Applications & Pathways

At present most fuel cell engines are single-stack systems and high-power single-stack systems have bottlenecks in meeting the power requirements of heavy-duty trucks mainly because the increase in the single active area and the excessive number of cells will lead to poor distribution uniformity of water gas and heat in the stack which will cause local attenuation and reduce the performance of the stack. This paper introduces the design concept of Read More

The desire to maintain CO2 concentrations in the global atmosphere implies the need to introduce ’new’ energy carriers for transport applications. Therefore the operational consumption of each such potential medium in the ’natural’ exploitation of vehicles must be assessed. A useful assessment method may be the vehicle’s energy footprint resulting from the theory of cumulative fuel consumption presented in the article. Using a (very modest) database o Read More

This paper analyses different levels and means of the electrification of space and hot water heating using an explorative modelling approach. The analysis provides guidance to the ongoing discussion on favourable pathways for heating buildings and the role of secondary energy carriers such as hydrogen or synthetic fuels. In total 12 different scenarios were modelled with decarbonisation pathways until 2050 which cover all 27 member states of the Eu Read More

Many industrialised nations recently concentrated their focus on hydrogen as a viable option for the decarbonisation of fossil-intensive sectors including maritime transportation. A sustainable alternative to the conventional production of hydrogen based on fossil hydrocarbons is water electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources. This paper presents a detailed techno-economic optimisation model for sizing an electrolyser and a hydrogen storage Read More

Hydrogen is a promising fuel for future aviation due to its CO2-free combustion. In addition its excellent cooling properties as it is heated from cryogenic conditions to the appropriate combustion temperatures provides a multitude of opportunities. This paper investigates the heat transfer potential of stator surfaces in a modern high-speed low-pressure compressor by incorporating cooling channels within the stator vane surfaces where hydrogen is all Read More

The complexity of Fuel Cell (FC) systems demands a profound and sustained understanding of the various phenomena occurring inside of it. Thus far FCs especially Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) have been recognized as being among the most promising technologies for reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions because they can convert the chemical energy bonded to hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat. However their effici Read More

This study introduces a hybrid energy storage system that combines advanced flywheel technology with hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers to address the variability inherent in renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Flywheels provide quick energy dispatch to meet peak demand while hydrogen fuel cells offer sustained power over extended periods. The research explores the strategic integration of these technologies within a hybrid photovoltaic (P Read More

Among the different hydrogen premixed combustion concepts direct injection (DI) is one of the most promising for internal combustion engine (ICE) applications. However to fully exploit the benefits of this solution the optimization of the mixture preparation process is a crucial factor. In the present work a study of the hydrogenair mixture formation process in a DI H2-ICE for off-road applications was performed through 3D-CFD simulations. First a sen Read More

Rapid urbanization and globalization are causing a rise in the energy demand within the residential sector. Currently majority of the energy demand for the residential sector being supplied from fossil fuels these sources account for greenhouse gas emissions responsible for anthropogenic-driven climate change. About 85 % of the world’s energy demands are being met by non-renewable sources of energy. An immediate need to shift towards renewable en Read More

To meet the new regulation for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure which sets targets for electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure by 2025 or 2030 a large infrastructure comprising trucksuitable hydrogen refuelling stations will soon be required. However further standardisation is required to support the uptake of hydrogen for heavy-duty transport for Europe’s green energy future. Hydrogen-powered vehi Read More

The utilization of hydrogen fuel in gas turbines brings significant changes to the thermophysical properties of flue gas including higher specific heat capacities and an enhanced steam content. Therefore hydrogen-fueled gas turbines are susceptible to health degradation in the form of steam-induced corrosion and erosion in the hot gas path. In this context the fault diagnosis of hydrogen-fueled gas turbines becomes indispensable. To the authors’ knowledge t Read More

We conduct a techno-economic assessment of two low-emissions steel production technologies and evaluate their deployment in emissions mitigation scenarios utilizing the MIT Economic Projection and Policy Analysis (EPPA) model. Specifically we assess direct reduced iron-electric arc furnace with carbon capture and storage (DRI-EAF with CCS) and H2-based direct reduced iron-electric arc furnace (H2 DRI-EAF) which utilizes low carbon hydrogen to Read More

