Abstract
Ammonia is a particularly promising hydrogen carrier due to its relatively low cost, high energy density, its liquid storage and to its production from renewable sources. Thus, in recent years, great attention is devoted to this fuel for realizing next generation refueling stations according to a carbon-free energy economy. In this paper a distributed onsite refueling station (200 kg/day of hydrogen filling 700-bar HFCEVs (Hybrid Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles) with about 5 kg of hydrogen in 5 min), based on ammonia feeding, is studied from the energy and economic point of views. The station is designed with a modular configuration consisting of more sections: i) the hydrogen production section, ii) the electric energy supplier section, iii) the compression and storage section and the refrigeration/dispenser section. The core of the station is the hydrogen production section that is based on an ammonia cracking reactor and its auxiliaries; the electric energy demand necessary for the station operation (i.e. the hydrogen compression and refrigeration) is satisfied by a PEMFC (Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell) power module. Energy performance, according to the hydrogen daily demand, has been evaluated and the estimation of the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) has been carried out in order to establish the cost of the hydrogen at the pump that can assure the feasibility of this novel refueling station.
Highlights
The transition from a hydrocarbon-based mobility to a hydrogen-based mobility requires a deep analysis on several techno-economic issues, ranging from the vehicles designing to the hydrogen production and distribution in the refueling station [1,2]. This last issue, that is crucial for the development of the market of hydrogen vehicles, requires the evaluation of the most promising hydrogen carriers that assure relatively low costs, high energy density and sustainability
Several candidates as hydrogen carrier are under exploration and liquid ammonia has recently been considered as a highly capable carrier owing to its high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen storage capacities of 17.7 wt% and 120 g/L [3]
In order to define the economic feasibility, according to the design and the development of novel refueling stations for FCEVs, the analysis has been performed by estimating the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), the Operational Expenditure (OPEX), the Replacement Expenditure (REPLEX), and by calculating the levelized cost of hydrogen LCOH that is the more important indicator among the economic evaluation indexes
Summary
The transition from a hydrocarbon-based mobility to a hydrogen-based mobility requires a deep analysis on several techno-economic issues, ranging from the vehicles designing to the hydrogen production and distribution in the refueling station [1,2]. This last issue, that is crucial for the development of the market of hydrogen vehicles, requires the evaluation of the most promising hydrogen carriers that assure relatively low costs, high energy density and sustainability.
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