Italy

Integrated steelworks off-gases are generally exploited to produce heat and electricity. However further valorization can be achieved by using them as feedstock for the synthesis of valuable products such as methane and methanol with the addition of renewable hydrogen. This was the aim of the recently concluded project entitled “Intelligent and integrated upgrade of carbon sources in steel industries through hydrogen intensified synthesis process Read More

T The large-scale implementation of solar hydrogen production requires an optimal combination of photovoltaic systems with suitably-designed electrochemical cells possibly avoiding power electronics for DC-DC conversion to decrease costs. Here a stable solar-driven water splitting system is presented obtained through the direct connection of a state-of-the-art proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer to a bifacial silicon hetero j Read More

The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term planning of the Italian power sector from 2021 to 2050. The key role of photovoltaic and wind technologies in combination with power-to-power systems based on hydrogen and batteries is investigated. An updated version of the OSeMOSYS tool is used which employs a clustering method for the representation of time-varying input data. First the potential of variable renewable energy sources (VR Read More

The effective storage of hydrogen is a critical challenge that needs to be overcome for it to become a widely used and clean energy source. Various methods exist for storing hydrogen including compression at high pressures liquefaction through extreme cooling (i.e. -253 °C) and storage with chemical compounds. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. MAST3RBoost (Maturing the Production Standards of Ultraporous Structures for High De Read More

This study explores the potentiality of low/zero carbon fuels such as methanol methane and hydrogen for motor applications to pursue the goal of energy security and environmental sustainability. An experimental investigation was performed on a spark ignition engine equipped with both a port fuel and a direct injection system. Liquid fuels were injected into the intake manifold to benefit from a homogeneous charge formation. Gaseous fuels were injecte Read More

To meet environmental goals while maintaining economic competitiveness worldwide ports have increased the amount of renewable energy production and have focused in optimizing performances and energy efficiency. However carbon-neutral operation of industrial port areas (IPA) is challenging and requires the decarbonization of industrial processes and heavy transport systems. This study proposes a comprehensive review of decarbon ization strateg Read More

This paper presents the development validation and application of a numerical model to simulate the process of refueling hydrogen-powerd heavy-duty vehicles with a cascade hydrohen refueling station design. The model is implemented and validated using experimental data from SAE J2601. The link between the average pressure ramp (APRR) and flow rate which is responsible for the dynamic evolution of the refueling process was analyzed. V Read More

Methane is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Blending hydrogen with natural gas in existing networks presents a promising strategy to reduce these emissions and support the transition to a carbon-neutral energy system. However hydrogen’s potential for atmospheric release raises safety and environmental concerns necessitating an assessment of its impact on methane emissions and leakage behavior. This stu Read More

Green hydrogen is among the most promising energy vectors that may enable the decarbonization of our society. The present study addresses the decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors via the deployment of sustainable alternatives to current technologies and processes where the complete replacement of fossil fuels is deemed not nearly immediate. In particular the investigated case study tackles the emission reduction potential of st Read More

The present study investigates the feasibility of coupling the intermittent electric power generation from a wind farm with alkaline electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen. A physically accurate model of commercial elec trolytic modules has been first developed accounting for conversion efficiency drop due to modules’ cool down effects of shutdowns due to the intermittence of wind power and voltage degradation over the working time frame. The mod Read More

The growing concern about climate change and the contemporary increase in mobility requirements call for faster cheaper safer and cleaner means of transportation. The retrofitting of fossil-fueled piston engine ultralight aerial vehicles to hydrogen power systems is an option recently proposed in this direction. The goal of this investigation is a comparative analysis of the environmental impact of conventional and hydrogen-based propulsive syst Read More

Hydrogen is a promising solution for the decarbonisation of several hard-to-abate end uses which are mainly in the industrial and transport sectors. The development of an extensive hydrogen delivery infrastructure is essential to effectively activate and deploy a hydrogen economy connecting production storage and demand. This work adopts a mixed-integer linear programming model to study the cost-optimal design of a future hydrogen infrastru Read More

