Compressed Hydrogen Research Articles

Development of a high-pressure 700 bar metal hydride hydrogen compressor

HySA Systems and TF Design have recently developed a single-stage prototype high-pressure metal hydride hydrogen compressor (MHHC) which is able to compress hydrogen from 100 to >700 bar at the working temperatures from 20 to 150 °C, with estimated productivity about 1 Nm3/h. The MHHC comprises of two 2 m-long fibre-wound high-pressure MH containers developed by the authors earlier and assembled in two modules operating in a mode of a cyclic lower-pressure H2 absorption (on cooling) and high-pressure H2 desorption (on heating). The containers operate using a self-developed multicomponent C14 Laves type Ti–based AB2 intermetallic alloy. The article considers phase-structural and hydrogen sorption properties of the utilized metal hydride material, hydrogen compression performances of the metal hydride container, as well as layout and the expected performance characteristics of the compressor assembly.

Wear mechanisms and material deposition of high-performance polymer composites for hydrogen compression

The transistion to renewable energy production is a main component in achieving the climate targets defined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Power-to-gas concepts, where electrical energy is stored as hydrogen gas, require the design and operation of state-of-the-art reciprocating compressor technology to realize high pressure ratios and high volumetric flow rates for gas supply demands. The main challenges in designing machines suited for these operating conditions are high thermo-mechanical stresses acting on the piston sealing rings. High shear loads and minimal ring gap sizes demand material pairings with excellent wear resistance and sliding properties. This work investigates the life cycle limiting wear mechanisms present in the piston compressor and develops advanced concepts for piston rings in cylinder tribo-contacts. PI and PPS polymers reinforced with carbon fiber were modified with dry lubricating PTFE to fulfil the requirements of this highly stressed tribo-system. Tribo-tests were performed against steel countersurfaces with a linear oscillating tribometer in pin-on-plate configuration. The failure mechanisms were analysed utilizing scanning electron microscopy on cross-sections cut into the depth of the countersurface material with focused ion beam milling. 2D scanning transmission electron microscopy mapping supported by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were performed to analyze the depth profile of the deposited tribo-layer elements on the wear track.

Synthesis of refinery hydrogen networks based on compressor performance models

Synthesis of refinery hydrogen network contributes to reductions in hydrogen consumption, production cost, and emissions. Hydrogen compressors are drivers for hydrogen distribution, which has a direct effect on the performance of hydrogen networks. The existing works focus on the hydrogen network synthesis and often use simple compressor models for easy modelling and solving, which may lead to overly ideal results. This work proposes a novel mathematical method for refinery hydrogen network synthesis considering compressor performances, incorporating both centrifugal and reciprocating compressors. The compression power vs. volumetric flowrate curves and the compression ratio vs. volumetric flowrate curves are considered for a centrifugal compressor, while the efficiency of a reciprocating compressor is correlated with the compression ratio. A mixed integer nonlinear programming model (MINLP) is formulated to minimize the total annualized cost. The developed MINLP model is examined based on two hydrogen network cases reported in literature. The results show that the minimum total annualized cost is a co-optimization of compressor type, operating points, compressor placement, and hydrogen network structure. In the two cases, compression efficiencies of centrifugal compressors range from 0.760 to 0.795 and that of reciprocating compressors are between 0.539 and 0.807. The consideration of centrifugal compressors rather than just reciprocating compressors not only improves the compression efficiencies but also simplify the hydrogen network structures. Moreover, it also brings reductions in the compression power by 2.23% and 1.97%, and decreases in the compressor investment by 7.12% and 6.87%.

