Applications & Pathways

Fuel cells are the most clean and efficient power source for vehicles. In particular proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are the most promising candidate for automobile applications due to their rapid start-up and low-temperature operation. Through extensive global research efforts in the latest decade the performance of PEMFCs including energy efficiency volumetric and mass power density and low temperature startup ability have achieved significant breakthroughs. In 2014 fuel cell powered vehicles were introduced into the market by several prominent vehicle companies. However the low durability and high cost of PEMFC systems are still the main obstacles for large-scale industrialization of this technology. The key materials and components used in PEMFCs greatly affect their durability and cost. In this review the technical progress of key materials and components for PEMFCs has been summarized and critically discussed including topics such as the membrane catalyst layer gas diffusion layer and bipolar plate. The development of high-durability processing technologies is also introduced. Finally this review is concluded with personal perspectives on the future research directions of this area.

Hydrogen-powered mobility is believed to be crucial in the future as hydrogen constitutes a promising solution to make up for the non-programmable character of the renewable energy sources. In this context the hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine represents one of the suitable technical solutions for the future of sustainable mobility. As a matter of fact hydrogen engines suffer from limitations in volumetric efficiency due to the very low density of the fuel. Consequently hydrogen-fueled ICEs can reach sufficient torque and power density only if suitable supercharging solutions are developed. Moreover gaseous-engine performance can be improved to a great extent if direct injection is applied. In this perspective a remarkable know-how has been developed in the last two decades on NG engines which can be successfully exploited in this context. The objective of this paper is twofold. In the first part a feasibility study has been carried out with reference to a typical 2000cc SI engine by means of 1D simulations. This study was aimed at characterizing the performance on the full load curve with respect to a baseline PFI engine fueled by NG. In this phase the turbocharging/supercharging device has not been included in the model in order to quantify the attainable benefits in the absence of any limitation coming from the turbocharger. In the second part of this paper the conversion of a prototype 1400cc direct injection NG engine running with stoichiometric mixture to run on a lean hydrogen combustion mode has been investigated via 1D simulations. The matching between engine and turbocharger has been included in the model and the effects of two different turbomatching choices have been presented and discussed.

This paper presents the results of techno-economic modelling for hydrogen production from a photovoltaic battery electrolyser system (PBES) for injection into a natural gas transmission line. Mellitah in Libya connected to Gela in Italy by the Greenstream subsea gas transmission line is selected as the location for a case study. The PBES includes photovoltaic (PV) arrays battery electrolyser hydrogen compressor and large-scale hydrogen storage to maintain constant hydrogen volume fraction in the pipeline. Two PBES configurations with different large-scale storage methods are evaluated: PBESC with compressed hydrogen stored in buried pipes and PBESL with liquefied hydrogen stored in spherical tanks. Simulated hourly PV electricity generation is used to calculate the specific hourly capacity factor of a hypothetical PV array in Mellitah. This capacity factor is then used with different PV sizes for sizing the PBES. The levelised cost of delivered hydrogen (LCOHD) is used as the key techno-economic parameter to optimise the size of the PBES by equipment sizing. The costs of all equipment except the PV array and batteries are made to be a function of electrolyser size. The equipment sizes are deemed optimal if PBES meets hydrogen demand at the minimum LCOHD. The techno-economic performance of the PBES is evaluated for four scenarios of fixed and constant hydrogen volume fraction targets in the pipeline: 5% 10% 15% and 20%. The PBES can produce up to 106 kilotonnes of hydrogen per year to meet the 20% target at an LCOHD of 3.69 €/kg for compressed hydrogen storage (PBESC) and 2.81 €/kg for liquid hydrogen storage (PBESL). Storing liquid hydrogen at large-scale is significantly cheaper than gaseous hydrogen even with the inclusion of a significantly larger PV array that is required to supply additional electrcitiy for liquefaction.