Positive Energy Districts can be defined as connected urban areas or energy-efficient and flexible buildings which emit zero greenhouse gases and manage surpluses of renewable energy production. Energy storage is crucial for providing flexibility and supporting renewable energy integration into the energy system. It can balance centralized and distributed energy generation while contributing to energy security. Energy storage can respond to supple Read More

This paper investigates hydrogen’s potential to accelerate the energy transition in hardto-abate sectors such as steel petrochemicals glass cement and paper. The goal is to assess how hydrogen produced from renewable sources can foster both industrial decarbonization and the expansion of renewable energy installations especially solar and wind. Hydrogen’s dual role as a fuel and a chemical agent for process innovation is explored with a focus Read More

Hydrogen is on the rise as a substitute for fossil fuel in the energy sector. While this substitution does not happen dramatically the steady increase in hydrogen related research might be a good indicator of such desire. As it stands there are issues regarding its safe handling and use; consequently the health and safety subsectors observe the situation conspicuously. As we yet to know the behavior of hydrogen in critical situations uncertainties make the Read More

This study presents and analyses three plant configurations of the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) technology. All the solutions are based on using the OTEC system to obtain hydrogen through an electrolyzer. The hydrogen is then compressed and stored. In the first and second layouts a Rankine cycle with ammonia and a mixture of water and ethanol is utilised respectively; in the third layout a Kalina cycle is considered. In each configuration the Read More

New hypotheses for reusing platforms reaching their end-of-life have been investigated in several works discussing the potential conversions of these infrastructures from recreational tourism to fish farming. In this perspective paper we discuss the conversion options that could be of interest in the context of the current energy transition with reference to the off-shore Italian scenario. The study was developed in support of the development of a natio Read More

Europe’s heavy reliance on diesel power for nearly half of its railway lines for both goods and passengers has significant implications for carbon emissions. To address this challenge the European Union advocates for a shift towards hydrogen-based mobility necessitating the development of robust and cost-effective hydrogen supply chains at regional and national levels. Leveraging renewable energy sources such as wind farms and solid biomass could foster t Read More

Electro-fuels (E-fuels) represent a potential solution for decarbonizing the maritime sector including pleasure vessels. Due to their large energy requirements direct electrification is not currently feasible. E-fuels such as synthetic diesel methanol ammonia methane and hydrogen can be used in existing internal combustion engines or fuel cells in hybrid configurations with lithium batteries to provide propulsion and onboard electricity. This study confirms th Read More

This paper analyzes the hydrogen refueling process for heavy-duty vehicles according to the SAE J2601/2 protocol. Attention is paid to two key aspects of the protocol that affect the refueling process: treatment of the storage system from a thermodynamic and geometric point of view and the maximum deliverable flow rate of the station in the refueling process. The effect of the ratio of the inner diameter to the inner length of the total volume on the refuelin Read More

Climate change has become a major agenda item in international relations and in national energy policy-making circles around the world. This review studies the surprising evolution of the energy policy and more particularly the energy transition currently happening in the Arabian Gulf region which features some of the world’s largest exporters of oil and gas. Qatar Saudi Arabia and other neighboring energy exporters plan to export blue and green hydroge Read More

The Mediterranean basin has been characterized by a net flow of fossil commodities from the North African shore to Southern Europe and the Middle East for decades; however decarbonizing the energy system implies to substantially modify this situation turning the current “black dialogue” into a “green dialogue” (i.e. based on the exchange of renewable electricity and green hydrogen). This paper presents a feasibility study conducted to estimate the potent Read More

The high potential in renewable energy sources (RES) and the availability of strategic minerals for green hydrogen technologies place Africa in a promising position for the development of a climate-compatible economy leveraging on hydrogen. This study reviews the potential hydrogen value chain in Africa considering production and final uses while addressing perspectives on policies possible infrastructures and facilities for hydrogen logistics. Throug Read More

