Kuwait

This study aims to present a philosophical and quantitative perspective of a propulsion system for a large-scale hydrogen-fuelled liquid-hydrogen (LH2) tanker ship. Established methods are used to evaluate the design and performance of an LH2-carrier propulsion system for JAMILA a ship designed with four cylindrical LH2 tanks bearing a total capacity of ~280000 m3 along with cargo and using the boil-off as propulsion and power fuel. Additionally the ship propulsion system is evaluated based on the ship resistance requirements and a hydrogen-fuelled combined-cycle gas turbine is modelled to achieve the dual objectives of high efficiency and zero-carbon footprint. The required inputs primarily involve the off-design and degraded performance of the gas-turbine topping cycle and the proposed power plant operates with a total output power of 50 M.W. The results reveal that the output power allows ship operation at a great speed even with a degraded engine and adverse ambient conditions.

An increased demand for energy in recent decades has caused an increase in the emissions of combustion products among which carbon-dioxide is the most harmful. As carbon-dioxide induces negative environmental effects like global warming and the greenhouse effect a decrease of the carbon-dioxide emission has emerged as one of the most urgent tasks in engineering. In this work the possibility for the application of the polymer-based dense mixed matrix membranes for flue gas treatment was tested. The task was to test a potential decrease in the permeability and selectivity of a mixed-matrix membrane in the presence of moisture and at elevated temperature. Membranes are based on two different poly(ethylene oxide)-based polymers filled with two different zeolite powders (ITR and IWS). An additive of detergent type was added to improve the contact properties between the zeolite and polymer matrix. The measurements were performed at three different temperatures (30 60 and 90 °C) under wet conditions with partial pressure of the water equal to the vapor pressure of the water at the given temperature. The permeability of carbon-dioxide hydrogen nitrogen and oxygen was measured and the selectivity of the carbon-dioxide versus other gases was determined. Obtained results have shown that an increase of temperature and partial pressure of the vapor slightly increase both the selectivity and permeability of the synthesized membranes. It was also shown that the addition of the zeolite powder increases the permeability of carbon-dioxide while maintaining the selectivity compared to hydrogen oxygen and nitrogen.

This work reports on H2 fuel generation from sewage water using Cu/CuO nanoporous (NP) electrodes. This is a novel concept for converting contaminated water into H2 fuel. The preparation of Cu/CuO NP was achieved using a simple thermal combustion process of Cu metallic foil at 550 ◦C for 1 h. The Cu/CuO surface consists of island-like structures with an inter-distance of 100 nm. Each island has a highly porous surface with a pore diameter of about 250 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of monoclinic Cu/CuO NP material with a crystallite size of 89 nm. The prepared Cu/CuO photoelectrode was applied for H2 generation from sewage water achieving an incident to photon conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 14.6%. Further the effects of light intensity and wavelength on the photoelectrode performance were assessed. The current density (Jph) value increased from 2.17 to 4.7 mA·cm−2 upon raising the light power density from 50 to 100 mW·cm−2 . Moreover the enthalpy (∆H*) and entropy (∆S*) values of Cu/CuO electrode were determined as 9.519 KJ mol−1 and 180.4 JK−1 ·mol−1 respectively. The results obtained in the present study are very promising for solving the problem of energy in far regions by converting sewage water to H2 fuel.

Conventional transportation systems are facing many challenges related to reducing fuel consumption noise and pollutants to satisfy rising environmental and economic criteria. These requirements have prompted many researchers and manufacturers in the transportation sector to look for cleaner more efficient and more sustainable alternatives. Powertrains based on fuel cell systems could partially or completely replace their conventional counterparts used in all modes of transport starting from small ones such as scooters to large mechanisms such as commercial airplanes. Since hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs) emit only water and heat as byproducts and have higher energy conversion efficiency in comparison with other conventional systems it has become tempting for many scholars to explore their potential for resolving the environmental and economic concerns associated with the transportation sector. This paper thoroughly reviews the principles and applications of fuel cell systems for the main transportation schemes including scooters bicycles motorcycles cars buses trains and aerial vehicles. The review showed that fuel cells would soon become the powertrain of choice for most modes of transportation. For commercial long-rage airplanes however employing fuel cells will be limited due to the replacement of the axillary power unit (APU) in the foreseeable future. Using fuel cells to propel such large airplanes would necessitate redesigning the airplane structure to accommodate the required hydrogen tanks which could take a bit more time.

