Publications

Various Pt-based materials (unsupported Pt PtRu PtCo) were investigated as catalysts for recombining hydrogen and oxygen back into water. The recombination performance correlated well with the surface Pt metallic state. Alloying cobalt to platinum was observed to produce an electron transfer favouring the occurrence of a large fraction of the Pt metallic state on the catalyst surface. Unsupported PtCo showed both excellent recombinati Read More

Achieving climate-neutrality requires considerable investment in energy storage systems (ESS) to integrate variable renewable energy sources into the grid. However investments into ESS are often unprofitable in particular for grid-scale battery storage and green hydrogen technologies prompting many actors to call for policy intervention. This study investigates investor-specific risk-return preferences for ESS investment and derives policy recommendation Read More

Purpose: The Standards module of the FCHO presents a large number of standards relevant for the deployment of hydrogen and fuel cells. The standards are categorized in order to enhance ease of access and usability. The development of sector-relevant standards facilitates and enhances economies of scale interoperability comparability safety and many other issues. Scope: The database presents European and International standards. Standards from Read More

This study investigates the decomposition of methane using solar thermal energy as a heat source. Instead of the direct thermal decomposition of the methane at a temperature of 1200 ◦C or higher a catalyst coated with carbon black on a metal foam was used to lower the temperature and activation energy required for the reaction and to increase the yield. To supply solar heat during the reaction a reactor suitable for a solar concentrating syst Read More

Hydrogen is crucial to Europe’s transformation into a climate-neutral continent by mid-century. This study concludes that the European Union (EU) and UK could see a hydrogen demand of 2300 TWh (2150-2750 TWh) by 2050. This corresponds to 20-25% of EU and UK final energy consumption by 2050. Achieving this future role of hydrogen depends on many factors including market frameworks legislation technology readiness and consumer choi Read More

Regularities of fatigue crack growth for pipeline steels of different strength are presented and the changes in fatigue behavior of these steels after long term operation are analyzed. Threshold values of stress intensity factor range are lower for operated steels comparing to the corresponding values for as received ones. During the testing in the simulated soil solution NS4 a barely noticeable tendency to increase the threshold values of SIF was traced. It was e Read More

Plastic deformation and strain-induced martensite (SIM α′) transformation in metastable austenitic AISI 304 stainless steel were investigated through room temperature tensile tests at strain rates ranging from 2 × 10−6 to 2 × 10−2/s. The amount of SIM was measured on the fractured tensile specimens using a feritscope and magnetic force microscope. Elongation to fracture tensile strength hardness and the amount of SIM increased with decreasing the Read More

One strategy for arresting propagating detonation waves in pipes is by imposing a sudden area enlargement which provides a rapid lateral divergence of the gases in the reaction zone and attenuates the leading shock. For sufficiently small tube diameter the detonation decays to a deflagration and the shock decays to negligible strengths. This is known as the critical tube diameter problem. In the present study we provide a closed form model to predict Read More

Our contribution demonstrates that hydrogen storage in stationary Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) systems becomes much simpler and significantly more efficient if both the LOHC hydrogenation and the LOHC dehydrogenation reaction are carried out in the same reactor using the same catalyst. The finding that the typical dehydrogenation catalyst for hydrogen release from perhydro dibenzyltoluene (H18-DBT) Pt on alumina turns into a highly Read More

In the last couple of years there has been increasing recognition by key players in the European gas industry that to mitigate the risk of terminal decline in the context of a decarbonising energy system there will need to be rapid scale up of decarbonised gas. This has led to several projections of the scale of decarbonised gas which could potentially be supplied by 2030 2040 or 2050. This paper joint with the Sustainable Gas Institute at Imperial College Read More

Single-atom catalysts provide an effective approach to reduce the amount of precious metals meanwhile maintain their catalytic activity. However the sluggish activity of the catalysts for alkaline water dissociation has hampered advances in highly efficient hydrogen production. Herein we develop a single-atom platinum immobilized NiO/Ni heterostructure (PtSA-NiO/Ni) as an alkaline hydrogen evolution catalyst. It is found that Pt single atom coupled Read More

Currently hydrogen production is based on the reforming process leading to the emission of pollutants; therefore a substitute production method is imminently required. Water electrolysis is an ideal alternative for large-scale hydrogen production as it does not produce any carbon-based pollutant byproducts. The production of green hydrogen from water electrolysis using intermittent sources (e.g. solar and eolic sources) would facilitate cle Read More

