The Role of Hydrogen in the Renewable Energy Mix

1. The Role of Hydrogen in the Renewable Energy Mix Dr. Michael Mann Chemical Engineering University of North Dakota

3. Presentation Outline • The Hydrogen Economy • The 2005 Energy Policy Act • Sources of Hydrogen • A Case Study: Basin Electric • Summary

4. Reasons to Change from Fossil Fuel • Political obligation - reduce CO2 emissions • Worldwide energy dependence • Oil is a scarce commodity • Needs of developing economies

5. What is the Hydrogen Economy A future economy in which energy, for mobile applications (vehicles, aircraft) and electrical grid load balancing (daily peak demand reserve), is stored as hydrogen (H2). Hydrogen is not a energy source, it’s an energy carrier like electricity • Goals in developing world wide hydrogen infrastructure and technologies: • Security in energy supply • Environmental protection • Promote economic growth of societies

6. Why Hydrogen? • High mass energy density • 2.4x methane; 2.8x gasoline, 4x coal • Absence of emissions: CO2, NOx, SO2, PM • But clean as source of production • Eliminate emission from disperse sources - transportation • Allow integration of renewable, intermittent energy sources • Uninterrupted electricity • Low system efficiency • Volumetrically challenged http://www.hydrogen.gov/why.html

7. Is hydrogen poised to have a major impact on the energy industry?

8. Presentation Outline • The Hydrogen Economy • The 2005 Energy Policy Act • Sources of Hydrogen • A Case Study: Basin Electric • Summary

9. Energy Policy Act and Hydrogen • No preamble to identify goals • Does not coordinate any “national energy policy or strategy” • Budget represents lobby interests – not amount necessary to overcome barriers • Approach ensures no interest group was left out, but prevents headway in any fledging industry • H2 Funding does not match goals

10. Goals of Title VIII • Recognized that: • H2 source of heat and electricity • Storage - transportation or electricity • H2 can replace petroleum – “decreasing the US dependency of imported oil” • Acts as storage medium for electricity created by intermittent resources “creating a sustainable energy economy” • Wind, biomass, solar – replace coal and oil

11. Title VIII Development, Demonstration and Commercialization • 2,500,000 vehicles by 2020 – 1% of US • Will require major infrastructure changes • Not large enough to cause conversion to fuel cell vehicles • Makes sense for fleet centers • Will not meet goal of “acceptance by consumers” • Target prevents economy of scale

12. Fuel Diversity vs Fuel Replacement • “to build a mature hydrogen economy that creates fuel diversity in the massive transportation sector” • “mature” suggests formidable technical hurdles will be overcome • “diversity” leaves room for H2, ethanol, etc • Can US meets both goals • Distribution and delivery infrastructure • Engine design

13. Is Money in Title VIII Adequate • Goal of putting money into “public investments in industry, higher education, national labs, and research institutions to expand innovation” • Focus on primary developmental needs • Isolating, storage distribution, transporting H2 • Fuel cell technologies • Demonstration projects • Development of safety codes and standards • Authorized $4.046 billion through 2010 • 2x other renewables, $1.775 b less than ethanol

14. How should we evaluate new energy technologies? • Must give net energy (energy ratio >1) throughout life cycle • Sustainable in all environmental concerns • All climate changes considered • Must be politically feasible • Don’t under estimate concerns with developing technologies

15. Sources of H2 Marban and Valdes-Solis, 2007

16. Sources of H2 • CH4 reforming • $3/MMBtu CH4 -> $6/MMBtu H2 • $12/MMBtu CH4 -> $20/MMBtu H2 • Releases CO2 • Does not address energy security • Electrolysis • 3kW electricity per 1 kW H2 produced • $20/MMBtu H2 • Thermochemical “cracking” • Solar or nuclear energy sources • Experimental

17. Wind as Source of Hydrogen • Energy ratio of wind is around 30 • After electrolysis and delivery ~15 • End use conversion drops ratio to 8 to 12 • US oil to gasoline – ratio of 6 to 10 • Corn to ethanol – ratio of 1.3 to 1.8 • Other concerns • Delivered energy reduced in half by end use • Substantial money investments • Hydrogen storage

18. What technologies can produce H2 to replace transportation needs? Marban and Valdes-Solis, 2007

19. Storage and Distribution • Distribution methods • Pipeline • Liquid hydrogen • Solid metal hydride • Carrier fuels • Carbon nanotubes • Fueling station infrastructure • $450,000 per H2 pump • 10,000 stations minimum to service US • Mature H2 economy - $200 billion