Consequence analysis of vapour cloud explosion from the release of high-pressure hydrogen storage

Gaseous hydrogen is commonly stored under high pressures due to its low volumetric storage density. The safety concerns about its release and potential accidents, such as vapour cloud explosions, were of the highest importance in industries. This research work established a methodology for consequence analysis of compressed hydrogen releases, considering various stages of event escalation, including high-pressure gas release, gas jet dispersion, and overpressure evaluations. Specifically, compressed hydrogen release was defined as an under-expanded flow, characterised by a transition from sonic to supersonic velocities. The notional nozzle theory was employed to tackle the flow regime transition and provide revised nozzle size and gas velocity as inputs to the CFD model for gas jet dispersion. The model was validated against experimental results, exhibiting a good agreement with a deviation of less than 20%. The flammable gas mass in the cloud was determined using the dispersion model and then used for overpressure predictions. This approach proved to be more realistic than relying solely on the total hydrogen release amount. In a case study, release parameters such as release direction, wind speed and release hole size were investigated. It was observed that a downward release resulted in less gas dissipation, leading to larger overpressures compared to other release directions. Wind speed had a relatively lower impact compared to other parameters. The release hole size had the most significant influence on explosion overpressure, with the case of a larger release size (e.g., 50.8 mm) exhibiting a few hundred times higher of hazardous area compared to a small hole size (e.g., 3 mm).

Optimizing green hydrogen production from wind and solar for hard-to-abate industrial sectors across multiple sites in Europe

This article analyzes a power-to-hydrogen system, designed to provide high-temperature heat to hard-to-abate industries. We leverage on a geospatial analysis for wind and solar availability and different industrial demand profiles with the aim to identify the ideal sizing of plant components and the resulting Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH). We assess the carbon intensity of the produced hydrogen, especially when grid electricity is utilized.A methodology is developed to size and optimize the PV and wind energy capacity, the electrolyzer unit, and hybrid storage, by combining compressed hydrogen storage with lithium-ion batteries. The hydrogen demand profile is generated synthetically, thus allowing different industrial consumption profiles to be investigated.The LCOH in a baseline scenario ranges from 3.5 to 8.9 €/kg, with the lowest values in wind-rich climates. Solar PV only plays a role in locations with high PV full-load hours. It was found that optimal hydrogen storage can cover the users’ demand for 2–3 days.Most of the considered scenarios comply with the emission intensity thresholds set by the EU. A sensitivity analysis reveals that a lower variability of the demand profile is associated with cost savings. An ideally constant demand profile results in a cost reduction of approximately 11 %.

Hydrogen storage solutions for residential heating: A thermodynamic and economic analysis with scale-up potential

The study presents a thermodynamic and economic assessment of different hydrogen storage solutions for heating purposes, powered by PV panels, of a 10-apartment residential building in Milan, and it focuses on compressed hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, and metal hydride. The technical assessment involves using Python to code thermodynamic models to address technical and thermodynamic performances. The economic analysis evaluates the CAPEX, the ROI, and the cost per unit of stored hydrogen and energy. The study aims to provide an accurate assessment of the thermodynamic and economic indicators of three of the storage methods introduced in the literature review, pointing out the one with the best techno-economic performance for further development and research. The performed analysis shows that compressed hydrogen represents the best alternative but its cost is still too high for small residential applications. Applying the technology to a big system case would enable the solution making it economically feasible.

Chemical-based Hydrogen Storage Systems: Recent Developments, Challenges, and Prospectives.

Hydrogen (H2) is being acknowledged as the future energy carrier due to its high energy density and potential to mitigate the intermittency of other renewable energy sources. H2 also ensures a clean, carbon-neutral, and sustainable environment for current and forthcoming generations by contributing to the global missions of decarbonization in the transportation, industrial, and building sectors. Several H2 storage technologies are available and have been employed for its secure and economical transport. The existing H2 storage and transportation technologies like liquid-state, cryogenic, or compressed hydrogen are in use but still suffer from significant challenges regarding successful realization at the commercial level. These factors affect the overall operational cost of technology. Therefore, H2 storage demands novel technologies that are safe for mobility, transportation, long-term storage, and yet it is cost-effective. This review article presents potential opportunities for H2 storage technologies, such as physical and chemical storage. The prime characteristics and requirements of H2 storage are briefly explained. A detailed discussion of chemical-based hydrogen storage systems such as metal hydrides, chemical hydrides (CH3OH, NH3, and HCOOH), and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) is presented. Furthermore, the recent developments and challenges regarding hydrogen storage, their real-world applications, and prospects have also been debated.

