- Home
- A-Z Publications
- Publications
Publications
Homes of the Future: Unpacking Public Perceptions to Power the Domestic Hydrogen Transition
Apr 2022
Publication
Decarbonization in several countries is now linked to the prospect of implementing a national hydrogen economy. In countries with extensive natural gas infrastructure hydrogen may provide a real opportunity to decarbonize space heating. While this approach may prove technically and economically feasible in the longterm it is unclear whether consumers will be willing to adopt hydrogen-fueled appliances for heating and cooking should techno-economic feasibility be achieved. In response this paper develops an analytical framework for examining hydrogen acceptance which links together socio-technical barriers and social acceptance factors. Applying this framework the study synthesizes the existing knowledge on public perceptions of hydrogen and identifies critical knowledge gaps which should be addressed to support domestic hydrogen acceptance. The paper demonstrates that a future research agenda should account for the interactions between acceptance factors at the attitudinal socio-political market community and behavioral level. The analysis concludes that hydrogen is yet to permeate the public consciousness due to a lack of knowledge and awareness owing to an absence of information dissemination. In response consumer engagement in energy markets and stronger public trust in key stakeholders will help support social acceptance as the hydrogen transition unfolds. Affordability may prove the most critical barrier to the large-scale adoption of hydrogen homes while the disruptive impacts of the switchover and distributional injustice represent key concerns. As a starting point the promise of economic environmental and community benefits must be communicated and fulfilled to endorse the value of hydrogen homes.
Evaluation Techniques of Hydrogen Permeation in Sealing Rubber Materials
Dec 2020
Publication
Three techniques for determining the hydrogen permeation properties of rubber samples were developed based on the volumetric and gravimetric measurements of released H2 gas after sample decompression. These methods include gas chromatography (GC) by thermal desorption analysis (TDA) volumetric collection (VC) measurement of hydrogen by graduated cylinder and gravimetric (GM) measurement by electronic balance. By measuring the released hydrogen against elapsed time after the decompression of pressure the charging amount (C0) and diffusivity (D) were obtained with the developed diffusion analysis program. From these values the solubility (S) and permeability (P) of polymers were evaluated through the relations of Henry's law and P=SD respectively. The developed techniques were applied to three kinds of spherically shaped sealing rubber materials. D S and P were analyzed as a function of pressure. The transport behaviors obtained in the three methods are discussed and compared with the characteristics of each measuring technique. The correlations between transport parameters and carbon black filler or density are discussed.
Safety Criteria for the Transport of Hydrogen in Permanently Mounted Composite Pressure Vessels
Sep 2019
Publication
The recent growth of the net of hydrogen fuelling stations increases the demands to transport compressed hydrogen on road by battery vehicles or tube-trailers both in composite pressure vessels. As a transport regulation the ADR is applicable in Europe and adjoined regions and is used for national transport in the EU. This regulation provides requirements based on the behaviour of each individual pressure vessel regardless of the pressure of the transported hydrogen and relevant consequences resulting from generally possible worst case scenarios such as sudden rupture. In 2012 the BAM (German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing) introduced consequence-dependent requirements and established them in national transport requirements concerning the “UN service life checks” etc. to consider the transported volume and pressure of gases. This results in a requirement that becomes more restrictive as the product of pressure and volume increases. In the studies presented here the safety measures for hydrogen road transport are identified and reviewed through a number of safety measures from countries including Japan the USA and China. Subsequently the failure consequences of using trailer vehicles the related risk and the chance are evaluated. A benefit-related risk criterion is suggested to add to regulations and to be defined as a safety goal in standards for hydrogen transport vehicles and for mounted pressure vessels. Finally an idea is given for generating probabilistic safety data and for highly efficient evaluation without a significant increase of effort.