In order to achieve the ambitious goal of “carbon neutrality” countries around the world are striving to develop clean energy. Against this background this paper takes China and Italy as representatives of developing and developed countries to summarize the energy structure composition and development overview of the two countries. The paper analyzes the serious challenges facing the future energy development of both countries and investigates Read More

Green hydrogen production and storage are vital in mitigating carbon emissions and sustainable transition. However the high investment cost and management requirements are the bottleneck of utilizing hybrid hydrogen-based systems in microgrids. Given the necessity of cost-effective and optimal design of these systems the present study examines techno-economic feasibility of integrating hybrid hydrogen-based systems into an outdoor tes Read More

The transport sector heavily relies on the use of fossil fuels which are causing major environmental concerns. Solutions relying on the direct or indirect use of electricity through efuel production are emerging to power the transport sector. To ensure environmental benefits are achieved over this transition an accurate estimation of the impact of the use of electricity is needed. This requires a high temporal resolution to capture the high variability of elec Read More

This paper addresses the problem of the reduction in the huge energy demand of hospitals and health care facilities. The sharp increase in the natural gas price due to the Ukrainian–Russian war has significantly reduced economic savings achieved by combined heat and power (CHP) units especially for hospitals. In this framework this research proposes a novel system based on the integration of a reversible CHP solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a photovoltai Read More

The ambitious targets set by the International Maritime Organization for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping require radical actions by all relevant stakeholders. In this context the interest in high efficiency and low emissions (even zero in the case of hydrogen) fuel cell technology for maritime applications has been rising during the last decade pushing the research developed by academia and industries. This paper aims to present a com Read More

Hydrogen has the potential to be an important source of clean energy but the development of efficient and cost-effective methods for storing hydrogen is a key challenge that needs to be addressed in order to make widespread use of hydrogen as a possible energy sourc. There are different methods for storing hydrogen (i.e. compressed it at high pressures liquefied by cooling the hydrogen to a temperature of -253°C and stored with a chemical compoun Read More

A promising energy carrier and storage solution for integrating renewable energies into the power grid currently being investigated is hydrogen produced via electrolysis. It already serves various purposes but it might also enable the development of hydrogen-based electricity storage systems made up of electrolyzers hydrogen storage systems and generators (fuel cells or engines). The adoption of hydrogen-based technologies is strictly linked to th Read More

The Next Generation EU plan fosters the development of a large capacity for hydrogen generation. However water and energy resources are strictly connected to an indissoluble nexus. For that water electrolysis may counteract the coexistence of two primary UNO Sustainable Development Goals humankind must face to achieve a prosperous and equal society namely SDG 7 (Affordable access to renewable energy sources) and SDG 6 (clea Read More

The impact of the HyResponder project on the training of responders in 10 European countries is described. An overview is presented of training activities undertaken within the project in Austria Belgium Czech Republic France Germany Italy Norway Spain Switzerland and the United Kingdom. National leads with training expertise are given and the longer-term plans in each region are mentioned. Responders from each region took part in a specially tailored Read More

The use of highly efficient cogeneration systems fueled by pure hydrogen such as Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) in the residential sector is one of the new frontiers for achieving the net zero greenhouse gas emissions tran sitions. The lack of experimental studies in this area prompted the authors to propose the present paper. It refers to hydrogen-fueled SOFC 1 kW-sized integrated into the plant system of a single-family villa configurated as a nearly Zero Read More

Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can support the development of sustainable and flexible energy systems. However decarbonization can occur when green sources are used for energy production and appropriate water use is manifested. This work aims to propose a socio-economic analysis of hydrogen production from an integrated wind and electrolysis plant in southern Italy. The estimated production amounts to about 1.8 million kg and the LCO Read More

The automotive industry is under increasing pressure to develop cleaner and more efficient technologies in response to stringent emission regulations. Hydrogenpowered internal combustion engines represent a promising alternative offering the potential to reduce carbon-based emissions while improving efficiency. However the accurate estimation of in-cylinder pressure is crucial for optimizing the performance and emissions of these engines. Whil Read More

