Impact of Hydrogen on Natural Gas Compositions to Meet Engine Gas Quality Requirements

Abstract

To meet the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel is expected to play a major role in future energy supplies. A challenge with hydrogen is its low density and volumetric energy value, meaning that large tanks are needed to store and transport it. By injecting hydrogen into the natural gas network, the transportation issue could be solved if the hydrogen–natural gas mixture satisfies the grid gas quality requirements set by legislation and standards. The end consumers usually have stricter limitations on the gas quality than the grid, where Euromot, the European association of internal combustion engine manufacturers, has specific requirements on the parameters: the methane number and Wobbe index. This paper analyses how much hydrogen can be added into the natural gas grid to fulfil Euromot’s requirements. An average gas composition was calculated based on the most common ones in Europe in 2021, and the results show that 13.4% hydrogen can be mixed with a gas consisting of 95.1% methane, 3.2% ethane, 0.7% propane, 0.3% butane, 0.3% carbon dioxide, and 0.5% nitrogen. The suggested gas composition indicates for engine manufacturers how much hydrogen can be added into the gas to be suitable for their engines.