Hydrogen Capture Research Articles

Bio-methanol with negative CO2 emissions from residual forestry biomass gasification: Modelling and techno-economic assessment of different process configurations

The paper presents a techno-economic comparison among five alternative process configurations for bio-methanol production from the gasification of residual forestry biomass. Process design and simulations are performed in Aspen Plus for mass and energy balance calculation, followed by preliminary sizing and economic analysis. Process schemes include a gasification island (state-of-the-art low-pressure gasification compared against a high-pressure gasifier) with syngas conditioning and compression, heat recovery, syngas composition adjustment (by CO2 capture or addition of hydrogen produced by electrolysis), methanol synthesis and purification and a heat recovery cycle for power generation. CO2 capture is performed with conventional chemical absorption in the benchmark cases, while low-temperature partial condensation of CO2 is modeled in the advanced scenario. Methanol output is 14–15 kt/y in the CO2 capture cases and 36 kt/y in the H2 addition option.Configurations with a pressurized gasifier and phase-change-based CO2 separation are the most efficient ones, with a primary energy efficiency of 50 % and a Levelized Cost of Methanol (LCOM) of 700 €/tMeOH. In comparison, LCOM increases to 730 €/tMeOH in the case with conventional capture or between 792 €/tMeOH and 831 €/tMeOH (depending on the CCS technology) if the gasification pressure is conservatively reduced to 2.5 bar. In the H2 addition scenario, LCOM increases to 821 €/tMeOH due to the significant impact of the electricity consumption for H2 production, (only partly compensated by the increased methanol production). Scenarios with CO2 capture feature negative CO2 emissions, in the range −1.64 to −1.84 tCO2eq/tMeOH, as a result of the capture and storage of biogenic CO2 (BECCS approach).

Influence of hydrogen ingress and capture on the mechanical properties of spray formed 2195 aluminum alloy

The current research has focused on the hydrogen capturing and its impact on the mechanical properties of spray-formed 2195 (SF2195) aluminum alloy. Microstructure characterization, thermal desorption spectra (TDS) and hydrogen trapping of characteristic microstructure, are used to investigate the generation, migration and trapping of hydrogen. The retention of moisture in the carrier gas is believed to induce high concentration of hydrogen and the amorphous Al2O3 layer within the SF2195 billet, and the local retention of carrier gas brings about pores with the Al2O3 layer on the inner wall. High concentration of hydrogen is captured in the hot-rolled alloy while around 60 % of the hydrogen can be eliminated during the solution-quenching. Particles of T1 phase trap large quantity of hydrogen and the high-density dislocations developed from the pre-stretch promote the migration of hydrogen towards dispersoids and precipitates. The presence of hydrogen and Al2O3 layer contributes to the reduced plasticity of SF2195 alloy. The spreading of flattened pores can induce intensified hydrogen damage effect in local regions and thus contribute to the unusually decreased ductility along the thickness direction in the T8 aged alloy.

Metal Chloride‐Induced Hydrogen Transfer Enables Efficient Conversion of Aromatic Hydrocarbons for Sodium Storage

AbstractThe cost‐effective synthesis of high‐performance hard carbons (HCs) is a key step of sodium‐ion batteries toward practical applications. Considering the rich resource of low‐value aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., pitch), there is tremendous interesting in its conversion into value‐added HCs. Unfortunately, it still lacks an efficient way for the synthesis, in addition to the time‐consuming oxygen contamination of the carbon framework. Herein, a universal strategy is reported that enables the efficient synthesis of HCs from pitch by modulating hydrogen transfer using metal chlorides. CuCl2 is selected as the model modulator and the effect of different metal chlorides (FeCl3, AlCl3, ZnCl2, and MgCl2) are further explored. Based on material characterizations and density functional theory calculation employing 1‐methylnaphthalene as the model molecule, it shows that the hydrogen capture and chlorination reactions mediated by CuCl2 and FeCl3 are thermodynamically favored, which promote the crosslinking of pitch to form HCs. After optimization, the derived HC exhibits superior performance of reversible capacity of 304.8 mAh g−1 and a high initial Columbic efficiency of 88.4%. These discoveries provide new insights into the synthesis of HCs from aromatic hydrocarbons, facilitating their utilization in electrochemical energy storage.