Hydrogen produced with renewable energy sources – or “green” hydrogen – has emerged as a key element to achieve net-zero emissions from heavy industry and transport. Along with net-zero commitments by growing numbers of governments green hydrogen has started gaining momentum based on low-cost renewable electricity ongoing technological improvements and the benefits of greater power-system flexibility.Hydrogen-based fuels prev Read More

Palladium-based membranes for hydrogen separation have been studied by several research groups during the last 40 years. Much effort has been dedicated to improving the hydrogen flux of these membranes employing different alloys supports deposition/production techniques etc. High flux and cheap membranes yet stable at different operating conditions are required for their exploitation at industrial scale. The integration of membranes in mul Read More

In the search for new efficient photo-catalysts for hydrogen production through water splitting the main attention has been paid to tuning the band gap width and its position with respect to vacuum level. However actual electro-catalytic activity for the water oxidation reaction on a catalyst surface is no less important than those quantities. In this work we evaluate from first principles the thermodynamics of the reaction on relatively new candidates for Read More

Hydrogen energy is one of the most suitable green substitutes for harmful fossil fuels and has been investigated widely. This review extensively compiles and compares various methodologies used in the production storage and usage of hydrogen. Sonochemistry is an emerging synthesis process and intensification technique adapted for the synthesis of novel materials. It manifests acoustic cavitation phenomena caused by ultrasound where higher rates of re Read More

Climate change mitigation efforts are in dire need of greener and more versatile fuel al‐ ternatives to fossil fuels. Green hydrogen being both renewable and flexible has the potential to offset fossil fuels as the primary fuel source. Countries around the world are planning to develop their green hydrogen industries and accurate potential assessment is vital. This study employed the consolidation of a geographic information system (GIS) and the analytical hier Read More

In the present work an Ir/CeO2 catalyst was prepared by the deposition–precipitation method and tested in the decomposition of hydrazine hydrate to hydrogen which is very important in the development of hydrogen storage materials for fuel cells. The catalyst was characterised using different techniques i.e. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with X-ray dete Read More

Underground hydrogen storage is a potential way to balance seasonal fluctuations in energy production from renewable energies. The risks of hydrogen storage in depleted gas fields include the conversion of hydrogen to CH4(g) and H2S(g) due to microbial activity gas–water–rock interactions in the reservoir and cap rock which are connected with porosity changes and the loss of aqueous hydrogen by diffusion through the cap rock brine. These risks le Read More

The foreseen uptake of hydrogen mobility is a fundamental step towards the decarbonization of the transport sector. Under such premises both refuelling infrastructure and vehicles should be deployed together with improved refuelling protocols. Several studies focus on refuelling the light-duty vehicles with 10 kgH2 up to 700 bar however less known effort is reported for refuelling heavy-duty vehicles with 30–40 kgH2 at 350 bar. The present study illustra Read More

Prestressing steel wires are manufactured by cold drawing during which a preferential orientation is achieved in the matter of pearlitic colonies and lamellae. In addition to this general trend special (unconventional) pearlitic pseudocolonies evolve during the heavy-drawing manufacture process affecting the posterior macro- micro- and nano-structural integrity of the material. This paper discusses the important role of such a special microstructural uni Read More

Energies based on biomaterials attract a lot of interest as next-generation energy because biomaterials are environmentally friendly materials and abundant in nature. Fuel cells are also known as the clean and important next-generation source of energy. In the present study to develop the fuel cell based on biomaterials a novel biofuel cell which consists of collagen electrolyte and the hydrogen fuel generated from photochemical system II (PSII) in pho Read More

To address the challenge of highly efficient water splitting into H2 successful fabrication of novel porous three-dimensional Ni-doped CoP3 nanowall arrays on carbon cloth was realized resulting in an effective self-supported electrode for the electrocatalytic hydrogen-evolution reaction. The synthesized samples exhibit rough curly and porous structures which are beneficial for gaseous transfer and diffusion during the electrocatalytic process. As expected t Read More

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) commissioned Element Energy to improve our evidence base on the potential of industrial deep-decarbonisation measures (fuel switching CCS/BECCS measures to reduce methane emissions) and develop pathways for their application. This report summarises the evidence and results of the work including:Evidence on the key constraints and costs for technology and infrastructure deploymentThe methodolo Read More

Producing hydrogen by water electrolysis suffers from the kinetic barriers in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) that limits the overall efficiency. With spin-dependent kinetics in OER to manipulate the spin ordering of ferromagnetic OER catalysts (e.g. by magnetization) can reduce the kinetic barrier. However most active OER catalysts are not ferromagnetic which makes the spin manipulation challenging. In this work we report a strategy with spin pinnin Read More