Integrating electric technologies such as battery energy storage systems and electric propulsion has become an appealing option for reducing fuel consumption and emissions in the transportation sector making these technologies increasingly popular for research and industrial application in the maritime sector. In addition hydrogen is a promising technology for reducing emissions although hydrogen production technologies significantly in Read More

The adoption of liquid hydrogen (LH2) as an energy carrier presents significant opportunities for distributing large quantities of hydrogen efficiently. However ensuring safety of LH2 transfer operations requires the evo lution of suitable technologies and regulatory framework. This study offers an extensive overview of technical considerations and safety aspects pertaining to liquid hydrogen installations and mobile applications. A signif icant lack of regulations Read More

Ammonia is a particularly promising hydrogen carrier due to its relatively low cost high energy density its liquid storage and to its production from renewable sources. Thus in recent years great attention is devoted to this fuel for realizing next generation refueling stations according to a carbon-free energy economy. In this paper a distributed onsite refueling station (200 kg/day of hydrogen filling 700-bar HFCEVs (Hybrid Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles) with Read More

This study presents sector-coupled PyPSA-Earth: a novel global open-source energy system optimization model that incorporates major demand sectors and energy carriers in high spatial and temporal resolution to enable energy transition studies worldwide. The model includes a workflow that automatically downloads and processes the necessary demand supply and transmission data to co-optimize investment and operation of energy systems of cou Read More

The article provides a short review on catalyst-based processes for the production of hydrogen starting from methane both of fossil origin and from sustainable processes. The three main paths of steam- and dry-reforming partial oxidation and thermo-catalytic decomposition are briefly introduced and compared above all with reference to the latest publications available and to new catalysts which obey the criteria of lower environmental impact Read More

In this work we present the simulation of a plant for the exploitation of renewable hydrogen (e.g. from biomass gasification) with production of renewable ammonia as hydrogen vector and energy storage medium. The simulation and sizing of all unit operations were performed with Aspen Plus® as software. Vegetable waste biomass is used as raw material for hydrogen production more specifically pine sawdust.The hydrogen production process is bas Read More

Hydrogen leakage in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells poses critical safety efficiency and operational reliability risks. This study introduces an innovative infrared (IR) thermography-based methodology for detecting and quantifying hydrogen leaks towards the outside of PEM fuel cells. The proposed method leverages the catalytic properties of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) as an active thermal tracer facilitating real-time visualisation Read More

This paper examines the changes in the performance level and pollutant emissions of a combustion chamber for turbofan engines. Two different fuels are compared: a conventional liquid fuel of the JET-A (kerosene) class and a hydrogen-based gaseous fuel. A turbofan engine delivering a 70 kN thrust at cruise conditions and 375 kN thrust at takeoff is considered. The comparison is carried out by investigating the combustion pattern with different bounda Read More

This paper deals with proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers directly coupled with a photovoltaic source. It proposes a method to increase the energy delivered to the electrolyzer by reconfiguring the electrical connection of the arrays according to solar radiation. Unlike the design criterion proposed by the literature the suggested approach considers a source obtained by connecting arrays in parallel depending on solar radiation based on a fix Read More

New flow metering challenges are presented by the energy transition program since the available and new infrastructures might be used to transport energy using energy vectors such as hydrogen-enriched natural gas mixtures including blends never adopted before in current distribution lines. In this framework it is necessary to have the possibility to verify the performance of flowmeters which are currently calibrated using natural gas and nitrogen as refer Read More

Hydrogen and electric buses are considered effective options for decarbonizing the public transportation sector positioning them as a leader in this transition. This study models the environmental and economic performances of a set of bus powertrain technologies considering a real case-study of suburban public transport in Italy and including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) battery electric vehicles (BEV) biomethane-powered vehicles (CBM) natural gas (C Read More

As highlighted by the recent roadmaps from the European Union and the United States water electrolysis is the most valuable high-intensity technology for producing green hydrogen. Currently two commercial low-temperature water electrolyzer technologies exist: alkaline water electrolyzer (A-WE) and proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEM-WE). However both have major drawbacks. A-WE shows low productivity and efficiency while PEM-W Read More