on the catalysts and reactor structure. In this paper the development of the copper-based the noble metal–based and the nanomaterial catalysts were summarized by analyzing the effects of different modification methods which indicates that cutting the cost and simplifying the manufacturing process are the future goal of catalyst modification. Moreover the reaction mechanism of different catalyst type was discussed. For the reactor performance conventional miniature micro and membrane reactors were discussed and compared where conventional reactor with high CO tolerance is more suitable for industrial application while membrane reactor with high H2 purity and compact structure is ideal for fuel cell technology. The integration of the methanol steam reforming system into renewable power systems was reviewed as well. Methanol steam reforming technology is of great potential in exhaust heat recovery cogeneration system and other renewable energy field where more comprehensive research should be performed.
Modular Modeling Method and Power Supply Capability Evaluation for Integrated Hydrogen Production Stations of DC Systems
Mar 2022
Publication
Low-voltage DC distribution system has many advantages such as facilitating the access of DC loads and distributed energies and improving the network’s stability. It has become a new idea for integrated hydrogen production stations. Power supply capacity and small-signal stability are important indexes to evaluate a low-voltage DC integrated system. Based on the master–slave control mode this paper selects the typical star structure as the research object constructs the system transfer function through the scalable modular modeling method and further evaluates the impact of the high-order DC hydrogen production station integrated system on the hydrogen production capacity under the changes of the line length and master station position. The results show that the hydrogen production capacity of the system decreases gradually with the main station moving from side to inside. Finally a practical example is analyzed by MATLAB/Simulink simulation to verify the accuracy of the theory. This study can provide an effective theoretical method for the structure optimization and integrated parameter design of low-voltage DC system
A Case Study Using Hydrogen Fuel Cell as Range Extender for Lithium Battery Electric Vehicle
Mar 2024
Publication
This paper presents a case study of a lithium battery and fuel cell integrated powertrain system for a renewable energy vehicle. The performance analysis includes evaluating the energy consumption of the vehicle and the efficiency of the power generation components. When driven solely by the lithium battery at average speeds of 15 km/h and 20 km/h it was observed that speed significantly influences the travel distance of the vehicle with higher speeds resulting in lower mileage. The energy efficiency rates were found to be 89.3% and 85.7% at speeds of 15 km/h and 20 km/h respectively indicating an 18.1% decrease in efficiency from low to higher speeds. When the lithium battery is solely charged by the hydrogen fuel cell the efficiency under test conditions reaches approximately 32.5%. In the “FC + B + SC” driving mode which combines the use of the lithium battery fuel cell and solar panel to power the vehicle the travel range can be extended to 50.62 km and 42.05 km respectively representing an increase of over 50% with overall efficiencies of 63.8% and 60.7% respectively. This hybrid powertrain system exhibits rapid dynamic response high energy and power density and enables longer travel distances for the renewable energy vehicle.
Low-Carbon Strategic Planning of Integrated Energy Systems
Mar 2022
Publication
With the rapid promotion of renewable energy technologies and the trend to a low-carbon society the positive impacts of an integrated energy system that realizes various forms of energy-utilizing improvement and carbon reduction have fully emerged. Hydrogen with a decarbonized characteristic being integrated into the integrated energy system has become a viable option to offset the intermittency of renewables and decline the fossil fuel usage. An optimal planning model of a wind–photovoltaic–hydrogen storage-integrated energy system with the objective of total economic and environmental cost minimization by considering various energy technology investments is proposed. Case studies are developed to compare the economic and environmental benefits of different energy investment scenarios especially hydrogen applications. The cost–benefit analysis was carried out to prove that hydrogen investment is not a cost-competitive option but can alleviate the burden of carbon emissions somehow. Finally sensitivity analysis of key parameters of sale capacity carbon tax and renewable penetration level was performed to indicate the rational investment for a wind–photovoltaic–hydrogen storage-integrated energy system.
The Spatio-Temporal Evolution of China’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Innovation Network: Evidence From Patent Citation at Provincial Level
Oct 2021
Publication
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle industry is in a rapid development stage. Studying the domestic spatial distribution of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle industry across a country especially the spatio-temporal evolution of the innovation level and position of each region in innovation network will help to understand the industry’s development trends and characteristics and avoid repeated construction. This article uses social network analysis and patent citation information of 2971 hydrogen fuel cell vehicle related invention patents owned by 218 micro-innovators across 25 provinces of China from 2001 to 2020 to construct China’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle innovation network. Based on the dimensions of knowledge production knowledge consumption and network broker the network positions of sample provinces in three periods divided by four main national policies are classified. The main findings are as follows. 1) In China the total sales of hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and the development of supporting infrastructure are balanced and a series of national and local industrial development polices have been issued. 2) China’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle innovation network density the proportion of universities and research institutes among the innovators and the active degree of the eastern provinces are all becoming higher. 3) The provinces in optimal network position are all from the eastern region. Shanghai and Liaoning are gradually replaced by Beijing and Jiangsu. 4) Sichuan in the western region is the only network broker based on knowledge consumption. 5) Although Zhejiang Tianjin Hebei Guangdong and Hubei are not yet in the optimal position they are outstanding knowledge producers. Specifically Guangdong is likely to climb to the optimal network position in the next period. The conclusions will help China’s provinces to formulate relevant development policies to optimize industry layout and enhance collaborative innovation in the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle industry.