Hydrogen is regarded to be one of the most promising renewable and clean energy sources. Finding a highly efficient and cost-effective catalyst to generate hydrogen via water splitting has become a research hotspot. Two-dimensional materials with exotic structural and electronic properties have been considered as economical alternatives. In this work 2D SnSe films with high quality of crystallinity were grown on a mica substrate via molecular beam epitaxy Read More

A highly efficient low-cost and environmentally friendly photocathode with long-term stability is the goal of practical solar hydrogen evolution applications. Here we found that the Cu3BiS3 film-based photocathode meets the abovementioned requirements. The Cu3BiS3-based photocathode presents a remarkable onset potential over 0.9 VRHE with excellent photoelectrochemical current densities (~7 mA/cm2 under 0 VRHE) and appreciable 10-h Read More

Several carbon sequestration technologies have been proposed to utilize carbon dioxide (CO2 ) to produce energy and chemical compounds. However feasible technologies have not been adopted due to the low efficiency conversion rate and high-energy requirements. Process intensification increases the process productivity and efficiency by combining chemical reactions and separation operations. In this work we present a model of a chemical-ele Read More

The UK is on course to become a global leader in hydrogen technology. Over £3bn is ready to be invested into hydrogen today. The pace of activity is rapid and the opportunities are vast.Join us at our free to attend event where you will gain unique insights into how the Hydrogen industry is progressing together with exclusive access to future plans.The dynamic and lively session will demonstrate the viability of hydrogen as a key component to achieve Net Read More

This work is part of a project that aims to develop a micromechanics based damage law taking into account hydrogen assisted degradation. A 'vintage' API 5L X56N and a 'modern' API 5L X70M pipeline steel have been selected for this purpose. The paper focuses on an experimental calibration of ductile damage properties of the well known complete Gurson model for the two steels in absence of hydrogen. A basic microstructural characterization is provide Read More

Numerous studies concerning the life cycle assessment of fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have been conducted. However little attention has been paid to the life cycle assessment of an FCV from the perspective of the detailed vehicle components. This work conducts the life cycle assessment of Toyota Mirai with all major components considered in a Chinese context. Both the vehicle cycle and the fuel cycle are included. Both comprehensive resources and en Read More

Low-cost high-performance coatings for hydrogen production via electrolytic water-splitting are of great importance for de-carbonising energy. In this study the Raney2.0 coating was analysed using various electrochemical techniques to assess its absolute performance and it was confirmed to have an extremely low overpotential for hydrogen evolution of just 28 mV at 10 mA/cm2. It was also confirmed to be an acceptable catalyst for oxygen evolution ma Read More

In the present study a hydrogen and oxygen heat-sink engine thrust chamber and the corresponding injection faceplate with discrete slot orifices are devised to study the cooling performance near the faceplate region. Moreover a set of experiments and numerical simulations are conducted to evaluate the effects of various factors on combustion performance and film cooling efficiency. According to the obtained result the circumferential cooling efficiency h Read More

Here we report direct physical evidence that confinement of molecular hydrogen (H2) in an optimized nanoporous carbon results in accumulation of hydrogen with characteristics commensurate with solid H2 at temperatures up to 67 K above the liquid vapor critical temperature of bulk H2. This extreme densification is attributed to confinement of H2 molecules in the optimally sized micropores and occurs at pressures as low as 0.02 MPa. The quan Read More

This study seeks to answer a simple question: will we have enough renewable electricity to meet all of the EU's decarbonisation objectives and if not what should be the priorities and how to address the remaining needs for energy towards carbon neutrality? Indeed if not the policy push for green hydrogen would not be covered by enough green electricity to match the “energy efficiency and electrification first” approach outlined in the system integra Read More

Hydrogen has potential applications across our future energy systems due particularly to its relatively high energy weight ratio and because it is emission-free at the point of use. Hydrogen is also abundant and versatile in the sense that it could be produced from a variety of primary energy sources and chemical substances including water and used to deliver power in a variety of applications including fuel cell combined heat and power technologi Read More

This paper is a critical review of selected real-world energy storage systems based on hydrogen ranging from lab-scale systems to full-scale systems in continuous operation. 15 projects are presented with a critical overview of their concept and performance. A review of research related to power electronics control systems and energy management strategies has been added to integrate the findings with outlooks usually described in separate literatur Read More