Hydrogen production and storage in hybrid systems is a promising solution for sustainable energy transition decoupling the energy generation from its end use and boosting the deployment of renewable energy. Nonetheless the optimal and cost-effective design of hybrid hydrogen-based systems is crucial to tackle existing limitations in diffusion of these systems. The present study explores net-zero energy management via a multi-objective optimizatio Read More

Climate change necessitates urgent action to decarbonize the transport sector. Sustainable vehicles represent crucial alternatives to traditional combustion engines. This study comprehensively compares four prominent sustainable vehicle technologies: biofuel-powered vehicles (BPVs) fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) electric vehicles (EVs) and solar vehicles. We examine each technology’s history development classification key components and operational princi Read More

Innovative green vehicle concepts have become increasingly prevailing in consumer purchasing habits as technology evolves. The global transition towards sustainable transportation indicates an increase in new-generation vehicles including both fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) that will take on roads in the future. This change requires new-generation stations to support electrification. This study introduced a promin Read More

The use of energy in the built environment contributes to over one-third of the world’s carbon emissions. To reduce that effect two primary solutions can be adopted i.e. (i) renovation of old buildings and (ii) increasing the renewable energy penetration. This review paper focuses on the latter. Renewable energy sources typically have an intermittent nature. In other words it is not guaranteed that these sources can be harnessed on demand. Thus complem Read More

As the need for alternative energy sources and reduced emissions grows proven technologies are often sidelined in favour of emerging solutions that lack the infrastructure for mass adoption. This study explores a transitional approach by modifying existing compression ignition engines to run on a hydrogen/diesel mixture for performance improvement utilising water injection to mitigate the drawbacks associated with hydrogen combustion. This approach ca Read More

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set stringent regulations to reduce the carbon footprint of maritime transport using metrics such as the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) to track progress. This study introduces a novel approach using deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to optimize energy efficiency across five types of vessels: cruise ships car carriers oil tankers bulk carriers and conta Read More

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of alternative fuels including liquefied natural gas (LNG) hydrogen ammonia and biofuels assessing their feasibility based on operational requirements availability safety concerns and the infrastructure needed for large-scale adoption. Moreover it examines hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems considering advancements in battery technology and the integration of renewable energy sources such as wind and so Read More

Sustainability goals include the utilization of renewable energy resources to supply the energy needs in addition to wastewater treatment to satisfy the water demand. Moreover hydrogen has become a promising energy carrier and green fuel to decarbonize the industrial and transportation sectors. In this context this research investigates a wind-photovoltaic power plant to produce green hydrogen for hydrogen refueling station and to operate an electrocoa Read More

Hydrogen-fueled engines require large values of the excess air ratio in order to achieve high thermal efficiency. A low value of this coefficient promotes knocking combustion. This paper analyzes the conditions for the occurrence of knocking combustion in an engine with a turbulent jet ignition (TJI) system with a passive pre-chamber. A single-cylinder engine equipped with a TJI system was running with an air-to-fuel equivalence ratio λ in the range of 1.25 Read More

Hydrogen is considered one of the key pillars of an effective decarbonization strategy of the energy sector; however the potential of hydrogen as an electricity storage medium is debated. This paper investigates the role of hydrogen as an electricity storage medium in an electricity system with large hydropower resources focusing on the Swiss electricity sector. Several techno-economic and climate scenarios are considered. Findings suggest t Read More

A multi-objective optimization is performed to obtain fueling conditions in hydrogen stations leading to improved filling times and thermodynamic efficiency (entropy production) of the de facto standard of operation which is defined by the protocol SAE J2601. After finding the Pareto frontier between filling time and total entropy production it was found that SAE J2601 is suboptimal in terms of these process variables. Specifically reductions of filling time fr Read More

The road transport sector is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions as it still largely relies on traditional powertrain solutions. While some progress has been made in the passenger car sector with the diffusion of battery electric vehicles heavy-duty transport remains predominantly dependent on diesel internal combustion engines. This research aims to evaluate and compare three potential solutions for the decarbonisation of heavy-duty fr Read More

The present paper offers a thorough examination of the safety measures enforced at hydrogen filling stations emphasizing their crucial significance in the wider endeavor to advocate for hydrogen as a sustainable and reliable substitute for conventional fuels. The analysis reveals a wide range of crucial safety aspects in hydrogen refueling stations including regulated hydrogen dispensing leak detection accurate hydrogen flow measurement emergency s Read More