Horizon 2020 Impact Assessment Report
Nov 2011
Publication
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market.<br/>Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness.<br/><br/>Seen as a means to drive economic growth and create jobs Horizon 2020 has the political backing of Europe’s leaders and the Members of the European Parliament. They agreed that research is an investment in our future and so put it at the heart of the EU’s blueprint for smart sustainable and inclusive growth and jobs.<br/><br/>By coupling research and innovation Horizon 2020 is helping to achieve this with its emphasis on excellent science industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. The goal is to ensure Europe produces world-class science removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation.<br/><br/>Horizon 2020 is open to everyone with a simple structure that reduces red tape and time so participants can focus on what is really important. This approach makes sure new projects get off the ground quickly – and achieve results faster.<br/><br/>The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation will be complemented by further measures to complete and further develop the European Research Area. These measures will aim at breaking down barriers to create a genuine single market for knowledge research and innovation.
Hy4Heat Progress Report
Jan 2021
Publication
Hy4Heat’s mission is to establish if it is technically possible safe and convenient to replace natural gas (methane) with hydrogen in residential and commercial buildings and gas appliances. This will enable the government to determine whether to proceed to a community trial.
There is growing international consensus that hydrogen will be essential to successfully tackling climate change. So BEIS is working to develop hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK which will be an essential element of the UK’s efforts to transform and decarbonise our energy system in line with our legally binding 2050 net zero commitment. Hydrogen can be used across multiple end-use sectors including industry transport heat and power. BEIS is looking to support and develop low carbon hydrogen production methods which will position hydrogen as a highly effective decarbonisation option particularly in hard-to electrify sectors and processes.
At the end of 2017 BEIS appointed Arup to be the programme manager for the Hy4Heat programme. Arup partnered with technical and industry specialists: Kiwa Gastec Progressive Energy Embers and Yo Energy and together the team oversees the programme and technical management of all the work packages. For the past three years Hy4Heat has been exploring whether replacing natural gas (methane) with hydrogen for domestic heating and cooking is feasible and could be part of a plausible potential pathway to help meet heat decarbonisation targets. To do this the programme has been seeking to provide the technical performance usability and safety evidence to demonstrate whether hydrogen can be used for heat in buildings.
This report and any attachment is freely available on the Hy4Heat website here. The report can also be downloaded directly by clicking on the pdf icon above.
There is growing international consensus that hydrogen will be essential to successfully tackling climate change. So BEIS is working to develop hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier for the UK which will be an essential element of the UK’s efforts to transform and decarbonise our energy system in line with our legally binding 2050 net zero commitment. Hydrogen can be used across multiple end-use sectors including industry transport heat and power. BEIS is looking to support and develop low carbon hydrogen production methods which will position hydrogen as a highly effective decarbonisation option particularly in hard-to electrify sectors and processes.
At the end of 2017 BEIS appointed Arup to be the programme manager for the Hy4Heat programme. Arup partnered with technical and industry specialists: Kiwa Gastec Progressive Energy Embers and Yo Energy and together the team oversees the programme and technical management of all the work packages. For the past three years Hy4Heat has been exploring whether replacing natural gas (methane) with hydrogen for domestic heating and cooking is feasible and could be part of a plausible potential pathway to help meet heat decarbonisation targets. To do this the programme has been seeking to provide the technical performance usability and safety evidence to demonstrate whether hydrogen can be used for heat in buildings.
This report and any attachment is freely available on the Hy4Heat website here. The report can also be downloaded directly by clicking on the pdf icon above.
Partitioning of Interstitial Segregants during Decohesion: A DFT Case Study of the Σ3 Symmetric Tilt Grain Boundary in Ferritic Steel
Sep 2019
Publication
The effect of hydrogen atoms at grain boundaries in metals is usually detrimental to the cohesion of the interface. This effect can be quantified in terms of the strengthening energy which is obtained following the thermodynamic model of Rice and Wang. A critical component of this model is the bonding or solution energy of the atoms to the free surfaces that are created during decohesion. At a grain boundary in a multicomponent system it is not immediately clear how the different species would partition and distribute on the cleaved free surfaces. In this work it is demonstrated that the choice of partitioning pattern has a significant effect on the predicted influence of H and C on grain boundary cohesion. To this end the Σ3(112)[11¯0] symmetric tilt grain boundary in bcc Fe with different contents of interstitial C and H was studied taking into account all possible distributions of the elements as well as surface diffusion effects. H as a single element has a negative influence on grain boundary cohesion independent of the details of the H distribution. C on the other hand can act both ways enhancing or reducing the cohesion of the interface. The effect of mixed H and C compositions depends on the partition pattern. However the general trend is that the number of detrimental cases increases with increasing H content. A decomposition of the strengthening energy into chemical and mechanical contributions shows that the elastic contribution dominates at high C contents while the chemical contribution sets the trend for high H contents.