The European Commission have just stated that hydrogen would play a major role in the economic recovery of post-COVID-19 EU countries. Hydrogen is recognised as one of the key players in a fossil fuel-free world in decades to come. However commercially practiced pathways to hydrogen production todays are associated with a considerable amount of carbon emissions. The Paris Climate Change Agreement has set out plans for an international commitment to reduce carbon emissions within the forthcoming decades. A sustainable hydrogen future would only be achievable if hydrogen production is “designed” to capture such emissions. Today nearly 98% of global hydrogen production relies on the utilisation of fossil fuels. Among these steam methane reforming (SMR) boasts the biggest share of nearly 3 50% of the global generation. SMR processes correspond to a significant amount of carbon emissions at various points throughout the process. Despite the dark side of the SMR processes they are projected to play a major role in hydrogen production by the first half of this century. This that a sustainable yet clean short/medium-term hydrogen production is only possible by devising a plan to efficiently capture this co-produced carbon as stated in the latest International Energy Agency (IEA) reports. Here we have carried out an in-depth technical review of the processes employed in sorption-enhanced steam methane reforming (SE-SMR) an emerging technology in low-carbon SMR for combined carbon capture and hydrogen production. This paper aims to provide an in-depth review on two key challenging elements of SE-SMR i.e. the advancements in catalysts/adsorbents preparation and current approaches in process synthesis and optimisation including the employment of artificial intelligence in SE-SMR processes. To the best of the authors‟ knowledge there is a clear gap in the literature where the above areas have been scrutinised in a systematic and coherent fashion. The gap is even more pronounced in the application of AI in SE-SMR technologies. As a result this work aims to fill this gap within the scientific literature.

The growing emphasis on renewable energy highlights hydrogen’s potential as a clean energy carrier. However traditional hydrogen production methods contribute significantly to carbon emissions. This review examines the integration of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies with hydrogen production processes focusing on their ability to mitigate carbon emissions. It evaluates various hydrogen production techniques including steam methane reforming electrolysis and biomass gasification and discusses how CCS can enhance environmental sustainability. Key challenges such as economic technical and regulatory obstacles are analyzed. Case studies and future trends offer insights into the feasibility of CCS–hydrogen integration providing pathways for reducing greenhouse gases and facilitating a clean energy transition.

Sustainability goals include the utilization of renewable energy resources to supply the energy needs in addition to wastewater treatment to satisfy the water demand. Moreover hydrogen has become a promising energy carrier and green fuel to decarbonize the industrial and transportation sectors. In this context this research investigates a wind-photovoltaic power plant to produce green hydrogen for hydrogen refueling station and to operate an electrocoagulation water treatment unit in Ostrava Czech Republic’s northeast region. The study conducts a techno-economic analysis through HOMER Pro® software for optimal sizing of the power station components and to investigate the economic indices of the plant. The power station employs photovoltaic panels and wind turbines to supply the required electricity for electrolyzers and electrocoagulation reactors. As an offgrid system lead acid batteries are utilized to store the surplus electricity. Wind speed and solar irradiation are the key role site dependent parameters that determine the cost of hydrogen electricity and wastewater treatment. The simulated model considers the capital operating and replacement costs for system components. In the proposed system 240 kg of hydrogen as well as 720 kWh electrical energy are daily required for the hydrogen refueling station and the electrocoagulation unit respectively. Accordingly the power station annually generates 6997990 kWh of electrical energy in addition to 85595 kg of green hydrogen. Based on the economic analysis the project’s NPC is determined to be €5.49 M and the levelized cost of Hydrogen (LCH) is 2.89 €/kg excluding compressor unit costs. This value proves the effectiveness of this power system which encourages the utilization of green hydrogen for fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCVs). Furthermore emerging electrocoagulation studies produce hydrogen through wastewater treatment increasing hydrogen production and lowering LCH. Therefore this study is able to provide practicable methodology support for optimal sizing of the power station components which is beneficial for industrialization and economic development as well as transition toward sustainability and autonomous energy systems.