Power-to-X processes where renewable energy is converted into storable liquids or gases are considered to be one of the key approaches for decarbonizing energy systems and compensating for the volatility involved in generating electricity from renewable sources. In this context the production of “green” hydrogen and hydrogen-based derivatives is being discussed and tested as a possible solution for the energy-intensive industry sector in particular. Given the sharp ongoing increases in electricity and gas prices and the need for sustainable energy supplies in production systems non-energy-intensive companies should also be taken into account when considering possible utilization paths for hydrogen. This work focuses on the following three utilization paths: “hydrogen as an energy storage system that can be reconverted into electricity” “hydrogen mobility” for company vehicles and “direct hydrogen use”. These three paths are developed modeled simulated and subsequently evaluated in terms of economic and environmental viability. Different photovoltaic system configurations are set up for the tests with nominal power ratings ranging from 300 kWp to 1000 kWp. Each system is assigned an electrolyzer with a power output ranging between 200 kW and 700 kW and a fuel cell with a power output ranging between 5 kW and 75 kW. There are also additional variations in relation to the battery storage systems within these basic configurations. Furthermore a reference variant without battery storage and hydrogen technologies is simulated for each photovoltaic system size. This means that there are ultimately 16 variants to be simulated for each utilization path. The results show that these utilization paths already constitute a reasonable alternative to fossil fuels in terms of costs in variants with a suitable energy system design. For the “hydrogen as an energy storage system” path electricity production costs of between 43 and 79 ct/kWh can be achieved with the 750 kWp photovoltaic system. The “hydrogen mobility” is associated with costs of 12 to 15 ct/km while the “direct hydrogen use” path resulted in costs of 8.2 €/kg. Environmental benefits are achieved in all three paths by replacing the German electricity mix with renewable energy sources produced on site or by substituting hydrogen for fossil fuels. The results confirm that using hydrogen as a storage medium in manufacturing companies could be economically and environmentally viable. These results also form the basis for further studies e.g. on detailed operating strategies for hydrogen technologies in scenarios involving a combination of multiple utilization paths. The work also presents the simulation-based method developed in this project which can be transferred to comparable applications in further studies.

In this paper we present the first systematic review of Power to X processes applied to the iron and steel industry. These processes convert renewable electricity into valuable chemicals through an electrolysis stage that produces the final product or a necessary intermediate. We have classified them in five categories (Power to Iron Power to Hydrogen Power to Syngas Power to Methane and Power to Methanol) to compare the results of the different studies published so far gathering specific energy consumption electrolysis power capacity CO2 emissions and technology readiness level. We also present for the first time novel concepts that integrate oxy-fuel ironmaking and Power to Gas. Lastly we round the review off with a summary of the most important research projects on the topic including relevant data on the largest pilot facilities (2–6 MW).

In order to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide gas turbine power station will expect to use more clean fuels in the future especially those like hydrogen. Hydrogen-rich fuel(syngas) combustion characteristics of the novel counter dual-swirl gas turbine combustor under fixed calorific value input were studied by experiment and numerical simulation. PIV and temperature rake were used respectively to obtain the velocity and temperature distribution in the combustion chamber. The turbulence model of Reynolds stress and the kinetic model of detailed chemical syngas combustion were used simultaneously in the computational simulations. Based on the obtained results it was found that there is a reasonable agreement between the numerical results and the experimental data. The analysis shows that the flow field and temperature field of the combustor were almost unaffected by the change of hydrogen content and shows a nearly identical distribution structure under all conditions with hydrogen content below 90%; but when the H2 content reaches 90% the above characteristic plots were significantly changed. As the H2 content in the fuel increases on the center line of the combustor the jet velocity of the fuel decreased the temperature of the gas flow increased the recovery coefficient of total pressure decreased and the temperature distribution at the combustor outlet became more uniform. In addition it is also found that the syngas turbine with the same output power consumed less fuel than the gas turbine with hydrocarbon fuel. This paper provides reference for the study of hydrogen-rich syngas turbine and the application of hydrogen-rich fuel in combustor of energy system.

Hydrogen energy leads us in an important direction in the development of clean energy and the comprehensive utilization of hydrogen energy is crucial for the low-carbon transformation of the power sector. In this paper the demand for hydrogen energy in various fields is predicted based on the support vector regression algorithm which can be converted into an equivalent electrical load when it is all produced from water electrolysis. Then the investment costs of power generators and hydrogen energy equipment are forecast considering uncertainty. Furthermore a planning model is established with the forecast data initial installed capacity and targets for carbon emission reduction as inputs and the installed capacity as well as share of various power supply and annual carbon emissions as outputs. Taking Gansu Province of China as an example the changes of power supply structure and carbon emissions under different scenarios are analysed. It can be found that hydrogen production through water electrolysis powered by renewable energy can reduce carbon emissions but will increase the demand for renewable energy generators. Appropriate planning of hydrogen storage can reduce the overall investment cost and promote a low carbon transition of the power system