Whereas noise generated by road traffic is an important factor in urban pollution little attention has been paid to this issue in the field of hydrogen-fueled vehicles. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of the type of fuel (gasoline or hydrogen) on the sound levels produced by a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. A Volkswagen Polo 1.4 vehicle adapted for its bi-fuel hydrogen-gasoline operation has been used. Tests were carried o Read More

Cost reduction and high efficiency are the mayor challenges for sustainable H2 production via proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis. Titanium-based components such as bipolar plates (BPP) have the largest contribution to the capital cost. This work proposes the use of stainless steel BPPs coated with Nb and Ti by magnetron sputtering physical vapor deposition (PVD) and vacuum plasma spraying (VPS) respectively. The physical properties of the co Read More

The catalytical activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of the electrodeposited Ni–Mo/WC composites is examined in 1 M KOH solution. The structure surface morphology and surface composition is investigated using the scanning electron microscopy X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic properties for the HER is evaluated based on the cathodic polarization electrochemical impedance cyclic voltam Read More

Owing to the storage and transportation problems of hydrogen fuel exploring new methods of the realtime hydrogen production from ammonia becomes attractive. In this paper non-thermal arc plasma (NTAP) combining with NiO/Al2O3 catalyst is developed to produce hydrogen from ammonia with high efficiency and large scale. The effects of ammonia gas flow rate and discharge power on the gas temperature electron density the hydrogen prod Read More

Hydrogen is the cleanest fuel available because its combustion product is water. The internal combustion engine can in principle and without significant modifications run on hydrogen to produce mechanical energy. Regarding the technological solution leading to compact engines a question to ask is the following: Can combustion engine systems be lubricated with hydrogen? In general since many applications such as in turbomachines is it possible Read More

In this work the aging effects on modelling and operation of a photovoltaic system with hydrogen storage in terms of energy production decrease and demand for additional hydrogen during 10 years of the system operation was analysed for the entire energy system for the first time. The analyses were performed with the support of experimental data for the renewable energy system composed of photovoltaic modules fuel cell electrolysers hydr Read More

The engineering correlations for assessment of hazard distance defined by a size of fireball after either liquid hydrogen spill combustion or high-pressure hydrogen tank rupture in a fire in the open atmosphere (both for stand-alone and under-vehicle tanks) are presented. The term “fireball size” is used for the maximum horizontal size of a fireball that is different from the term “fireball diameter” applied to spherical or semi-spherical shape fireballs. Ther Read More

Hydrogen gas has tremendous potential as an environmentally acceptable energy carrier for vehicles. A cutting edge technology called a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) can achieve sustainable and clean hydrogen production from a wide range of renewable biomass and wastewaters. Enhancing the hydrogen production rate and lowering the energy input are the main challenges of MEC technology. MEC reactor design is one of the crucial fact Read More

Energy-efficient technologies for the remediation of water and generation of drinking water is a key towards sustainable technologies. Electrochemical desalination technologies are promising alternatives towards established methods such as reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration. In the last few years hydrogen-driven electrochemical water purification has emerged. This review article explores the concept of desalination fuel cells and capacitive-Faradaic f Read More

This work presents a detailed breakdown of the energy conversion chains from intermittent electricity to a vehicle considering battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). The traditional well-to-wheel analysis is adapted to a grid to mobility approach by introducing the intermediate steps of useful electricity energy carrier and on-board storage. Specific attention is given to an effective coupling with renewable electricity sources and as Read More

Population growth and the expansion of industries have increased energy demand and the use of fossil fuels as an energy source resulting in release of greenhouse gases (GHG) and increased air pollution. Countries are therefore looking for alternatives to fossil fuels for energy generation. Using hydrogen as an energy carrier is one of the most promising alternatives to replace fossil fuels in electricity generation. It is therefore essential to know how hy Read More

Reducing the cost of delivering hydrogen to fuelling stations and dispensing it into fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) is one critical element of efforts to increase the cost-competitiveness of FCEVs. Today hydrogen is primarily delivered to stations by trucks. Pipeline delivery is much rarer: one urban U.S. station has been supplied with 800-psi hydrogen from an industrial hydrogen pipeline since 2011 and a German station on the edge of an industrial park h Read More

In this paper an alternative approach to extended Kalman filtering (EKF) for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (FC) systems is proposed. The goal is to obtain robust real-time capable state estimations of a high-order FC model for observer applications mixed with control or fault detection. The introduced formulation resolves dependencies on operating conditions by successive linearization and constraints allowing to run the nonlinear FC model at si Read More