FCH Programme Review Report 2014
Apr 2015
Publication
The 2014 Review is the fourth review of the FCH JU project portfolio. The reviews began in 2011 following a recommendation arising from the interim evaluation of the FCH JU which identified the need to ensure that the FCH JU project portfolio as a whole fulfilled the objectives of the Multi-Annual Implementation or Work Plan.<br/><br/>An international team of leading experts in the FCH field undertakes each review based on (1) The achievements of the portfolio against the strategic objectives and content of the FCH JU’s MAIP/MAWP and the AIP/AWPs as set out for the transportation and energy innovation pillars and the cross-cutting category; (2) The extent to which the portfolio meets the FCH JU’s remit for promoting the horizontal activities of RCS PNR safety life-cycle and socio-economic analysis education and training and public awareness; (3) The portfolio’s effectiveness in promoting linkages and co-operation between projects and between FCH JU-supported projects and those supported by other European instruments the Member States and internationally. Review panels The 2014 review comprised six panels covering a total of 114 projects. Each panel covered between 10 and 24 projects as shown in Table 1 below. The objective was to assess projects within each panel as a sub-portfolio (within the FCH JU portfolio) and not as individual projects although examples of individual projects representing good practice were highlighted.
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen: Joint Undertaking Programme Review 2011 Final Report
Apr 2012
Publication
The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU) has the ambitious objective to place Europe at the forefront of the development commercialization and deployment of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies as of 2015. About €470 million over a six year period have been granted by the European Union to achieve this and private funds are being attracted to support the same ambition as part of the global European effort embedded in the multi-annual implementation plan MAIP (2008-2013).
Simulation-based Safety Investigation of a Hydrogen Fueling Station with an On-site Hydrogen Production System Involving Methylcyclohexane
Jan 2017
Publication
Adequate safety measures are crucial for preventing major accidents at hydrogen fuelling stations. In particular risk analysis of the domino effect at hydrogen fuelling stations is essential because knock-on accidents are likely to intensify the consequences of a relatively small incident. Several risk assessment studies have focused on hydrogen fuelling stations but none have investigated accidental scenarios related to the domino effect at such stations. Therefore the purpose of this study is to identify a domino effect scenario analyze the scenario by using simulations and propose safety measures for preventing and mitigating of the scenario. In this hazard identification study we identified the domino effect scenario of a hydrogen fuelling station with an on-site hydrogen production system involving methylcyclohexane and investigated through simulations of the scenario. The simulations revealed that a pool fire of methylcyclohexane or toluene can damage the process equipment and that thermal radiation may cause the pressurized hydrogen tanks to rupture. The rupture-type vent system can serve as a critical safety measure for preventing and mitigating the examined scenario.
Ignition of Hydrogen-air Mixtures by Moving Heated Particles
Oct 2015
Publication
Studying thermal ignition mechanisms is a key step for evaluating many ignition hazards. In the present work two-dimensional simulations with detailed chemistry are used to study the reaction pathways of the transient flow and ignition of a stoichiometric hydrogen-air mixture by moving hot spheres. For temperatures above the ignition threshold ignition takes place after a short time between the front stagnation point and separation location depending upon the sphere's surface temperature. Closer to the threshold the volume of gas adjacent to the separation region ignites homogeneously after a longer time. These results demonstrate the importance of boundary layer development and flow separation in the ignition process.