Strategies for decarbonizing European district heating: Evaluation of their effectiveness in Sweden, France, Germany, and Poland

Decarbonizing the EU's district heating is crucial for meeting climate goals and securing a sustainable energy future. Currently, district heating suffers from inefficiency, high operating temperatures, significant distribution losses, and reliance on fossil fuels. Literature highlights strategies for reducing emissions, including integrating low-carbon heat sources, lowering supply temperatures, and employing efficient technologies like heat pumps and combined heat and power (CHP). However, the individual effectiveness of these strategies in reducing emissions within existing networks remains unassessed. This study addresses the gap by applying a comprehensive model that evaluates energy and emissions across the district heating supply chain, coupled with a derivative-based sensitivity analysis. We apply this methodology to the national-level district heating systems of Sweden, France, Germany, and Poland. Results indicate that the impact of decarbonization strategies on district heating emissions varies significantly by the system's characteristics, i.e., the energy mix in power and district heating supply and the presence of CHP plants. Primarily, incorporating more low-carbon heat sources emerges as the most effective method for emission reduction across nearly all examined countries. A 1 % increase in the share of low-carbon heat sources can potentially cut emissions by 0.8–1.3 kg CO2e per GJ of heat. In countries like Sweden and France, where the power generation already relies heavily on low-carbon resources, technologies which convert electricity to heat—such as heat pumps and electric boilers—rank as the second most effective approach. In contrast, for countries like Germany and Poland, with their moderate to low use of low-carbon power, reducing distribution losses and decreasing heat demand prove more effective, with emission reductions ranging between 0.8-1.3 and 0.7–1.2 kg CO2e per GJ in these countries, respectively. Additionally, cutting down power generation in fossil fuel-based CHP plants significantly reduces emissions in these regions. While green hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) also contribute to emission reductions, a 1 % increase in green hydrogen's share might decrease emissions by just 0.3–0.5 kg CO2e per GJ of heat, highlighting their lower effectiveness compared to the aforementioned strategies. These insights hold value for both district heating operators and for technology suppliers seeking decarbonization pathways. This is also true for policymakers focused on climate change mitigation, guiding the distribution of subsidies and R&D investments.

In situ investigation of hydrogen embrittlement induced by δ phase in selective laser-melted GH4169 superalloy

Direct evidence of hydrogen-assisted crack nucleation and propagation associated with the δ phase in the selective laser melted GH4169 superalloy was obtained. The analysis of hydrogen trapping sites using thermal desorption spectroscopy revealed that the δ phase exhibits strong hydrogen capture capability, with a hydrogen desorption activation energy of 35.45 ± 2.51 kJ/mol. In addition, spatially resolved hydrogen mapping conducted by scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy and hydrogen microprint technique provided further evidence for the δ phase as a deep hydrogen trapping site. The atomic-scale characterization sufficiently reveals the deformation mechanism of the δ phase induced by dislocation accumulation. Hydrogen-promoted dislocation slip localization facilitates the formation of microvoid defects in the δ phase, which is the main reason for the δ phase fracture, and induces intergranular and transgranular cracks.

Heat Pumps for Germany—Additional Pressure on the Supply–Demand Equilibrium and How to Cope with Hydrogen

In the context of the German Energiewende, the current government intends to install six million heat pumps by 2030. Replacing gas heating by power has significant implications on the infrastructure. One of the biggest advantages of using gas is the existing storage portfolio. It has not been clarified yet how power demand should be structured on an annual level—especially since power storage is already a problem and solar power is widely promoted to fuel heat pumps, despite having an inverse profile. In this article, three different solutions, namely, hydrogen, batteries, and carbon capture and storage, are discussed with respect to resources, energy, and financial demand. It shows that relying solely on batteries or hydrogen is not solving the structuring problem. A combination of all existing technologies (including fossil fuels) is required to structure the newly generated electricity demand.