Nowadays we face a series of global challenges including the growing depletion of fossil energy environmental pollution and global warming. The replacement of coal petroleum and natural gas by secondary energy resources is vital for sustainable development. Hydrogen (H2 ) energy is considered the ultimate energy in the 21st century because of its diverse sources cleanliness low carbon emission flexibility and high efficiency. H2 fuel cell vehicles are commonly the end-point application of H2 energy. Owing to their zero carbon emission they are gradually replacing traditional vehicles powered by fossil fuel. As the H2 fuel cell vehicle industry rapidly develops H2 fuel supply especially H2 quality attracts increasing attention. Compared with H2 for industrial use the H2 purity requirements for fuel cells are not high. Still the impurity content is strictly controlled since even a low amount of some impurities may irreversibly damage fuel cells’ performance and running life. This paper reviews different versions of current standards concerning H2 for fuel cell vehicles in China and abroad. Furthermore we analyze the causes and developing trends for the changes in these standards in detail. On the other hand according to characteristics of H2 for fuel cell vehicles standard H2 purification technologies such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA) membrane separation and metal hydride separation were analyzed and the latest research progress was reviewed.

A substantial CO2-emmissions abatement from the steel sector seems to be a challenging task without support of so-called “breakthrough technologies” such as the hydrogen-based direct reduction process. The scope of this work is to evaluate both the potential for the implementation of green hydrogen generated via electrolysis in the direct reduction process as well as the constraints. The results for this process route are compared with both the well-established blast furnace route as well as the natural gas-based direct reduction which is considered as a bridge technology towards decarbonization as it already operates with H2 and CO as main reducing agents. The outcomes obtained from the operation of a 6-MW PEM electrolysis system installed as part of the H2FUTURE project provide a basis for this analysis. The CO2 reduction potential for the various routes together with an economic study are the main results of this analysis. Additionally the corresponding hydrogen- and electricity demands for large-scale adoption across Europe are presented in order to rate possible scenarios for the future of steelmaking towards a carbon-lean industry.

Energy consumption is essential for evaluating the competitiveness of fuel cell electric vehicles. A critical step in energy consumption measurement is measuring hydrogen consumption including the mass method the P/T method and the flowmeter method. The flowmeter method has always been a research focus because of its simple operation low cost and solid real-time performance. Current research has shown the accuracy of the flowmeter method under specific conditions. However many factors in the real scenario will influence the test result such as unintended vibration environment temperature and onboard hydrogen capacity calibration. On the other hand the short-cut method is also researched to replace the run-out method to improve test efficiency. To evaluate whether the flowmeter method basing on the short-cut method can genuinely reflect the hydrogen consumption of an actual vehicle we research and test for New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) using the same vehicle. The results show that the short-cut method can save at least 50% of the test time compared with the run-out method. The error of the short-cut method based on the flowmeter for the NEDC working condition is less than 0.1% and for the CLTC working conditions is 8.12%. After adding a throttle valve and a 4L buffer tank the error is reduced to 4.76% from 8.12%. The test results show that hydrogen consumption measurement based on the flowmeter and short-cut method should adopt corresponding solutions according to the scenarios.

In a recent publication the Hydrogen Council states that scaling up to greater production volumes leads to significant cost savings as a consequence of the industrialization of equipment manufacturing increased utilization standardization and improvements in system efficiency and flexibility. In this study a component-oriented techno-economic model is applied to five different European hydrogen refueling stations within the 3Emotion project which is planned to ensure capacities sufficient for increasing a fleet to 100 fuel cell buses. The investigation of the various cases shows that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for large-scale applications will be in the range of about 4 €/kg to 7 €/kg within the boundaries analyzed. On-site production facilities were found to be the lower-cost design benefiting from the high volumes at stake and the economy of scale with respect to decentralized production due to the significant costs associated with retail hydrogen and transport. This study also illustrates the effects on the LCOH of varying the hydrogen delivery and production prices using a sensitivity analysis. The results show that by utilizing high-capacity trailers the costs associated with delivery could be reduced by 30%. Furthermore green hydrogen production could be a competitive solution if coupled with low electricity prices resulting in an LCOH between 4.21 €/kg and 6.80 €/kg.