A Study of Hydrogen Embrittlement of SA-372 J Class High Pressure Hydrogen Storage Seamless Cylinder (≥100 MPA)
Nov 2022
Publication
The spinning process will lead to changes in the micro-structure and mechanical properties of the materials in different positions of the high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinder which will show different hydrogen embrittlement resistance in the high-pressure hydrogen environment. In order to fully study the safety of hydrogen storage in large-volume seamless steel cylinders this chapter associates the influence of the forming process with the deterioration of a high-pressure hydrogen cylinder (≥100 MPa). The anti-hydrogen embrittlement of SA-372 grade J steel at different locations of the formed cylinders was studied experimentally in three cylinders. The hydrogen embrittlement experiments were carried out according to method A of ISO 11114-4:2005. The relationship between tensile strength microstructure and hydrogen embrittlement is analyzed which provides comprehensive and reliable data for the safety of hydrogen storage and transmission.
Environmental Benefit and Investment Value of Hydrogen-Based Wind-Energy Storage System
Mar 2021
Publication
Alongside the rapid expansion of wind power installation in China wind curtailment is also mounting rapidly due to China’s energy endowment imbalance. The hydrogen-based wind-energy storage system becomes an alternative to solve the puzzle of wind power surplus. This article introduced China’s energy storage industry development and summarized the advantages of hydrogen-based wind-energy storage systems. From the perspective of resource conservation it estimated the environmental benefits of hydrogen-based wind-energy storages. This research also builds a valuation model based on the Real Options Theory to capture the distinctive flexible charging and discharging features of the hydrogen-based wind-energy storage systems. Based on the model simulation results including the investment value and operation decision of the hydrogen energy storage system with different electricity prices system parameters and different levels of subsidies are presented. The results show that the hydrogen storage system fed with the surplus wind power can annually save approximately 2.19–3.29 million tons of standard coal consumption. It will reduce 3.31–4.97 million tons of CO2 SO2 NOx and PM saving as much as 286.6–429.8 million yuan of environmental cost annually on average. The hydrogen-based wind-energy storage system’s value depends on the construction investment and operating costs and is also affected by the meanreverting nature and jumps or spikes in electricity prices. The market-oriented reform of China’s power sector is conducive to improve hydrogen-based wind-energy storage systems’ profitability. At present subsidies are still essential to reduce initial investment and attract enterprises to participate in hydrogen energy storage projects.
Integrated Energy System Optimal Operation in Coal District With Hydrogen Heavy Trucks
Sep 2021
Publication
The coal industry contributes significantly to the social economy but the emission of greenhouse gases puts huge pressure on the environment in the process of mining transportation and power generation. In the integrated energy system (IES) the current research about the power-to-gas (P2G) technology mainly focuses on the injection of hydrogen generated from renewable energy electrolyzed water into natural gas pipelines which may cause hydrogen embrittlement of the pipeline and cannot be repaired. In this paper sufficient hydrogen energy can be produced through P2G technology and coal-to-hydrogen (C2H) of coal gasification considering the typical scenario of coal district is rich in coal and renewable energy. In order to transport the mined coal to the destination hydrogen heavy trucks have a broad space for development which can absorb hydrogen energy in time and avoid potentially dangerous hydrogen injection into pipelines and relatively expensive hydrogen storage. An optimized scheduling model of electric-gas IES is proposed based on second-order cone programming (SOCP). In the model proposed above the closed industrial loop (including coal mining hydrogen production truck transportation of coal and integrated energy systems) has been innovatively studied to consume renewable energy and coordinate multi-energy. Finally an electric-gas IES study case constructed by IEEE 30-node power system and Belgium 24-node natural gas network was used to analyze. The results show that by introducing the proposed hydrogen production technology typical daily operating costs are effectively reduced by 7.7%. Under China’s carbon emissions trading system the operating costs of hydrogen heavy trucks have been reduced by 0.95 and 4.68% respectively compared with electric vehicles and diesel trucks. Under Europe’s stricter carbon emissions trading system the percentages of cost reduction are 2.56 and 9.12% respectively. The above technical results verify the feasibility economy low carbon and effectiveness of the proposed mechanism.
