Abstract
Spatial heating and cooking account for a significant fraction of global domestic energy consumption. It is therefore likely that hydrogen combustion will form part of a hydrogen-based energy economy. Catalytic hydrogen combustion (CHC) is considered a promising technology for this purpose. CHC is an exothermic reaction, with water as the only by-product. Compared to direct flame-based hydrogen combustion, CHC is relatively safe as it foregoes COx, CH4, and under certain conditions NOx formation. More so, the risk of blow-off (flame extinguished due to the high fuel flow speed required for H2 combustion) is adverted. CHC is, however, perplexed by the occurrence of hotspots, which are defined as areas where the localized surface temperature is higher than the average surface temperature over the catalyst surface. Hotspots may result in hydrogen’s autoignition and accelerated catalyst degradation. In this review, catalyst materials along with the hydrogen technologies investigated for CHC applications were discussed. We showed that although significant research has been dedicated to CHC, relatively limited commercial applications have been identified up to date. We further showed the effect of catalyst support selection on the performance and durability of CHC catalysts, as well as a holistic summary of existing catalysts used for various CHC applications and catalytic burners. Lastly, the relevance of CHC applications for safety purposes was demonstrated.
Highlights
Hydrogen is a key factor of a global transition to a zero-carbon energy economy [1,2].As our modern society faces challenges regarding global warming and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, while the global energy demand is constantly increasing, the integration of a new clean energy system is essential but inevitable [3,4,5,6]
This review further provides an overview of catalytic hydrogen combustion (CHC), e.g., reactive metals and support materials used in catalyst fabrication, catalyst efficiency, and the importance of catalyst support selection
It was shown that even in the case of hotspots formation the ignition of hydrogen is highly unlikely due to the high thermal conductivity of the anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) support, which is closely adhered to a metallic Al core
Summary
Hydrogen is a key factor of a global transition to a zero-carbon energy economy [1,2]. Produced hydrogen can be stored and utilized in various ways, e.g., transportation and power generation sectors (fuel cells and internal combustion engines) [20,21,22], domestic applications (spatial heating and cooking) [23,24], ammonia and methanol production [25,26], and in the petrochemical industry [27] (Figure 1). Cause indoor air pollution and deforestation, as well as contributing to climate change [32,33,34]. The utilization of hydrogen reduces fossil fuel depletion and negates negates negative health impacts associated with indoor solid carbon fuel combustion [36]. We propose further research prospects, which may increase the attractiveness of CHC for domestic and safety applications
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