Low or even zero carbon dioxide emissions will be an essential requirement for energy supplies in the near future. Besides transport and electricity generation industry is another large carbon emitter. Hydrogen produced by renewable energy provides a flexible way of utilizing that energy. Hydrogen as an energy carrier could be stored in a large capacity compared to electricity. In Sweden hydrogen will be used to replace coal for steel production. This paper discusses how the need for electricity to produce hydrogen will affect the electricity supply and power flow in the Swedish power grid and whether it will result in increased emissions in other regions. Data of the Swedish system will be used to study the feasibility of implementing the hydrogen system from the power system viewpoint and discuss the electricity price and emission issues caused by the hydrogen production in different scenarios. This paper concludes that the Swedish power grid is feasible for accommodating the additional electricity capacity requirement of producing green hydrogen for the steel industry. The obtained results could be references for decision makers investors and power system operators.

Industries account for about 30% of total final energy consumption worldwide and about 20% of global CO2 emissions. While transitions towards renewable energy have occurred in many parts of the world in the energy sectors the industrial sectors have been lagging behind. Decarbonising the energy-intensive industrial sectors is however important for mitigating emissions leading to climate change. This paper analyses various technological trajectories and key policies for decarbonising energy-intensive industries: steel mining and minerals cement pulp and paper and refinery. Electrification fuel switching to low carbon fuels together with technological breakthroughs such as fossil-free steel production and CCS are required to bring emissions from energy-intensive industry down to net-zero. A long-term credible carbon price support for technological development in various parts of the innovation chain policies for creating markets for low-carbon materials and the right condition for electrification and increased use of biofuels will be essential for a successful transition towards carbon neutrality. The study focuses on Sweden as a reference case as it is one of the most advanced countries in the decarbonisation of industries. The paper concludes that it may be technically feasible to deep decarbonise energy-intensive industries by 2045 given financial and political support.

Previously suggested options to achieve carbon neutrality involve the use of fossil fuels with carbon capture or exploiting biomass as sources of energy. Industrial high-temperature heating could possibly exploit electrical heating or combustion using hydrogen. However it is difficult to replace all the current coal or natural gas furnaces with these options for chemical industry. In this work a method that integrates solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) and H2–O2 combustion is proposed and the related parameters are modelled to analyze their impacts. There is no waste heat and waste emissions in the proposed option and all substances are recycled. Unlike previous research the heat required for SOEC operation is generated from H2 combustion. The best working condition is under thermoneutral voltage and the highest electricity-to-thermal efficiency that can be achieved is 86.88% under a current density of 12000 A/m2 and operating temperature of 750 ◦C. Ohmic overpotential has the greatest effect on electricity consumption and the anode activation overpotential is the second most important option. Increasing combustion product temperature cannot significantly improve thermal efficiency but can raise the available maximum thermal energy.

The exploitation of renewable energy sources in the building sector is a challenging aspect of achieving sustainability. The incorporation of a proper storage unit is a vital issue for managing properly renewable electricity production and so to avoid the use of grid electricity. The present investigation examines a zero-energy residential building that uses photovoltaics for covering all its energy needs (heating cooling domestic hot water and appliances-lighting needs). The building uses a reversible heat pump and an electrical heater so there is not any need for fuel. The novel aspect of the present analysis lies in the utilization of hydrogen as the storage technology in a power-to-hydrogen-to-power design. The residual electricity production from the photovoltaics feeds an electrolyzer for hydrogen production which is stored in the proper tank under high pressure. When there is a need for electricity and the photovoltaics are not enough the hydrogen is used in a fuel cell for producing the needed electricity. The present work examines a building of 400 m2 floor area in Athens with total yearly electrical demand of 23656 kWh. It was found that the use of 203 m2 of photovoltaics with a hydrogen storage capacity of 34 m3 can make the building autonomous for the year period.

Fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles (FCEVs) are mainly electrified by the fuel cell (FC) system. As a supplementary power source a battery or supercapacitor (SC) is employed (besides the FC) to enhance the power response due to the slow dynamics of the FC. Indeed the performance of the hybrid power system mainly depends on the required power distribution manner among the sources which is managed by the energy management strategy (EMS). This paper considers an FCEV based on the proton exchange membrane FC (PEMFC)/battery/SC. The energy management strategy is designed to ensure optimum power distribution between the sources considering hydrogen consumption. Its main objective is to meet the electric motor’s required power with economic hydrogen consumption and better electrical efficiency. The proposed EMS combines the external energy maximization strategy (EEMS) and the bald eagle search algorithm (BES). Simulation tests for the Extra-Urban Driving Cycle (EUDC) and New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) profiles were performed. The test is supposed to be performed in typical conditions t = 25 ◦C on a flat road without no wind effect. In addition this strategy was compared with the state machine control strategy classic PI and equivalent consumption minimization strategy. In terms of optimization the proposed approach was compared with the original EEMS particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based EEMS and equilibrium optimizer (EO)-based EEMS. The results confirm the ability of the proposed strategy to reduce fuel consumption and enhance system efficiency. This strategy provides 26.36% for NEDC and 11.35% for EUDC fuel-saving and efficiency enhancement by 6.74% for NEDC and 36.19% for EUDC.