Rational design of semi-interpenetrating network based on hyperbranched polyglycerol grafted MXene/polyurethane–epoxy for compressed hydrogen storage

Hydrogen (H2) energy has emerged as a promising alternative in the automotive sector to replace fossil fuel; however, its storage with volumetric efficiency remains a challenge. The latest type IV storage vessel featuring a polymeric liner with composite overwrap incurs hydrogen saturation, which eventually causes failure. To prevent the H2 dissolution in the liner, we have developed a barrier coating comprised of polyurethane/epoxy semi-interpenetrating network (S-IPN) combined with hyperbranched polyglycerol grafted MXene (h-MXene). The hyperbranched structure facilitated the dispersion of MXene in the coating solution by enhancing the exfoliation and improved the polymer filler interaction by forming covalent and H-bonding through end-terminal hydroxyl groups. Leveraging the dense network of S-IPN combined with the dispersed layer structured h-MXene significantly increased the tortuosity of the spray-coated barrier film applied to the nylon 6 liner. The coating exhibited a 90 % reduction in the H2 gas permeability at only 2 wt% h-MXene concentration, which further improved to above 98 % at 10 wt% loading. Additionally, the h-MXene considerably improved the adhesion with the liner even in a highly stretched condition, signifying the durability of the coating under cyclic pressurization and depressurization of the storage vessel.

A platform for planar dynamic compression of crystalline hydrogen toward the terapascal regime

We describe a method for laser-driven planar compression of crystalline hydrogen that starts with a sample of solid para-hydrogen (even-valued rotational quantum number j) having an entropy of 0.06 kB/molecule at 10 K and 2 atm, with Boltzmann constant kB. Starting with this low-entropy state, the sample is compressed using a small initial shock (<0.2 GPa), followed by a pressure ramp that approaches isentropic loading as the sample is taken to hundreds of GPa. Planar loading allows for quantitative compression measurements; the objective of our low-entropy compression is to keep the sample cold enough to characterize crystalline hydrogen toward the terapascal range.

Numerical analysis of the impact of winding angles on the mechanical performance of filament wound type 4 composite pressure vessels for compressed hydrogen gas storage

Transportation relies heavily on petroleum products, forcing the adoption of alternative energy sources like hydrogen. Hydrogen is considered the cleanest fuel for the twenty-first century due to its water-based combustion and no CO2 emissions. However, challenges persist in production, utilization, and storage; employing composite material-based high-pressure storage vessels is increasing in the hydrogen storage sector. The paper analyzes the impact of the winding angles on the mechanical performance of the filament wound Type 4 composite pressure vessels (CPVs) for compressed hydrogen gas storage at 70 MPa. This work examines the individual winding angles and combined angles winding patterns to promote the efficiency of Type 4 CPVs by achieving maximum burst pressure, ensuring safe burst mode, and reducing CPV weight by applying maximum principal stress theory with the aid of the Ansys ACP Prep/Post and static modules. The weight and burst pressure of CPVs are significantly influenced by fiber orientation; a combination of positive and negative helical winding angles promotes higher burst pressure at a lower weight. A hoop angle and intermediate helical angles can be combined to create high-efficiency CPVs that provide mechanical performance comparable to that of a combination of high and low helical angles. Finally, a one-factor-at-a-time (OAT) sensitivity analysis was performed to determine how the winding angle and the thicknesses of layers affect the CPVs' performance. It was found that the performance of the CPVs is significantly influenced by the thicknesses of the wound layers.

Louver and step flow field design to increase the water content of the membrane of an electrochemical hydrogen compressor

Compression is essential for transportation and storage because hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density. Therefore, this study conducted research on an electrochemical hydrogen compressor. Due to the absence of the water generation in electrochemical hydrogen compressors, it is necessary to supply adequately humidified hydrogen to prevent performance degradation caused by the drying of the proton exchange membrane. In this study, we designed louver and step serpentine flow fields to ensure a stable supply of the water vapor. We observed that the designed flow fields promote more efficient convection and diffusion within the GDL. As a result, the water content of the proton exchange membrane of the louver serpentine increased by 10.1 %, and performance enhanced by 4.93 % compared to the single serpentine. In the step serpentine, the water content increased by 10.03 %, and performance enhanced by 4.85 %. In conclusion, we designed a flow field that can increase the water content of the proton exchange membrane through simple geometric modifications without an additional power device.