Highly Porous Organic Polymers for Hydrogen Fuel Storage
Apr 2019
Publication
Hydrogen (H2) is one of the best candidates to replace current petroleum energy resources due to its rich abundance and clean combustion. However the storage of H2presents a major challenge. There are two methods for storing H2 fuel chemical and physical both of which have some advantages and disadvantages. In physical storage highly porous organic polymers are of particular interest since they are low cost easy to scale up metal-free and environmentally friendly.
In this review highly porous polymers for H2 fuel storage are examined from five perspectives:
(a) brief comparison of H2 storage in highly porous polymers and other storage media;
(b) theoretical considerations of the physical storage of H2 molecules in porous polymers;
(c) H2 storage in different classes of highly porous organic polymers;
(d) characterization of microporosity in these polymers; and
(e) future developments for highly porous organic polymers for H2 fuel storage. These topics will provide an introductory overview of highly porous organic polymers in H2 fuel storage.
In this review highly porous polymers for H2 fuel storage are examined from five perspectives:
(a) brief comparison of H2 storage in highly porous polymers and other storage media;
(b) theoretical considerations of the physical storage of H2 molecules in porous polymers;
(c) H2 storage in different classes of highly porous organic polymers;
(d) characterization of microporosity in these polymers; and
(e) future developments for highly porous organic polymers for H2 fuel storage. These topics will provide an introductory overview of highly porous organic polymers in H2 fuel storage.
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen: Joint Undertaking Programme Review 2013 Final Report
Mar 2014
Publication
The 2013 Programme Review is the third annual review of the FCH JU portfolio of projects. This edition covers over 100 projects funded through annual calls for proposals from 2008 to 2012.<br/>The Programme Review serves to evaluate the achievements of the portfolio of FCH JU-funded projects against FCH JU strategic objectives in terms of advancing technological progress addressing horizontal activities and promoting cooperation with other projects both within the FCH JU portfolio as well as externally.<br/>The 2013 Review confirms that the portfolio of projects supported within energy and transport pillars and within its cross-cutting activities is a solid one aligned with the FCH JU strategic objectives. Industry and research collaboration is strong with SMEs making up 30% of total participants. The continued expansion of demonstration activities in both pillars answers to a greater emphasis on addressing the commercialisation challenge which is bolstered by activities in basic and breakthrough research.
Value Added of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Sector in Europe
Mar 2019
Publication
Fuel cells and hydrogen (FCH) could bring significant environmental benefits across the energy system if deployed widely: low carbon and highly efficient energy conversions with zero air quality emissions. The socio-economic benefits to Europe could also be substantial through employment in development manufacturing installation and service sectors and through technology export. Major corporations are stressing the economic and environmental value of FCH technologies and the importance of including them in both transport and stationary energy systems globally while national governments and independent agencies are supporting their role in the energy systems transition.
Recognising the potential economic and industrial benefits from a strong FCH supply chain in Europe and the opportunities for initiatives to support new energy supply chains the FCH 2 JU commissioned a study to evaluate for the first time the value added that the fuel cell and hydrogen sector can bring to Europe by 2030.
The outputs of the study are divided into three reports:
The Value Chain study complements the Hydrogen Roadmap for Europe recently published by the FCH 2 JU. This lays out a pathway for the large-scale deployment of hydrogen and fuel cells to 2050 in order to achieve a 2-degree climate scenario. This study also quantified socio-economic and environmental benefits but with important differences in scope between the two studies. The Hydrogen Roadmap for Europe looked at the wider picture quantifying the scale of FCH roll-out needed to meet the 2-degree scenario objectives. It assessed the socio-economic impacts of a sector of that scale looking top-down at the entire FCH value chain. The Value Chain study presented here is a narrower and more detailed bottom-up assessment of the value-added in manufacturing activities and the immediate ecosystem of suppliers that this is likely to create.
Recognising the potential economic and industrial benefits from a strong FCH supply chain in Europe and the opportunities for initiatives to support new energy supply chains the FCH 2 JU commissioned a study to evaluate for the first time the value added that the fuel cell and hydrogen sector can bring to Europe by 2030.