A thermodynamic model was developed for combustion performance and emissions with a reference diesel fuel a 10 vol% methanol blend with 90 vol% diesel a 10 vol% ethanol with 90 vol% diesel and a 4% hydrogen fumigating in the inlet port along with diesel direct injection. The diesel and two alcohol blends (10% methanol–90% diesel and 10% ethanol–90% diesel) was directly injected into the cylinder while hydrogen was fumigated at the inlet port. The model was developed by commercial GT-Suite software. Besides engine performance exergy and energy rates were estimated for the four fuels. Among the four fuels/fuel blends hydrogen fuel (4% fumigated hydrogen) shows the best performance in terms of exergy energy rates specific fuel consumption power and greenhouse gas emissions. Regarding greenhouse gases carbon dioxide was only considered in this investigation as it contributes to a significant detrimental effect on environmental pollution.

In this present work simulations of 20 kW furnace were carried out with hydrogenenriched methane mixtures to identify optimal geometrical configurations and operating conditions to operate in flameless combustion regime. The objective of this work is to show the advantages of flameless combustion for hydrogen-enriched fuels and the limits of current typical industrial designs for these mixtures. The performances of a semi-industrial combustion chamber equipped with a self-recuperative flameless burner are evaluated with increasing H2 concentrations. For highly H2-enriched mixtures typical burners employed for methane appear to be inadequate to reach flameless conditions. In particular for a typical coaxial injector configuration an equimolar mixture of hydrogen and methane represents the limit for hydrogen enrichment. To achieve flameless conditions different injector geometries and configuration were tested. Fuel dilution with CO2 and H2O was also investigated. Dilution slows the mixing process consequently helping the transition to flameless conditions. CO2 and H2O are typical products of hydrogen generation processes therefore their use in fuel dilution is convenient for industrial applications. Dilution thus allows the use of greater hydrogen percentages in the mixture.

The effect of carbon monoxide (CO) on the performance of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) with either a hydrogen circulation system or a hydrogen one-way pass system is investigated and compared. The voltage drop induced by adding 0.2 ppm of CO to the PEFC with the hydrogen circulation system was less than one-tenth of that observed in the PEFC with the hydrogen one-way pass system at 1000 mA cm–2 and a cell temperature of 60 °C. Gas analysis results showed that CO concentration in the hydrogen circulation system was lower than the initially supplied CO concentration. In the hydrogen circulation system permeated oxygen from the cathode should enhance CO oxidation. This should lead to decrease the CO concentration and mitigate the voltage drop in the hydrogen circulation system.

The greenhouse effect has always been a problem troubling various country many fields have made corresponding technological improvements and regulations and the shipping industry is no exception. In the shipping field governments are actively looking for viable low-carbon/zero-carbon alternative fuels to reduce their dependence on traditional fossil fuels. This paper discusses the challenges and opportunities of replacing fuel oil with clean energies. Firstly the alternative fuels that have been proposed frequently and widely in recent years are summarized and their sources adaptive power systems and relationships among fuels are systematically summarized. Secondly when evaluating the advantages and future development trends of each energy the environmental economic and safety factors are digitally quantified. Results show that the analysis focuses on the efficiency and economics of carbon reduction. Hydrogen ammonia and nuclear energy show advantages in environmental quantification factors while LNG biofuels and alcohols show benefits in economic quantification factors considering calorific value and fuel price and LNG and alcohols received high scores in safety assessment. Finally the study predicts the evolution and development trend of ship fuels in the future and evaluates the most suitable energy for ship development in different periods.