Upcycling of waste disposable medical masks to high value-added gasoline fuel and surfactants products by sub/supercritical water degradation and partial oxidation

The amount of waste disposable medical masks (DMMs) and the potential environmental risk increased significantly due to the huge demand of disposable medical surgical masks. In this study, two effective and environmentally friendly processes, supercritical water degradation (SCWD) and subcritical water partial oxidation (SubCWPO), were proposed for the upcycling of DMMs. The optimal conditions for the SCWD process (conversion ratio>98 %) were 410 ℃, 15 min, and 1:5 g/mL. The oil products obtained from the SCWD process were mainly small molecule hydrocarbons (C7-C12) with a content of 86 % and could be recycled as fuel feedstock for gasoline. Alkyl radicals in the SCWD reaction formed double bonds and ring structures through hydrogen capture reactions, β-scission, and dehydrogenation reactions, and aromatic hydrocarbons were formed by olefin cyclization and cycloalkane dehydrogenation. The introduction of an oxidant (H2O2) to the reaction system could significantly reduce the reaction temperature and shorten the reaction time. At 350 ℃, 15 min, 1:20 g/mL, V(H2O2): V (H2O) of 1:1, the conversion ratio of the SubCWPO process was 88 %, which was higher than that of the SCWD process at 400 ℃ (71.49 %). Oil products produced from the SubCWPO process were rich in alcohols and esters, which could be used as raw materials for nonionic surfactant of polyol and fatty acid ester. The abundant hydroxyl radical in the SubCWPO system trapped hydrogen atoms on PP and reacted with the resulting alkyl radical to form alkanols, which was oxidized to form acids. The esterification of acids and alkanols formed high level of esters. The SCWD and SubCWPO processes proposed in this study are believed to be promising strategies for DMMs degradation and the recovery of high value-added hydrocarbons.

Hydrogen trapping behavior in IVB-VB transition metal carbides

The hydrogen capture mechanism of transition metal carbides is crucial to improve the hydrogen embrittlement resistance of steel materials. Although numerous experimental and theoretical studies have been carried out, the mechanism of hydrogen capture in these carbides has not been fully elucidated. In this paper, the ability of transition metal carbides (TMCs; TM=Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb and Ta) to capture hydrogen is studied by first-principles calculations. It is found that there is a strong correlation between the hydrogen solubility energy and the number of valence electrons of IV-VB transition metal carbides. With the increase of the number of valence electrons, the hydrogen solubility energy decreases, which indicates that IVB transition metal carbides have strong hydrogen capture ability. Compared with interstitial sites, the mechanism by which carbon vacancies are more stable hydrogen capture sites is to enhance the capture stability of hydrogen atoms by reducing the effect of chemical and mechanical effects on the dissolution energy of hydrogen atoms. In the interstitial site, hydrogen atoms tend to occupy the triangular site (TMCs-TM) surrounded by three transition metal atoms and one carbon atom. The bonding interaction between the hydrogen atom and the nearest carbon atom is the main factor affecting the stability of hydrogen atom capture.

Session 27. Oral Presentation for: Hydrogen and carbon capture utilisation and storage policy for progress on climate change mitigation

Session 27. Oral Presentation for: Hydrogen and carbon capture utilisation and storage policy for progress on climate change mitigation

Hydrogen and carbon capture utilisation and storage policy for progress on climate change mitigation

This paper highlights the need for Australia to enhance its climate change policies, arguing that the introduction of Contracts for Difference (CfD) policy mechanisms is an appropriate successor to Hydrogen Headstart and would support the development of hydrogen and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industries. CfDs are financial agreements designed to provide price certainty, support investment, and bridge the cost gap between new and established technologies. With explanation of different CfD structures and examples from other countries the paper argues that implementing CfDs could attract investors, provide confidence to the sector, and ultimately help Australia meet its climate change obligations.

