Publications

The integration and control of energy systems for power generation consists of multiple heterogeneous subsystems such as chemical electrochemical and thermal and contains challenges that arise from the multi-way interactions due to complex dynamic responses among the involved subsystems. The main motivation of this work is to design the control system for an autonomous automated and sustainable system that meets a certain power demand profile. A systematic methodology for the integration and control of a hybrid system that converts liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to hydrogen which is subsequently used to generate electrical power in a high-temperature fuel cell that charges a Li-Ion battery unit is presented. An advanced nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) framework is implemented to achieve this goal. The operational objective is the satisfaction of power demand while maintaining operation within a safe region and ensuring thermal and chemical balance. The proposed NMPC framework based on experimentally validated models is evaluated through simulation for realistic operation scenarios that involve static and dynamic variations of the power load.

This project provides evidence to identify the key innovation needs across the UK’s energy system to inform the prioritisation of public sector investment in low-carbon innovation including any future phases of the Department for Business Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Energy Innovation1 Programme. The BEIS Energy Innovation Programme aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes into the 2020s and 2030s. The current Programme with a budget of £505 million from 2015-2021 consists of six themes and invests in smart systems industry & CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) the built environment nuclear renewables and support for energy entrepreneurs and green financing.



Vivid Economics was contracted to lead a consortium with technical expertise in each of the Energy Innovation Needs Assessment (EINA) priority areas. The programme relied on evidence from a programme of workshops with over 180 participants energy system modelling and detailed technical advice. Partners include the Carbon Trust E4tech Imperial College London and Fraser-Nash. The Energy Systems Catapult (ESC) provided analytical evidence using their Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) to support an early pre-screening of technologies.



Innovations have been prioritised where there is a strong case for UK Government investment. The prioritisation in this report is based on evidence of the potential benefits to the UK via a lower cost energy system and larger export markets. We also consider whether there is a need for UK Government intervention in addition to private and international efforts.

 

A distinctive feature of this project is its focus on innovation that benefits the whole energy system. Internationally there are other efforts attempting to answer the question of where to target resources to maximise benefits from innovation2. In selecting priorities we identify innovations that can unlock value across electricity heat transport sectors and the rest of the economy.

Formic acid is a liquid organic hydrogen carrier giving hydrogen on demand using catalysts. Metal complexes are known to be used as efficient catalysts for the hydrogen production from formic acid decomposition. Their performance could be better than those of supported catalysts with metal nanoparticles. However difficulties to separate metal complexes from the reaction mixture limit their industrial applications. This problem can be resolved by supporting metal complexes on the surface of different supports which may additionally provide some surface sites for the formic acid activation. The review analyzes the literature on the application of supported metal complexes in the hydrogen production from formic acid. It shows that the catalytic activity of some stable Ru and Ir supported metal complexes may exceed the activity of homogeneous metal complexes used for deposition. Non-noble metal-based complexes containing Fe demonstrated sufficiently high performance in the reaction; however they can be poisoned by water present in formic acid. The proposed review could be useful for development of novel catalysts for the hydrogen production.

About 3 billion people use conventional carbon-based fuels such as wood charcoal and animal dung for their daily cooking needs. Cooking with biomass causes deforestation and habitat loss emissions of greenhouse gases and smoke pollution that affects people’s health and well-being. Hydrogen can play a role in enabling clean and safe cooking by reducing household air pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This first-of-a-kind review study on cooking with hydrogen assessed existing cooking technologies and hydrogen systems in developing country contexts. Our critical assessment also included the modelling and experimental studies on hydrogen. Renewable hydrogen systems and their adoptability in developing countries were analysed. Finally we presented a scenario for hydrogen production pathways in developing countries. Our findings indicated that hydrogen is attractive and can be safely used as a cooking fuel. However radical and disruptive models are necessary to transform the traditional cooking landscape. There is a need to develop global south-based hydrogen models that emphasize adoptability and capture the challenges in developing countries. In addition the techno-economic assumptions of the models vary significantly leading to a wide-ranging levelized cost of electricity. This finding underscored the necessity to use comprehensive techno-economic assumptions that can accurately predict hydrogen costs.

An update on the proposed commercial frameworks for transport and storage power and industrial carbon capture business models.

Transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)-assisted annealed martensitic (TAM) steel combines higher tensile strength and elogangtion and has been increasingly used but appears to bemore prone to hydrogen embrittlement (HE). In this paper the hydrogen trapping behavior and HE of TRIP-assisted annealed martensitic steels with different vanadium additions had been investigated by means of hydrogen charging and slow strain rate tensile tests (SSRT) microstructral observartion and thermal desorption mass spectroscope (TDS). Hydrogen charging test results indicates that apparent hydrogen diffusive index D_a is 1.94 × 10⁻⁷/cm²·s⁻¹ for 0.21 wt.% vanadium steel while the value is 8.05 × 10⁻⁷/cm²·s⁻¹ for V-free steel. SSRT results show that the hydrogen induced ductility loss ID is 76.2% for 0.21 wt.%V steel compared with 86.5% for V-free steel. The trapping mechanism of the steel containing different V contents is analyzed by means of TDS and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations. It is found out that the steel containing 0.21 wt.%V can create much more traps for hydrogen trapping compared with lower V steel which is due to vanadium carbide (VC) precipitates acting as traps capturing hydrogen atoms.The relationship between hydrogen diffusion and hydrogentrapping mechanism is discussed in details.

A study was performed to investigate the hydrogen embrittlement behavior of 18-Ni 300 maraging steel produced by selective laser melting and subjected to different heat treatment strategies. Hydrogen was pre-charged into the tensile samples by an electro-chemical method at the constant current density of 1 A m−2 and 50 A m−2 for 48 h at room temperature. Charged and uncharged specimens were subjected to tensile tests and the hydrogen concentration was eventually analysed using quadrupole mass spectroscopy. After tensile tests uncharged maraging samples showed fracture surfaces with dimples. Conversely in H-charged alloys quasi-cleavage mode fractures occurred. A lower concentration of trapped hydrogen atoms and higher elongation at fracture were measured in the H-charged samples that were subjected to solution treatment prior to hydrogen charging compared to the as-built counterparts. Isothermal aging treatment performed at 460 °C for 8 h before hydrogen charging increased the concentration of trapped hydrogen giving rise to higher hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility.

The goal of the EU Horizon 2020 RISE project 778307 “Hydrogen fuelled utility vehicles and their support systems utilising metal hydrides” (HYDRIDE4MOBILITY) is in addressing critical issues towards a commercial implementation of hydrogen powered forklifts using metal hydride (MH) based hydrogen storage and PEM fuel cells together with the systems for their refuelling at industrial customers facilities. For these applications high specific weight of the metallic hydrides has an added value as it allows counterbalancing of a vehicle with no extra cost. Improving the rates of H2 charge/discharge in MH on the materials and system level simplification of the design and reducing the system cost together with improvement of the efficiency of system “MH store-FC” is in the focus of this work as a joint effort of consortium uniting academic teams and industrial partners from two EU and associated countries Member States (Norway Germany Croatia) and two partner countries (South Africa and Indonesia).<br/>The work within the project is focused on the validation of various efficient and cost-competitive solutions including (i) advanced MH materials for hydrogen storage and compression (ii) advanced MH containers characterised by improved charge-discharge dynamic performance and ability to be mass produced (iii) integrated hydrogen storage and compression/refuelling systems which are developed and tested together with PEM fuel cells during the collaborative efforts of the consortium.<br/>This article gives an overview of HYDRIDE4MOBILITY project focused on the results generated during its first phase (2017–2019).

This Discussion Paper was commissioned by Zukunft ERDGAS to contribute to the debate concerning the deep decarbonisation of the European energy sector required to meet the Paris Agreement targets. Previous discussion papers have put forward decarbonisation pathways that rely heavily on ‘All-Electric’ solutions. These depend predominantly on renewable electricity to deliver decarbonisation of all sectors. This paper offers an alternative to an ‘All-Electric’ solution by building an alternative pathway that allows the inclusion of gas based technologies alongside the ‘All-Electric’ pathway technologies. The new pathway demonstrates that hydrogen from natural gas can be an essential complement to renewable electricity. The pathway also considers the benefits of utilising methane pyrolysis technology in Europe to produce zero carbon hydrogen.

Read the full report at this link

Increased use of renewable energy combined with intensified electrification could prove decisive for the world to meet key climate goals by 2050. This study from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights immediately deployable cost-effective options for countries to fulfil climate commitments and limit the rise of global temperatures. The envisaged energy transformation would also reduce net costs and bring significant socio-economic benefits such as increased economic growth job creation and overall welfare gains.<br/>The report – the second under the Global Energy Transformation banner – expands IRENA’s comprehensive roadmap which examines technology pathways and policy implications to ensure a sustainable energy future. Ramping up electricity to over half of the global energy mix (up from one-fifth currently) in combination with renewables would reduce the use of fossil fuels responsible for most greenhouse-gas emissions.