Experimental Investigation into Shockwave and Flame Characteristics of Hydrogen Released through Various Pressure Relief Devices

This paper presents an experimental investigation into shockwave and flame characteristics of compressed hydrogen released through various types of pressure relief devices (PRDs) for which data have not been previously reported. Burst disks and safety valves with different set pressure (P0) of 22–140 MPa were tested. Shockwave intensity/velocity spontaneous ignition/flame behavior was monitored by in-situ pressure/light sensors, respectively. Previous works have mostly focused on burst disks with low P0 (under 10 MPa), leaving safety valves and high-pressure burst disks uninvestigated. It was found that shockwave/spontaneous ignition behavior differs with PRD types. Spontaneous ignition occurs in all burst disk cases, along with an ignition/self-extinguishment/reignition process with relatively low P0, which has not been revealed previously. In contrast, none of the safety valves cause spontaneous ignition, resulting from the absence of shockwave due to lower overpressure values/rise rate during release. This suggests that shockwave formed by sudden release is the most dominant factor in spontaneous ignition. Also, the occurrence of self-extinguishment does not guarantee the absence of jet flame. This work provides a comprehensive database revealing shockwave and flame characteristics of hydrogen released through different PRDs, which offers basic data and theoretical support for the safety and risk assessment of high-pressure hydrogen facilities.

A comparative analysis of the economic feasibility of reversible hydrogen systems based on time-resolved operation optimisation

The expansion of fluctuating renewable energy production, such as wind and PV, increases the mismatch to consumption. Power-to-Hydrogen-to-Power (PtHtP) systems are believed to be a key for balancing under and overproductions. PtHtP systems can provide temporal and spatial flexibilities and among them reversible solid oxide cells (rSOC) are a promising technology. They combine production of hydrogen and power in the same electrochemical stack. This generates a financial and environmental benefit since less resources are necessary for enabling both Power-to-Hydrogen and Hydrogen-to-Power. This work investigates the application of rSOC systems in comparison to reversible PEM systems consisting of electrolysis and fuel cell unit. In the present studies time-resolved optimization is employed for simulation of the optimal operation of the PtHtP technologies in different market price conditions for electricity, hydrogen and natural gas and with coupling to industry and district heat. Both systems have a zone of market prices, that allows for a positive economic performance over lifetime. The electricity‑hydrogen price difference in this zone is in the range from −83 €/MWh to 133 €/MWh depending on the scenario. Furthermore, the electricity price fluctuations are found to have the major impact on the profitability. By studying the influence of gas grid fees, one finds that local compressed hydrogen storages can be used only for very short storage timescales up to a few hours. Finally, the derivation of application conditions, that are suitable for the two different spatial kinds of reversible hydrogen systems – spatially concentrated and delocalized and the two technologies – rSOC and PEM, is made.

Strain analysis and non-destructive monitoring of the two-stage hydraulic-driven piston compressor for hydrogen storage

High-pressure gas storage is an important means of hydrogen application in the transportation industry, especially in hydrogen refuelling stations. The hydrogen compressor is the most crucial dynamic component for high-pressure gas storage in hydrogen refuelling stations. An effective control system is required to guarantee the compressor operates safely and efficiently, which is based on the safe and efficient monitoring of the operating condition of the compressor. However, significantly limited literature has been provided for the hydraulic-driven piston compressor. In this paper, a non-destructive testing method for monitoring the dynamic pressure by strain gauge in the hydraulic-driven piston compressor is proposed. The relationship between the strain of the cylinder head and key operating parameters is obtained through finite element analysis, based on which the optimal location for the pressure monitoring is identified. The proposed non-destructive testing method is validated by experiments of a two-stage hydraulic-driven piston compressor. The strain analysis indicates that the circumferential strain in the cylinder head has a good linear relationship with the in-cylinder gas pressure with a value above 99.6 %. The deformation of the four monitoring positions is almost unchanged with a maximum deviation of 0.5 % under different piston positions. A high uniformity of the circumferential strain of the cylinder head is observed from the analysis. Experimental results indicate that the proposed non-destructive monitoring method is effective in obtaining the dynamic pressure in-cylinder during the compressor operation with a maximum deviation of 5.13 % and an average deviation below 2.01 %.