With the decarbonization and electrification of modern railway transportation the demand for both the highcapacity electrical energy and hydrogen fuel energy is increasingly high. A novel scheme was proposed from liquid hydrogen production by surplus wind and solar energy to liquid hydrogen-electricity hybrid energy transmission for railway transportation. The 100 MW hybrid energy transmission pipeline was designed with the 10 kA/1.5 kV superconducting DC cable for electricity and cryogenic layers for liquid hydrogen and liquid nitrogen showing strong capability in transmitting “electricity + cold energy + chemical energy” simultaneously. Economic evaluation was performed with respect to the energy equipment capacity and costs with sensitivity and profitability analysis. With the discount rate 8% the dynamic payback period of the hybrid energy pipeline was 7.1 years. Results indicated that the shortest dynamic payback period of the hybrid energy pipeline was 4.8 years with the maximum transmission distance 93 km. Overall this article shows the novel concept and design of liquid hydrogen-electricity hybrid energy pipelines and proves the technical and economic feasibilities for future bulk hybrid energy transmission for railway transportation.

As a countermeasure to the greenhouse gas problem the world is focusing on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The most prominent alternatives are battery electric vehicles (BEV) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). This study examines FCEVs especially considering hydrogen refueling stations to fill the gap in the research. Many studies suggest the important impact that infrastructure has on the diffusion of AFVs but they do not provide quantitative preferences for the design of hydrogen refueling stations. This study analyzes and presents a consumer preference structure for hydrogen refueling stations considering the production method distance probability of failure to refuel number of dispensers and fuel costs as core attributes. For the analysis stated preference data are applied to choice experiments and mixed logit is used for the estimation. Results indicate that the supply stability of hydrogen refueling stations is the second most important attribute following fuel price. Consumers are willing to pay more for green hydrogen compared to gray hydrogen which is hydrogen produced by fossil fuels. Driver fuel type and perception of hydrogen energy influence structure preference. Our results suggest a specific design for hydrogen refueling stations based on the characteristics of user groups.

The paper describes a numerical study of the combustion of hydrogen enriched methane and biogases containing hydrogen in a Controlled Auto Ignition engine (CAI). A single cylinder CAI engine is modelled with Chemkin to predict engine performance comparing the fuels in terms of indicated mean effective pressure engine efficiency and pollutant emissions. The effects of hydrogen and carbon dioxide on the combustion process are evaluated using the GRI-Mech 3.0 detailed radical chain reactions mechanism. A parametric study performed by varying the temperature at the start of compression and the equivalence ratio allows evaluating the temperature requirements for all fuels; moreover the effect of hydrogen enrichment on the auto-ignition process is investigated. The results show that at constant initial temperature hydrogen promotes the ignition which then occurs earlier as a consequence of higher chemical reactivity. At a fixed indicated mean effective pressure hydrogen presence shifts the operating range towards lower initial gas temperature and lower equivalence ratio and reduces NOx emissions. Such reduction somewhat counter-intuitive if compared with similar studies on spark-ignition engines is the result of operating the engine at lower initial gas temperatures.

The concerns regarding the consumption of traditional fuels such as oil and coal have driven the proposals for several cleaner alternatives in recent years. Hydrogen energy is one of the most attractive alternatives for the currently used fossil fuels with several superiorities such as zero-emission and high energy content. Hydrogen has numerous advantages compared to conventional fuels and as such has been employed in gas turbines (GTs) in recent years. The main benefit of using hydrogen in power generation with the GT is the considerably lower emission of greenhouse gases. The performance of the GTs using hydrogen as a fuel is influenced by several factors including the performance of the components the operating condition ambient condition etc. These factors have been investigated by several scholars and scientists in this field. In this article studies on hydrogen-fired GTs are reviewed and their results are discussed. Furthermore some recommendations are proposed for the upcoming works in this field.

In this novel conceptual fuel cell vehicle (FCV) an on-board CH4 steam reforming (MSR) membrane reformer (MR) is considered to generate pure H2 for supplying a Fuel Cell (FC) system as an alternative to the conventional automobile engines. Two on-board tanks are forecast to store CH4 and water useful for feeding both a combustion chamber (designed to provide the heat required by the system) and a multi tubes Pd-Ag MR useful to generate pure H2 via methane steam reforming (MSR) reaction. The pure H2 stream is hence supplied to the FC. The flue gas stream coming out from the combustion chamber is used to preheat the MR feed stream by two heat exchangers and one evaporator. Then this theoretical work demonstrates by a 1-D model the feasibility of the MR based system in order to generate 5 kg/day of pure H2 required by the FC system for cruising a vehicle for around 500 km. The calculated CH4 and water consumptions were 50 and 70 kg respectively per 1 kg of pure H2. The on-board MR based FCV presents lower CO2 emission rates than a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle also resulting in a more environmentally friendly solution.