Hydrogen energy as a zero-carbon emission type of energy is playing a significant role in the development of future electricity power systems. Coordinated operation of hydrogen and electricity will change the direction and shape of energy utilization in the power grid. To address the evolving power system and promote sustainable hydrogen energy development this paper initially examines hydrogen preparation and storage techniques summarizes curre Read More

Fuel cell hybrid systems due to their combination of the high energy density of fuel cells and the rapid response capability of power batteries have become an important category of new energy vehicles. This paper discusses energy management strategies in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Firstly a detailed comparative analysis of existing PID control strategies and Adaptive Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategies (A-ECMSs) is conducted. It was found that Read More

In an effort to encourage industries to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources for supplying their energy demands the exergy and financial aspects of a thermodynamic energy generation system were studied. The suggested system was modeled by MATLAB commercial software to assess the decision-making parameters affecting power generation cooling capacity and to produce hydrogen. The objective functions of this study were exe Read More

Fuel cell- and electric-powered trucks are promising technologies for zero-emission heavyduty transportation. Recently Fuel Cell Trucks (FCT) have gained wider acceptance as the technology of choice for long-distance trips due to their lighter weight and shorter fueling time than electric-powered trucks. Broader adoption of Fuel Cell Trucks (FCT) requires planning strategies for locating future hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) especially for fleets th Read More

Nowadays one of the hottest topic in the automotive engineering community is the reduction of fossil fuels. Hydrogen is an alternative energy source that is already providing clean renewable and efficient power being used in fuel cells. Despite being developed since a few decades fuel cells are affected by several hurdles the most impacting one being their cost per unit power. While waiting for their cost reduction and mass-market penetration hydrogen-fuel Read More

Due to its low NOx emission index the micromix burner technology is a promising alternative for using hydrogen in combustion. Various universities and research centers in Germany England and Spain have documented and studied this technology. However the number of studies on micromix burners is limited which hinders their implementation on an industrial scale. The present study aims to review developed works focused on micromix combus Read More

Green hydrogen holds potential for decarbonizing the energy sector but high production costs are a major barrier. This study provides a comprehensive techno-economic-financial-environmental analysis of PV-based grid-connected hydrogen production plants targeting hard-to-abate industries having constant hydrogen demand across all Italy. Using real hourly data the Multi Energy System Simulator (MESS) an in-house developed rule-based tool was em Read More

The lack of clarity and uncertainty about hydrogen’s role demand applications and economics has been a barrier to the development of the hydrogen economy. In this paper an optimisation model for the integrated planning and operation of hydrogen and electricity systems is presented to identify the role of hydrogen technologies and linepack in decarbonising energy systems improving system flexibility and enhancing energy system security and re Read More

This study investigates the application of compact heat exchangers for the purpose of intercooling and recuperation systems for short-to-medium range aircraft equipped with hydrogen-fueled turbofan engines. The primary objective is to assess the potential effects of engine-integrated compact heat exchangers on fuel consumption and emissions. The paper encompasses the conceptual design of integrated heat exchangers and associated duc Read More

The growing demand for air travel in the commercial sector leads to an increase in global emissions whose mitigation entails transitioning from the current fossil-fuel based generation of aircrafts to a cleaner one within a short timeframe. The use of hydrogen and fuel cells has the potential to reach zero emissions in the aerospace sector provided that required innovation and research efforts are substantially accomplished. Development programs i Read More

Traditional high-pressure mechanical compressors account for over half of the car station’s cost have insufficient reliability and are not feasible for a large-scale fuel cell market. An alternative technology employing a two-stage hybrid system based on electrochemical and metal hydride compression technologies represents an excellent alternative to conventional compressors. The high-pressure stage operating at 100–875 bar is based on a metal hydride t Read More

Integrated steelworks off-gases are generally exploited to produce heat and electricity. However further valorization can be achieved by using them as feedstock for the synthesis of valuable products such as methane and methanol with the addition of renewable hydrogen. This was the aim of the recently concluded project entitled “Intelligent and integrated upgrade of carbon sources in steel industries through hydrogen intensified synthesis process Read More

The energy transition is pushing towards a considerable diffusion of local energy communities based on renewable energy systems and coupled with energy storage systems or energy vectors to provide independence from fossil fuels and limit carbon emissions. Indeed the variable and intermittent nature of renewables make them inadequate to satisfy the end-users’ electricity demand throughout the whole day; thus the study of energy storage syste Read More

