HYDROGEN ECONOMY
CH. BALARAMA KRISHNA
M. MANOHAR REDDY
CONCEPT OF H-ECONOMY
The hydrogen economy is a concept that envisions hydrogen as a major
source of energy. In this scenario, hydrogen would be produced from
renewable sources, such as solar or wind power, and then used to power
vehicles, heat buildings, and generate electricity.
This term was coined by John Bockris in 1970, at General Motors
Technical Centre
SCOPE
• Energy source: Hydrogen can be produced from renewable sources like
wind and solar power through electrolysis. This makes it a clean and
sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
• Environmental Benefits : H2 is a clean burning fuel that produces only
water vapor when it is used in a fuel cell. It helps in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions.
• Economic benefits: The H-economy has the potential to create new jobs
in areas like hydrogen production, storage, and infrastructure
development.
CHALLENGES
It is not an energy resource rather an energy carrier. It needs to be
produced from another source of energy.
Hydrogen is difficult to store an transport.
Cost of production
Infrastructure development
Complexity in production and equipment
CHEMICAL ENGINEERS LEADING THE
HYDROGEN REVOLUTION
METHODS FOR PRODUCTION
OF HYDROGEN
Electrolysis
Photocatalysis
Thermo–Chemical Water splitting
ELECTROLYSIS
Production Capacity:
• As of 2020, electrolysis represented less than 0.1% of global hydrogen production.
• However, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that
global electrolysis capacity for hydrogen production could reach 100-300 GW by
2030.
Efficiency:
• Electrolysis of water is 70-80% efficient, meaning there's a 20-30% energy
conversion loss.
• Advancements are expected to improve efficiency to 82-86% by 2030.
Cost:
• The cost of hydrogen production by electrolysis depends on electricity prices and
electrolyzer efficiency.
• As of 2020, estimates suggest a range of $3-8/kg of hydrogen.
• Research suggests reaching $1/kg by 2030 is possible with improvements in
technology and lower electricity costs.
PHOTO CATALYSIS
1960s: Fujishima and Honda published a landmark paper demonstrating the
photoelectrochemical splitting of water using titanium dioxide (TiO2), a
significant step towards photocatalytic hydrogen production.
While photocatalysis holds promise for clean hydrogen production, it's still in
an early stage of development compared to electrolysis.
Production Rates:
• Unlike electrolysis with established production capacities, photocatalytic
hydrogen production statistics are typically focused on lab-scale
demonstrations.
• Research reports typically mention hydrogen evolution rates in micromoles per
hour per gram of catalyst (μ mol/h/g) or millimoles per hour per gram of
catalyst (mmol/h/g).
• These rates can vary greatly depending on the specific photocatalyst, reaction
conditions, and light source used.
• For example, a 2021 study reported a hydrogen evolution rate of 16,600 μ
mol/hr/g for a specific photocatalyst under certain conditions [Boosting
photocatalytic hydrogen production from water by photothermally induced
biphase systems, Nature Communications].
THERMO-CHEMICAL WATER
SPLITTING
Limited Production:
• As of 2024, there are no major operational
thermochemical water splitting plants for commercial
hydrogen production.
• Research focuses on pilot projects and
demonstrations to assess the technical and
economic feasibility of the technology.
• In the first step, a metal oxide (MeOx) is heated to a high temperature
(typically in the range of 500-2000°C) using concentrated solar power, nuclear
waste heat, or another heat source.
• During this heating process, the metal oxide undergoes a reduction reaction,
losing oxygen and forming a lower-valent metal oxide (MeO) or even pure
metal (Me) along with releasing molecular oxygen (O₂) as a byproduct.
• Once the metal oxide is reduced, the system is cooled down to a lower
temperature (often around 300-500°C).
• In this stage, water vapor (H₂O) is introduced to the reactor. The reduced
metal oxide reacts with the water vapor in a water-splitting reaction.
• During this reaction, the metal gets oxidized back to its original state (MeOx)
and releases hydrogen gas (H₂) as a product.
• The key advantage of thermochemical water splitting is the closed-loop nature
of the process. The metal oxide used in the first step (MeOx) is regenerated in
the second step, allowing the cycle to continue without the need for constant
input of new materials.
Overall, thermochemical water splitting utilizes a series of high-temperature
reduction and lower-temperature water-splitting reactions to achieve the
decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen.
STORAGE OF
HYDROGEN
STORAGE
GASEOUS STORAGE CRYOGENIC STORAGE
• Hydrogen is compressed into tanks • This method involves storing
at very high pressures, typically hydrogen in its liquid form at
ranging from 350 to 700 bar (5,000 to extremely low temperatures, around -
10,000 psi). These tanks are made 253°C (-423°F).
from strong composite materials like
• Benefits: Liquid hydrogen has a
carbon fiber to ensure safety.
much higher volumetric density
• Benefits: Gaseous storage is a (amount of hydrogen stored per unit
relatively mature technology with volume) compared to compressed
established infrastructure for refueling gas. This allows for storing more
vehicles. It offers good gravimetric hydrogen in a smaller space.
capacity (the amount of hydrogen
• Challenges: Maintaining such low
stored per unit weight), which is
crucial for vehicle range. temperatures requires special
insulated tanks, which can be
• Challenges: The high pressure expensive. Additionally, some energy
required for significant hydrogen is lost during the liquefaction and
storage makes the tanks bulky and regasification processes.
heavy. Additionally, compressing and
decompressing hydrogen can result in
energy losses.
TRANSPORTATION
Pipelines
• Suitable for large-scale transportation: Pipelines are the most efficient
and economical way to transport large quantities of hydrogen over long
distances. Existing natural gas pipelines could potentially be repurposed
for hydrogen transportation with some modifications.
• Benefits: Pipelines offer high throughput and continuous transportation,
making them ideal for supplying hydrogen refueling stations or industrial
facilities.
• Challenges: Building new hydrogen pipelines requires significant upfront
investment. Leaks pose a safety concern, and hydrogen embrittlement can
damage pipelines over time if not properly addressed.
Tube Trailers and Tank Trucks
• Suitable for smaller-scale transport or remote locations: Hydrogen can
be transported in pressurized gaseous form within specially designed tube
trailers or cryogenic tankers for liquid hydrogen.
• Benefits: This method offers more flexibility compared to pipelines,
allowing transportation to areas not serviced by pipelines. It's also useful
for delivering smaller quantities of hydrogen.
• Challenges: Compressed hydrogen storage requires high pressures,
leading to bulky and heavy containers. Cryogenic transport requires
maintaining extremely low temperatures, adding complexity and energy
losses. Additionally, both methods have limitations on transport distance
due to the volume of hydrogen that can be stored onboard.
Emerging Technologies
• Chemical Carriers: Researchers are exploring using chemical
compounds like ammonia (NH₃) or organic liquid carriers (OLCs) to store
and transport hydrogen. These can be converted back into hydrogen at the
point of use. This method could leverage existing infrastructure for
transporting these chemicals.
• Hydrogen Ships: For large-scale transportation across oceans, specially
designed hydrogen ships are being considered. These ships would carry
liquid hydrogen in insulated tanks for long-distance transport.
FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY
Reference
Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines as biometric tools for photocatalytic
H2 production
Emmanouil Nikoloudakis, Ismael Lopez Duarte, Goergios-
Charalambidis, Kallipoi Ladomenon, Mine Ince, Anthanassios G.
Coutsolelos
A review on integrated thermochemical hydrogen
production from water
Jung Eun Lee, Iqrash Shafiq, Murid Hussain, Su Shiung Lam,
Gwang Hoon Rhee, Young Kwon Park
THANKYOU