Dynamic convergent shock compression initiated by return current in high-intensity laser–solid interactions

We investigate the dynamics of convergent shock compression in solid cylindrical targets irradiated by an ultrafast relativistic laser pulse. Our particle-in-cell simulations and coupled hydrodynamic simulations reveal that the compression process is initiated by both magnetic pressure and surface ablation associated with a strong transient surface return current with density of the order of 1017 A/m2 and lifetime of 100 fs. The results show that the dominant compression mechanism is governed by the plasma β, i.e., the ratio of thermal pressure to magnetic pressure. For targets with small radius and low atomic number Z, the magnetic pressure is the dominant shock compression mechanism. According to a scaling law, as the target radius and Z increase, the surface ablation pressure becomes the main mechanism generating convergent shocks. Furthermore, an indirect experimental indication of shocked hydrogen compression is provided by optical shadowgraphy measurements of the evolution of the plasma expansion diameter. The results presented here provide a novel basis for the generation of extremely high pressures exceeding Gbar (100 TPa) to enable the investigation of high-pressure physics using femtosecond J-level laser pulses, offering an alternative to nanosecond kJ-laser pulse-driven and pulsed power Z-pinch compression methods.

Development of Ti-Zr-Mn based AB2 type metal hydrides alloys for an 865 bar two-stage hydrogen compressor

This study reports the development of a new Ti-Zr-Mn-based AB2 type hydrogen storage alloys for a two-stage metal hydride hydrogen compressor (MHHC). The hydrogen storage alloys are designed to compress hydrogen from 35 to 865 bar within a temperature difference of 115 °C. High-pressure PCT measurements up to 700 bar were carried out to test the performance of the alloys. The alloys' hysteresis and the plateau slope were reduced by optimizing the composition. The introduction of fugacity correction into the Van't hoff equation reduces the deviation between calculation and actual pressure to 24 bar at a pressure above 350 bar. A precise relation between the Ti/Zr ratio and the desorption pressure is described and helps make a correct design of the alloy composition. The designed alloy shows looses less than 1% of the capacity over 3000 full cycles. The desorption plateau pressure of the alloy is constant within 92% during the whole cycling process. A 2 stages compressor working with two types of alloys offers compression with a temperature range between -20 and 95 °C for the refueling hydrogen vehicles up to 865 bar.

Hydrogen Gas Compression for Efficient Storage: Balancing Energy and Increasing Density

This article analyzes the processes of compressing hydrogen in the gaseous state, an aspect considered important due to its contribution to the greater diffusion of hydrogen in both the civil and industrial sectors. This article begins by providing a concise overview and comparison of diverse hydrogen-storage methodologies, laying the groundwork with an in-depth analysis of hydrogen’s thermophysical properties. It scrutinizes plausible configurations for hydrogen compression, aiming to strike a delicate balance between energy consumption, derived from the fuel itself, and the requisite number of compression stages. Notably, to render hydrogen storage competitive in terms of volume, pressures of at least 350 bar are deemed essential, albeit at an energy cost amounting to approximately 10% of the fuel’s calorific value. Multi-stage compression emerges as a crucial strategy, not solely for energy efficiency, but also to curtail temperature rises, with an upper limit set at 200 °C. This nuanced approach is underlined by the exploration of compression levels commonly cited in the literature, particularly 350 bar and 700 bar. The study advocates for a three-stage compression system as a pragmatic compromise, capable of achieving high-pressure solutions while keeping compression work below 10 MJ/kg, a threshold indicative of sustainable energy utilization.