Corporate positioning in Australia for a new investment outlook

Government intervention and increased regulatory scrutiny have altered the investment environment for the energy sector in Australia. Asia’s efforts to decarbonise will drive long-term investment in Australia’s renewable, hydrogen and carbon capture potential. But as the energy sector shifts emphasis back towards security of supply and affordability, Australia remains a key destination for upstream investment. Looking closer at Australia’s oil and gas sector, how are companies positioned to manage the rising complexity and uncertainty faced when making long-term capital decisions? Are Australia’s homegrown players leaders or laggards when pitched against their international peers? And how competitive are Australia’s oil and gas champions in the context of the country’s wider natural resources sector? Benchmarking corporate positioning through the lens of near-term resilience and long-term sustainability, we will identify the challenges, opportunities and strategic implications for Australia’s corporate oil and gas landscape.

Theoretical study on the hydrogen distribution and diffusion at the PuO2/α-Pu2O3 interface.

The interface is a region in the crystal that significantly changes various characteristics. There must be an interface between oxides of different valence states in the surface oxide layer of plutonium. In this work, a first principles approach based on DFT was used to study the hydrogen distribution and diffusion at the PuO2/α-Pu2O3 interface systematically. Our research reveals that at the interface, hydrogen can be captured by the O atoms of PuO2 and by the oxygen vacancies (OVs) of α-Pu2O3, and the capture of OVs is more energetically advantageous. On the PuO2 side, the cost of H atom diffusion towards the interface gradually increases. On the α-Pu2O3 side, the cost of H atoms diffusing inward from the interface gradually increases. OVs that already contain H atoms are more conducive to capturing H atoms. The formation of the interface has little effect on the hydrogen capture ability of O in PuO2, but it will reduce the capture ability of OVs in α-Pu2O3. Overall, the formation of interfaces has no disruptive impact on the behavior of hydrogen in the two plutonium oxides. This is closely related to the fact that α-Pu2O3 originates from PuO2 under anaerobic conditions. The difference in hydrogen behavior comes from the changes in the atomic environment and ion valence state caused by the OVs. This work supports further understanding of the behavior of hydrogen in plutonium oxides and provides a reference for further research on plutonium corrosion prevention.

Deriving a Framework of Science and Technology Cooperation for Responding to Climate Change with Developed Countries: The Case of the ROK-UK Cooperation

Climate technology is one of the most crucial factors of mitigating greenhouse gas emission and attaining carbon neutrality. The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United Kingdom (UK) have strengthened science and technology cooperation while climate technology has not been actively discussed so far. This study aimed to suggest a preliminary framework of cooperation on climate technology by analyzing national strategies and official cooperation activities. The national strategies and plans in terms of climate technologies were analyzed to derive common technological interest of the ROK and the UK. Technologies in sectors of energy conversion, building, transportation, agriculture·livestock·fishery, hydrogen, carbon sink, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) were identified. Network establishment and joint research and development (R&D) program were defined as main modalities of bilateral cooperation, according to a quantitative analysis on official announcement of the ROK on the cooperations. The methodology of this study is expected to be efficient and relevant as the official and public information·data had been utilized to identify common technological interests and to derive modality of cooperation. We hope this preliminary framework of cooperation on climate technology can contribute to facilitating and mainstreaming bilateral climate technology cooperation.

Revealing the nitrogen migration mechanism during pyrolysis and steam gasification of biomass: A combined ReaxFF MD and DFT study