The outputs of the study are divided into three reports:
- A ‘Summary’ report that provides a synthetic overview of the study conclusions;
- a ‘Findings’ report that presents the approach and findings of the study;
- and an ‘Evidence’ report that provides the detailed background information and analysis that supports the findings and recommendations.
The Value Chain study complements the Hydrogen Roadmap for Europe recently published by the FCH 2 JU. This lays out a pathway for the large-scale deployment of hydrogen and fuel cells to 2050 in order to achieve a 2-degree climate scenario. This study also quantified socio-economic and environmental benefits but with important differences in scope between the two studies. The Hydrogen Roadmap for Europe looked at the wider picture quantifying the scale of FCH roll-out needed to meet the 2-degree scenario objectives. It assessed the socio-economic impacts of a sector of that scale looking top-down at the entire FCH value chain. The Value Chain study presented here is a narrower and more detailed bottom-up assessment of the value-added in manufacturing activities and the immediate ecosystem of suppliers that this is likely to create.
Transition of Future Energy System Infrastructure; through Power-to-Gas Pathways
Jul 2016
Publication
Power-to-gas is a promising option for storing interment renewables nuclear baseload power and distributed energy and it is a novel concept for the transition to increased renewable content of current fuels with an ultimate goal of transition to a sustainable low-carbon future energy system that interconnects power transportation sectors and thermal energy demand all together. The aim of this paper is to introduce different Power-to-gas “pathways” including Power to Hydrogen Power to Natural Gas End-users Power to Renewable Content in Petroleum Fuel Power to Power Seasonal Energy Storage to Electricity Power to Zero Emission Transportation Power to Seasonal Storage for Transportation Power to Micro grid Power to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to Pipeline (“Methanation”) and Power to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to Seasonal Storage. In order to compare the different pathways the review of key technologies of Power-to-gas systems are studied and the qualitative efficiency and benefits of each pathway is investigated from the technical points of view. Moreover different Power-to-gas pathways are discussed as an energy policy option that can be implemented to transition towards a lower carbon economy for Ontario’s energy systems
CFD Validation Against Large Scale Liquified Helium Release
Sep 2019
Publication
The ADREA-HF CFD code is validated against a large scale liquefied helium release experiment on flat ground performed by INERIS in the past. The predicted release and dispersion behavior is evaluated against the experimental using temperature time histories at sensors deployed at various distances and heights downstream the source. For the selected sensors the temperature predictions are generally in good agreement with the experimental with a tendency to under-predict temperature as the source is approached.
The Role of Initial Tank Temperature on Refuelling of On-board Hydrogen Tanks
Jun 2016
Publication
The influence of the initial tank temperature on the evolution of the internal gas temperature during the refuelling of on-board hydrogen tanks is investigated in this paper. Two different types of tanks four different fuel delivery temperatures (from ambient temperature refuelling to a pre-cooled hydrogen at −40 °C) several filling rates and initial pressures are considered. It has been found that the final gas temperature increases linearly with the increase of the initial tank temperature while the temperature increase (ΔT) and the final state of charge (SOC) decrease linearly with increasing the initial temperature. This dependency has been found to be larger on type III than on type IV tank and larger the larger the initial pressure. Additionally CFD simulations are performed to better understand the role of the relevant phenomena on the gas temperature histories e.g. gas compression gas mixing and heat transfer. By comparing the results of calculations with adiabatic and diathermal tank walls the effect of the initial gas temperature has been separated from the effect of the initial wall temperature on the process.
Study on Early Business Cases for H2 In Energy Storage and More Broadly Power to H2 Applications
Jun 2017
Publication
Hydrogen is widely recognised as a promising option for storing large quantities of renewable electricity over longer periods. For that reason in an energy future where renewables are a dominant power source opportunities for Power to- Hydrogen in the long-term appear to be generally acknowledged. The key challenge today is to identify concrete short-term investment opportunities based on sound economics and robust business cases. The focus of this study is to identify these early business cases and to assess their potential replicability within the EU from now until 2025. An essential part and innovative approach of this study is the detailed analysis of the power sector including its transmission grid constraints.