"Impact of hydride composite materials on thermochemical hydrogen compression"

The formation of a hydride from a metal or intermetallic alloy is an exothermic reversible chemical reaction. The thermodynamic properties governing hydride formation facilitate their thermochemical applications, such as hydrogen compression. Thermal transport inside the materials is of highest importance for system dynamics and its productivity. In this contribution, we demonstrate a two-stage thermochemical hydrogen compressor using the AB5 alloy LaNi5 in the first stage and an AB2 alloy TiMn2 (Hydralloy®) in the second stage. To evaluate the impact of the thermal conductivity of the materials, the productivity of the compressor was compared for pure metal hydride compacts (MH) and metal hydride composite materials (MHC). Compared to pure MH pellets, the MHC used in this study contain expanded natural graphite (ENG), a secondary phase with highest thermal conductivity. As the radial thermal conductivity of the MHC increased, the time required for the loading, temperature change and unloading steps was successfully reduced by 400%. Productivity was increased by over 320 % from 14 NlH2/(kgMaterial*h) to 44 NlH2/(kgMaterial*h). Overall, MHC have the potential to simplify handling, reactor design and reduce investment costs for thermochemical compression systems. Thus, MHC have highest impact and potential for thermochemical applications.

Evaluating the techno-economic feasibility of hydrogen-fuelled reciprocating engines for renewable base-load power generation

This study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of a photovoltaic power plant integrated with hydrogen energy storage and a dual-fuel reciprocating engine for gas-to-power and power-to-gas operations. The system is optimised for maximising constant grid supply, minimising CO2 emissions, and lowering the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) to assess its value in future energy landscape. Multi-objective optimisation identified a configuration with a hydrogen-fuelled engine generator offering a constant 10 MW grid supply with minimal CO2 emissions (78 kg/MWh), at a LCOE of $335.52/MWh. This system comprises a 93 MW PEM electrolyser, a 4 MW compressor, and 29 t of compressed hydrogen storage, within the limits of the industry’s current or projected capacities. A key highlight of the engine-based approach is its ability to readily enhance grid supply through increased diesel consumption without significantly impacting LCOE, provided CO2 emissions stay within acceptable sector cap. This flexibility surpasses alternative technologies. Further analysis explored potential LCOE reductions using global projected data, bringing optimised LCOE values down to $138.76/MWh, making it competitive to current market prices. Sensitivity analysis revealed the LCOE’s highest sensitivity to the discount rate, followed by minimal impact from variations in fuel and electricity prices due to the optimised system configuration. Furthermore, the tightening CO2 emission limits do not affect the optimised system’s performance, except for limiting the maximum achievable grid supply in 2050 by increased diesel reliance.

Analytical and experimental evaluation of LaNi5-xMx, where M = Fe, Mn, and Al hydrides for hydrogen compression applications

Metal Hydride Hydrogen Compressors (MHHC) will play a vital role in the hydrogen economy in the coming times. Developing a more efficient and optimized MHHC requires revisiting the existing materials and selecting the best-suited material. The current work compares LaNi5-xMx, where M = Fe, Mn, and Al hydrides, through a thermodynamic evaluation of the compressor's performance. The operating conditions have been chosen as 20 to 40 °C for absorption and 80 to 140 °C for desorption to provide a baseline for comparing the materials. The performance parameters include thermal efficiency, pressure ratio, and throughput (i.e. mass of hydrogen delivered per 100 g of hydride (wt.%)). The Pressure Concentration Isotherms (PCIs) are taken from the published literature, and the equilibrium pressures at the desired temperature conditions are calculated from the van't Hoff equation. LaNi4.8Al0.2 gives good performance throughout the studied temperature and pressure range. The throughput of LaNi4.8Al0.2 drops from 1.4 wt.% to around 1 wt.% at high absorption temperatures. A separate experimental study of LaNi4.8Al0.2 is documented where it is used in a prototype of MHHC, and its performance parameters are compared with the thermodynamic analysis. The reaction kinetics, throughput, pressure ratio, and efficiency are reported. A pressure ratio of 4.2 is achieved with an efficiency of 5.2 % at 3 bar supply pressure, and absorption and desorption temperatures of 30 and 140 °C, respectively.