The biomass pyrolysis/gasification technology takes advantages of high efficiency and carbon neutrality, which is promising for high value-added products fabrication. However, biomass possesses relatively high amount of N especially for seaweeds and municipal sludge wastes, and the lack of N migration mechanism has resulted in emission of N-containing pollutants and limited its industrial application. In this work, a simulation investigation combining reactive force field molecular dynamic and density functional theory calculations was performed to study the conversion mechanisms of N-containing species in the pyrolysis/gasification of biomass processes. The glutamic acid and cellulose were selected as the model compounds of N-containing and typical compositions of biomass, respectively, and six models containing multiple mass ratios of glutamic acid to cellulose and steam to feedstock were constructed. The results show that the majority of nitrogen in the original model is converted towards NH3-N (62%) during glutamic acid pyrolysis by direct cleavage, hydrogen capture, deamination, and decarboxylation. The presence of cellulose effectively inhibits the decomposition of NH3 at high temperature range, thereby increasing the yield of NH3-N (up to 70%) and restraining the conversion of nitrogen into mesomolecules. The introduction of H2O provides a substantial amount of •H radicals, which facilitates the conversion of nitrogen into NH3-N. During DFT calculations, eight reaction pathways for the formation of N-containing products were proposed on the basis of distribution of pyrolysis products. The glutamic acid cleavage reaction achieves the lowest energy barrier, and the deamination of glutamic acid towards a ternary cyclic ether is found to be the most feasible pathway for the NH3 production. This work can provide theoretical support for nitrogen pollutants mitigation during pyrolysis and steam gasification of biomass processes.

Carbon neutrality in Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur: insights from stakeholder-driven integrated assessment modeling

Introduction: Several cities in Malaysia have established plans to reduce their CO2 emissions, in addition to Malaysia submitting a Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce its carbon intensity (against GDP) by 45% in 2030 compared to 2005. Meeting these emissions reduction goals will require a joint effort between governments, industries, and corporations at different scales and across sectors.Methods: In collaboration with national and sub-national stakeholders, we developed and used a global integrated assessment model to explore emissions mitigation pathways in Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur. Guided by current climate action plans, we created a suite of scenarios to reflect uncertainties in policy ambition, level of adoption, and implementation for reaching carbon neutrality. Through iterative engagement with all parties, we refined the scenarios and focus of the analysis to best meet the stakeholders’ needs.Results: We found that Malaysia can reduce its carbon intensity and reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and that action in Kuala Lumpur can play a significant role. Decarbonization of the power sector paired with extensive electrification, energy efficiency improvements in buildings, transportation, and industry, and the use of advanced technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage will be major drivers to mitigate emissions, with carbon dioxide removal strategies being key to eliminate residual emissions.Discussion: Our results suggest a hopeful future for Malaysia’s ability to meet its climate goals, recognizing that there may be technological, social, and financial challenges along the way. This study highlights the participatory process in which stakeholders contributed to the development of the model and guided the analysis, as well as insights into Malaysia’s decarbonization potential and the role of multilevel governance.

Reinforcement of methanol catalytic reforming for hydrogen production through Ru-based carbon-coated CeO2 catalyst

Methanol steam reforming for hydrogen production is a highly promising energy technology, due to the high hydrogen intensity of methanol and the appendant hydrogen capture from water. In order to reinforce the hydrogen yield in methanol steam reforming reaction, a series of Ru-based carbon-coated CeO2 catalysts were prepared in this work, using glucose, cellulose and activated carbon as different carbon sources via a hydrothermal method. The results showed that the Ru/CG-CeO2 (glucose) catalyst exhibited a superior catalytic performance at the reaction temperature of 400 °C, with a higher hydrogen production rate (0.276 mol/h) than Ru/CC-CeO2 (cellulose, 0.230 mol/h) and Ru/CA-CeO2 (activated carbon, 0.253 mol/h) catalysts. This was attributed to the synergistic effect between CeO2 and carbon, where the carbon layer formed by glucose enhanced the interaction between the active component and the CeO2 support, which also facilitated the electron transfer effects and resulted in a large amount of oxygen vacancies for Ru/CG-CeO2. This led to a strong adsorption capacity for CO and oxygen-containing species derived from the substrate, thereby improving hydrogen production. Additionally, the catalyst stability and the resistance to carbon deposition were evaluated for all the three catalysts, and Ru/CG-CeO2 catalyst also demonstrated a superior stability and anti-carbon deposition capability.