Direct Route from Ethanol to Pure Hydrogen through Autothermal Reforming in a Membrane Reactor: Experimental Demonstration, Reactor Modelling and Design
Nov 2020
Publication
This work reports the integration of thin (~3e4 mm thick) Pd-based membranes for H2 separation in a fluidized bed catalytic reactor for ethanol auto-thermal reforming. The performance of a fluidized bed membrane reactor has been investigated from an experimental and numerical point of view. The demonstration of the technology has been carried out over 50 h under reactive conditions using 5 thin Pd-based alumina-supported membranes and a 3 wt%Pt-10 wt%Ni catalyst deposited on a mixed CeO2/SiO2 support. The results have confirmed the feasibility of the concept in particular the capacity to reach a hydrogen recovery factor up to 70% while the operation at different fluidization regimes oxygen-to-ethanol and steam-to-ethanol ratios feed pressures and reactor temperatures have been studied. The most critical part of the system is the sealing of the membranes where most of the gas leakage was detected. A fluidized bed membrane reactor model for ethanol reforming has been developed and validated with the obtained experimental results. The model has been subsequently used to design a small reactor unit for domestic use showing that 0.45 m2 membrane area is needed to produce the amount of H2 required for a 5 kWe PEM fuel-cell based micro-CHP system.
Accidental Hydrogen Release in Gc-laboratory: A Case Study
Oct 2015
Publication
A 50-litre standard hydrogen gas cylinder was temporarily placed in a laboratory to supply hydrogen gas to a flame ionization detector (FID) for use in gas chromatography (GC). On 20 January 2015 the safety relief valve on the pressure regulator failed and released about 0.34 kg of hydrogen into the laboratory. The gas cloud did not ignite so there was no injury or damage. The results of a full investigation with a complete course of action and reconstruction are presented that verify the cause of the leakage and estimate the gas concentration of the dispersion and gas cloud. A preliminary simulation of the likely explosion is provided. If the gas cloud had ignited the explosion would most likely have caused significant structural damage to doors windows and possibly the walls.
Hydrogen and Hydrogen-derived Fuels through Methane Decomposition of Natural Gas – GHG Emissions and Costs
May 2020
Publication
Hydrogen can be produced from the decomposition of methane (also called pyrolysis). Many studies assume that this process emits few greenhouse gas (GHG) because the reaction from methane to hydrogen yields only solid carbon and no CO2. This paper assesses the life-cycle GHG emissions and the levelized costs for hydrogen provision from methane decomposition in three configurations (plasma molten metal and thermal gas). The results of these configurations are then compared to electrolysis and steam methane reforming (SMR) with and without CO2capture and storage (CCS). Under the global natural gas supply chain conditions hydrogen from methane decomposition still causes significant GHG emissions between 43 and 97 g CO2-eq./MJ. The bandwidth is predominately determined by the energy source providing the process heat i.e. the lowest emissions are caused by the plasma system using renewable electricity. This configuration shows lower GHG emissions compared to the “classical” SMR (99 g CO2-eq./MJ) but similar emissions to the SMR with CCS (46 g CO2-eq./MJ). However only electrolysis powered with renewable electricity leads to very low GHG emissions (3 g CO2-eq./MJ). Overall the natural gas supply is a decisive factor in determining GHG emissions. A natural gas supply with below-global average GHG emissions can lead to lower GHG emissions of all methane decomposition configurations compared to SMR. Methane decomposition systems (1.6 to 2.2 €/kg H2) produce hydrogen at costs substantially higher compared to SMR (1.0 to 1.2 €/kg) but lower than electrolyser (2.5 to 3.0 €/kg). SMR with CCS has the lowest CO2abatement costs (24 €/t CO2-eq. other > 141 €/t CO2-eq.). Finally fuels derived from different hydrogen supply options are assessed. Substantially lower GHG emissions compared to the fossil reference (natural gas and diesel/gasoline) are only possible if hydrogen from electrolysis powered by renewable energy is used (>90% less). The other hydrogen pathways cause only slightly lower or even higher GHG emissions.
No more items...