Techno-economic Assessment of a Chemical Looping Splitting System for H2 and CO Co-generation
Feb 2022
Publication
The natural gas (NG) reforming is currently one of the low-cost methods for hydrogen production. However the mixture of H2 and CO2 in the produced gas inevitably includes CO2 and necessitates the costly CO2 separation. In this work a novel double chemical looping involving both combustion (CLC) and sorption-enhanced reforming (SE-CLR) was proposed towards the co-production of H2 and CO (CLC-SECLRHC) in two separated streams. CLC provides reactant CO2 and energy to feed SECLRHC which generates hydrogen in a higher purity as well as the calcium cycle to generate CO in a higher purity. Techno-economic assessment of the proposed system was conducted to evaluate its efficiency and economic competitiveness. Studies revealed that the optimal molar ratios of oxygen carrier (OC)/NG and steam/NG for reforming were recommended to be 1.7 and 1.0 respectively. The heat integration within CLC and SECLRHC units can be achieved by circulating hot OCs. The desired temperatures of fuel reactor (FR) and reforming reactor (RR) should be 850 °C and 600 °C respectively. The heat coupling between CLC and SECLRHC units can be realized via a jacket-type reactor and the NG split ratio for reforming and combustion was 0.53:0.47. Under the optimal conditions the H2 purity the H2 yield and the CH4 conversion efficiency were 98.76% 2.31 mol mol-1 and 97.96% respectively. The carbon and hydrogen utilization efficiency respectively were 58.60% and 72.45% in terms of the total hydrogen in both steam and NG. The exergy efficiency of the overall process reached 70.28%. In terms of the conventional plant capacity (75×103 t y-1 ) and current raw materials price (2500 $ t-1 ) the payback period can be 6.2 years and the IRR would be 11.5 demonstrating an economically feasible and risk resistant capability.
Using Multicriteria Decision Making to Evaluate the Risk of Hydrogen Energy Storage and Transportation in Cities
Jan 2023
Publication
Hydrogen is an environmentally friendly source of renewable energy. Energy generation from hydrogen has not yet been widely commercialized due to issues related to risk management in its storage and transportation. In this paper the authors propose a hybrid multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM)-based method to manage the risks involved in the storage and transportation of hydrogen (RSTH). First we identified the key points of the RSTH by examining the relevant literature and soliciting the opinions of experts and used this to build a prototype of its decision structure. Second we developed a hybrid MCDM approach called the D-ANP that combined the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMENTEL) with the analytic network process (ANP) to obtain the weight of each point of risk. Third we used fuzzy evaluation to assess the level of the RSTH for Beijing China where energy generation using hydrogen is rapidly advancing. The results showed that the skills of the personnel constituted the most important risk-related factor and environmental volatility and the effectiveness of feedback were root factors. These three factors had an important impact on other factors influencing the risk of energy generation from hydrogen. Training and technical assistance can be used to mitigate the risks arising due to differences in the skills of personnel. An appropriate logistics network and segmented transportation for energy derived from hydrogen should be implemented to reduce environmental volatility and integrated supply chain management can help make the relevant feedback more effective.
Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Hydriding and Dehydriding Reactions in Mg-based Hydrogen Storage Materials
Oct 2021
Publication
Mg-based materials are one of the most promising hydrogen storage candidates due to their high hydrogen storage capacity environmental benignity and high Clarke number characteristics. However the limited thermodynamics and kinetic properties pose major challenges for their engineering applications. Herein we review the recent progress in improving their thermodynamics and kinetics with an emphasis on the models and the influence of various parameters in the calculated models. Subsequently the impact of alloying composite and nano-crystallization on both thermodynamics and dynamics are discussed in detail. In particular the correlation between various modification strategies and the hydrogen capacity dehydrogenation enthalpy and temperature hydriding/dehydriding rates are summarized. In addition the mechanism of hydrogen storage processes of Mg-based materials is discussed from the aspect of classical kinetic theories and microscope hydrogen transferring behavior. This review concludes with an outlook on the remaining challenge issues and prospects.
The Role of Hydrogen in the Corrosion and Cracking of Steels - A Review
Oct 2021
Publication
In many processes of steel industrial including steel manufacture storage and service hydrogen could be absorbed into metallic materials and the absorbed hydrogen seriously impaired its corrosion resistance. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the effects of hydrogen on passive film anodic dissolution pitting corrosion and stress corrosion cracking and based on the review the mechanism by which hydrogen promotes corrosion of steel and subsequently leads to cracking has been discussed. It is envisaged that hydrogen harms the stability of the passive film and as a result escalates anode’s activation of steel eventually leading to pitting and stress corrosion cracking.
Influence of Air Distribution on Combustion Characteristics of a Micro Gas Turbine Fuelled by Hydrogen-doped Methane
Nov 2021
Publication
Adding hydrogen to the fuel can change the combustion characteristics and greatly improve the pollutants emission for the gas turbine. The numerical method was adopted to study the combustion process in a counter-flow combustor of a 100 kW micro gas turbine using methane doped by hydrogen and various distribution schemes of air flow. The combustion characteristics and pollutant emissions were explored to ascertain the influence of air distribution based on solving the validated models. It was shown that as the amount of premixed air increased in the swirling gas the range of the recirculation region became larger and the range of the high-temperature zone in the combustion chamber gradually enlarged. When the amount of premixed air was 30% the outlet temperature distribution of the combustor was excellent and the average temperature was 1172 K. Moreover the concentration of NOX gradually increased and reached a maximum value of 23.46 ppm (@15% O2) as the premixed air increased in the range of the ratio less than 40%. It was reduced to 0.717 ppm (@15% O2) when the amount of premixed air increased to 50%. These findings may support the running of the micro gas turbine using the hybrid fuel of hydrogen and methane.
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