CO2 Capture and Enhanced Hydrogen Production Enabled by Low-Temperature Separation of PSA Tail Gas: A Detailed Exergy Analysis

Hydrogen from natural gas reforming can be produced efficiently with a high CO2 capture rate. This can be achieved through oxygen-blown autothermal reforming as the core technology, combined with pressure-swing adsorption for hydrogen purification and refrigeration-based tail gas separation for CO2 capture and recirculation of residual hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane. The low-temperature tail gas separation section is presented in detail. The main objective of the paper is to study and quantify the exergy efficiency of this separation process in detail. To achieve this, a detailed exergy analysis is conducted. The irreversibilities in 42 different process components are quantified. In order to provide transparent verification of the consistency of exergy calculations, the total irreversibility rate is calculated by two independent approaches: Through the bottom-up approach, all individual irreversibilities are added to obtain the total irreversibility rate. Through the top-down approach, the total irreversibility rate is calculated solely by the exergy flows crossing the control volume boundaries. The consistency is verified as the comparison of results obtained by the two methods shows a relative deviation of 4·10−7. The exergy efficiency of the CO2 capture process is calculated, based on two different definitions. Both methods give a baseline exergy efficiency of 58.38%, which indicates a high degree of exergy utilisation in the process.

In-Situ Hydrogen Production from Natural Gas Wells with Subsurface Carbon Retention

Summary There is a critical need to balance economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection. Instead of the conventional production of methane (or CH4), these valuable energy reserves can be exploited in a climate-beneficial way. Exploiting (not producing) methane eliminates the carbon value chain and the associated damage these greenhouse gases (GHGs) cause to the climate. When no carbon is produced to the surface, carbon capture requirements become significantly reduced, and their huge budgets are better used elsewhere. This paper discusses the viability of a wellbore natural gas gasification process, within a downhole completion tool, that converts methane wells into hydrogen (or H2) production wells. The process-generated carbon is simultaneously captured downhole, reinjecting the carbon dioxide (or CO2) into the surrounding geology and potentially gaining reservoir enhanced oil recovery (EOR) as a bonus. The proposed process is for natural gas fields and not for use in the gasification of heavy oils (which is covered by other “combustion type” reservoir management processes performed deep within the reservoir geology). The multiple revenue streams created by the process, together with process energy, feedstock (methane), and cost savings, make it climate-positive and financially viable. This provides a net-zero win-win that is mutually beneficial for the natural gas industry and the environment. Without enormous technical effort, competitive use of commodities, and huge capital costs, it could be possible to convert the natural gas industry directly into a hydrogen and carbon capture industry.

Enhanced hydrogen sequestration through hydrogen foam generation with SDS Co-Injection in subsurface formations

Inherent obstacles of hydrogen injection encompass preferential channeling through larger pathways, hampering microscopic sweep efficiency within porous media. This work pioneers hydrogen foam generation via co-injection with aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to enhance subsurface hydrogen trapping capacity. SDS addition substantially reduces hydrogen-water interfacial tension and enhances viscoelasticity. In contrast to robust hydrogen foam stability, CO2 foams display compromised integrity, stemming from surfactant aggregation and ensuing infiltration channels that permit aqueous phase CO2 dissolution. Hydrogen foams conversely sustain uniform surfactant films, forestalling hydrogen ingress into water. Synergetic microfluidic and pore-scale simulations visualise mechanisms underlying intensified hydrogen capture and mobility reduction attributed to deformation and flow resistance when traversing constricted pores. Introducing the amphiphilic SDS surfactant considerably promotes hydrogen adsorption through its hydrophobic tail. Core flooding experiments quantify over 2 times hydrogen storage ratio amplification with SDS relative to sole hydrogen injection. The framework contributes pragmatic strategies to harness high-efficiency hydrogen foam for scalable clean energy storage.

Reconfiguring European industry for net-zero: a qualitative review of hydrogen and carbon capture utilization and storage benefits and implementation challenges

This paper explores the benefits, barriers, and justice impacts of industrial decarbonization via hydrogen and carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) via European industrial firms located in UK clusters.