This work presents a study of the effects that integration of electrolysis facilities for Power-to-X processes have on the power grid. The novel simulation setup combines a high-resolution grid optimization model and a detailed scheduling model for alkaline water electrolysis. The utilization and congestion of power lines in northern Germany is investigated by setting different installed capacities and production strategies of the electrolysis facility. For electrolysi Read More

This study explores the performance and emissions characteristics of a dual-fuel internal combustion engine operating on a blend of hydrogen and gasoline. This research began with a baseline simulation of a conventional gasoline engine which was subsequently validated through experimental testing on an AVL testbed. The simulation results closely matched the testbed data confirming the accuracy of the model with deviations within 5%. Building on this Read More

Dual fuel combustion has gained attention as a cost-effective solution for reducing the pollutant emissions of internal combustion engines. The typical approach is combining a conventional high-reactivity fossil fuel (diesel fuel) with a sustainable low-reactivity fuel such as bio-methane ethanol or green hydrogen. The last one is particularly interesting as in theory it produces only water and NOx when it burns. However integrating hydrogen into sto Read More

Hydrogen-enabled Integrated Energy Systems (H-IES) stand out as a promising solution with the potential to replace current non-renewable energy systems. However their development faces challenges and has yet to achieve widespread adoption. These main challenges include the complexity of demand and supply balancing dynamic consumer demand and challenges in integrating and utilising hydrogen. Typical energy management strategies within t Read More

To improve the recovery of waste heat and avoid the problem of abandoning wind and solar energy a multi-energy complementary distributed energy system (MECDES) is proposed integrating waste heat and surplus electricity for hydrogen storage. The system comprises a combined cooling heating and power (CCHP) system with a gas engine (GE) solar and wind power generation and miniaturized natural gas hydrogen production equipment (MNGHPE). I Read More

The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming and one of the most polluting sectors is heavy industry where cement production is a significant contributor. This work briefly explores some alternatives recycling reducing clinker content waste heat recovery and carbon capture discussing their advantages and drawbacks. Then it examines the economic viability and benefits of increasing oxygen concentration in the primary burning air fr Read More

Natural gas (NG) is favored for transportation due to its availability and lower CO2 emissions than fossil fuels despite drawbacks like poor lean combustion ability and slow burning. According to a few recent studies using hydrogen (H2 ) alongside NG and diesel in Tri-fuel mode addresses these drawbacks while enhancing efficiency and reducing emissions making it a promising option for diesel engines. Due to the importance and novelty of this the contin Read More

Due to the aviation energy sector's increasing contribution to climate change and the impact of climate change on the aviation sector determining key energy policy and economic research priorities for enabling an effective and equitable aviation climate action is becoming an increasingly important topic. In this perspective we address this research need using a four-pronged methodology. It includes (i) identifying topical matters highlighted in the medi Read More

Population growth and economic development have significantly increased global energy demand. Hence it has raised concerns about the increase in the consumption of fossil fuels and climate change. The present work introduced a new approach to using carbon-free energy sources such as nuclear and renewable to meet energy demand. The idea of using the Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy System (N-R HES) is suggested as a leading solution t Read More

The transition from fossil-based fuel to hydrogen combustion in steel reheating furnaces is a possible way to decrease the process-originated CO2 emissions significantly. This potential change alters the furnace gas atmo sphere’s composition impacting the oxide scale formation of the slab surface. Dynamic heating tests are per formed for three low-carbon steels using different simulated combustion atmospheres including natural gas coke oven gas a Read More

Hydrogen and methane as secondary fuels in diesel engines can be promising solutions to meet energy demand. The current study investigated the effect of the specialty gases of different compositions on diesel engine performance and exhaust gases. Four gases with various compositions of exhaust gas recirculation (Carbon monoxide Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen) and fuels (Hydrogen and Methane) were used at various mass flow rates of 10 20 a Read More

Intra-day control and scheduling of energy systems require high-speed computation and strong robustness. Conventional mathematical driven approaches usually require high computation resources and have difficulty handling system uncertainties. This paper proposes two data-driven scheduling approaches for hydrogen penetrated energy system (HPES) operational scheduling. The two data-driven approaches learn the historical optimization results calcu Read More