Danish Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells - HY-CO Home

More documents

Recommendations

Info

distribution is concerned, the existing natural gas pipe network can be used temporarily for the distribution of mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen (up to 10–15% hydrogen) until a possible hydrogen network has been established. It is crucial in this context to bear in mind that the volume of hydrogen energy is less than 1/3 of the natural gas energy content – at equal pressures. The result is a reduction in the overall energy transportation capacity. It is not possible to simply use the existing natural gas network for the transportation of DTU, the Danish Technological Institute, Risø National Laboratory, etc. are competent in the field of light and strong composite materials (wind turbine blades, construction components). This is a good basis for the development and production of light pressure containers for hydrogen storage. pure hydrogen, and for safety reasons even a small percentage of hydrogen in the mixture would require adjustment of many traditional types of equipment that apply natural gas. Distribution in tanks is today a widely used technology. Storage at a pressure of 700–800 bar is required to obtain sufficient energy density for transportation purposes. In recent years, a considerable amount of R&D work has been carried out on the hydrogen topic together with solid matters, e.g. metal hydrides. This sort of Risø National Laboratory, DTU hydrogen storage is considered very safe and the University of Aarhus have participated for a long period of due to the low storage pressure. The work time in the development of mainly involved two types of hydrogen technologies for the storage of storage: in the form of metal hydrides where hydrogen in metalhydrides. hydrogen is bound in a chemical compound, Combined with the extensive or in a form where the hydrogen is bound to knowledge of nanotechnology, the surface of solid matters such as graphite this is an excellent basis for or other carbon structures. further Danish development in this field. Hydrogen can also be distributed and stored in liquid form. Storage takes place at atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of -253 o C. The commercial distribution of large quantities of hydrogen already takes place using industrially developed technology. This type of storage requires a relatively fast turnaround, as degassing occurs due to the low temperature and results in a loss of energy. Current costs of hydrogen storage The total of energy and fixed costs of hydrogen storage in pressure cylinders is DKK 3/kg hydrogen as a minimum, whereas the equivalent cost of liquid storage is DKK 7–35/kg hydrogen, depending on the size of the container 8 . Storage in 8 Report from working group 6 on economy and perspectives (in Danish: ”Økonomi og perspektiver”), December 2004. 13
metal (or other) hydrides is much more expensive than other kinds of storage based on today’s technology, and commercial application is still a long way away. Use of hydrogen Hydrogen is a flammable gas similar to natural gas and can be used in the same way, e.g. for normal combustion in a boiler or for the production of CHP in engines and turbines or the propulsion of vehicles using standard spark-ignition motors. The challenge is to identify areas and applications in which the use of hydrogen is of benefit to the environment while at the same time ensuring a more reliable energy supply. In this regard, fuel cell technology is one of the most promising future technologies due to its high energy-conversion efficiency. Fuel cell technology A fuel cell converts hydrogen to electricity and heating and the only waste product of this process is steam. In addition, the fuel utilisation ratio, especially for electricity production, is relatively high (Table 3). A fuel cell can also reverse the process, i.e. convert electricity to hydrogen and oxygen. Over the last 20 years, there has been increasing interest in fuel cells all over the world, and considerable amounts are today being invested in fuel cell systems for both CHP plants and vehicle transportation with a view to developing commercially viable solutions. There are many different types of fuel cells, but the Danish fuel cell strategy is based on PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) and SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell). These two types of fuel cells can probably be used in other areas than heat and power production. Danish R&D in this field is primarily undertaken by Risø National Laboratory, Haldor Topsøe, IRD Fuel Cells, DTU and APC Denmark. The University of Southern Denmark and Aalborg University also contribute. In addition, many Danish companies have also shown considerable interest in fuel cells and their use in energy and transport systems. As far the transport sector is concerned (cars, buses), the PEM cell is expected to be the preferred fuel cell. In addition, PEM fuel cells are expected to become popular in various niche markets, e.g. for the propulsion of forklift trucks, handicap vehicles, as UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) back-ups, emergency power supplies and hand-held electronic equipment (replacing batteries in laptops and mobile phones). The table below shows the timeframe for the development of a market for fuel cells in Europe until the year 2020. 14
Page 2 and 3: Preface In January 2004, the Danish
Page 4 and 5: Abbreviations AKF DTU EFP R&D GW H
Page 6 and 7: The present report was produced by
Page 8 and 9: 1. Introduction Across the globe, m
Page 10 and 11: 2. Goals and Means The overall and
Page 12 and 13: other uses. Wind power based electr
Page 16 and 17: Table 2. Visions for the developmen
Page 18 and 19: 4. International Perspective The de
Page 20 and 21: International co-operation forums w
Page 22 and 23: 5. Danish Focus on Hydrogen Technol
Page 24 and 25: 6. Implementation Effective technol
Page 26 and 27: Organisational framework The strate
Page 28 and 29: • to establish and maintain the g
Page 30 and 31: • the level of activity described
Page 32 and 33: Ole Bilde, Consultant, Elkraft Syst

Danish Strategy for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells - HY-CO Home

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?