20. Marban and Valdes-Solis, 2007

21. Presentation Outline • The Hydrogen Economy • The 2005 Energy Policy Act • Sources of Hydrogen • A Case Study: Basin Electric • Summary

22. An Electric Utility Perspective • A common obstacle to the development of wind energy in many parts of the United States is the difficulty in adding wind-generated electricity onto transmission lines that are already constrained • Transmission constraint limitations on new wind generation can be overcome by dynamically scheduling grid-connected wind energy to power a load (electrolyzer or multiple electrolyzers) within a regional area • Plus – deals with intermittency of renewable resources

23. Case Study: Basin Electric Minot - Feb 03 - (2) 1.3 MW Edgeley - Oct 03 - (27) 1.5 MW Wilton - Dec 05 - (33) 1.5 MW Electrolyzer at NDSU’s N. Central Research Center near Minot.

24. 1 kg H2 equivalent to 1 gallon gas Alkaline Electrolyzer Chiller Control Panel 100 kg H2 storage Dispensing Station 30 ft x 60 ft pad 30 Nm3/hr at full capacity (65 kg/day) Depending on the mode $20 – 10 / kg The larger model could result in $3/kg

25. Project Background • Electrolyzer: Hydrogenics HySTAT A-30, Output 30 Nm3/hr (2.7 kg/hr) at full capacity • Compression/storage: 80 kg of storage in three pairs of cascading cylinders, (six total) at 6000 psi • Dispenser: 5000 psi of dispensing pressure • Hydrogen use: Three Chevy ½-ton internal combustion pickups capable of running on H2,E-85, and gasoline • Hydrogen use: A genset converted to run on H2

26. Storage Project Background HyStat Electrolyzer Dispenser

27. H2 End Use Demonstration • Tri-fuel (gasoline–E-85–hydrogen) engine conversion provided by AFVTech on three Chevrolet trucks. • Internal combustion generator converted to operate on H2 (still negotiating this item).

28. Dynamic Scheduling • There are four control modes, each representing a different approach for dynamic scheduling • All modes are constrained by the technological limitation of the electrolyzer—the need to maintain a minimum of 7.5 Nm3 H2 production for fast response time • The minimum operating level requirement and parasitic power (heating, lights, etc.) will be met by grid energy for this research project

29. Dynamic Scheduling: Mode 1 • Most directly addresses the transmission problem • “x” amount of added wind energy is cancelled by “x” amount of electrolyzer capacity • Least efficient because of underutilization of electrolyzer capacity • Simulated by scaling: 100% wind farm output corresponds to 100% electrolyzer power capacity –directly proportioned down to minimum operating level of electrolyzer

30. Dynamic Scheduling: Mode 2 • Similar to Mode 1, but with addition of low-cost, off-peak, non-wind electricity to supplement wind energy for full electrolyzer production from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily and all day on weekends • Non-wind electricity is only utilized when wind energy is not sufficient to run electrolyzer at full load • Still an inefficient use of electrolyzer due to underutilization

31. Dynamic Scheduling: Mode 3 • Assumes that the added MWs of wind energy are greater than the added MWs of electrolyzer-based load • The wind-generated electricity above the full power needed to run electrolyzer is fed to the grid • Improved utilization of the electrolyzer over Modes 1 and 2 makes it more efficient • Requires the grid to utilize energy excess

32. Dynamic Scheduling: Mode 4 • Similar to Mode 3, but with the addition of low-cost off-peak non-wind electricity to supplement wind energy for full electrolyzer production from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily and all day on weekends • Non-wind electricity is only utilized when wind energy is not sufficient to run electrolyzer at full load during • Most efficient of the modes—approximately 90% utilization of electrolyzer • Requires the grid to utilize energy excess

33. Presentation Outline • The Hydrogen Economy • The 2005 Energy Policy Act • Sources of Hydrogen • A Case Study: Basin Electric • Summary

34. Future Expectations • Conditions for societal based H2 economy • Strong international CO2 agreements • Reduced cost of H2 production, distribution, storage, and utilization • IEA most favorable prediction for H2 / 2050 • 30% of cars powered by H2 feed • 200 – 300 GW installed FC to cogenerate heat and electricity

35. What about Hydrogen • Hydrogen will be a part of the solution, but not the single silver bullet • Hydrogen is just an energy carrier, we still need a primary energy source(s) • Hydrogen can be used to firm renewable energy resources. Current conditions need to change to improve economic viability

36. References & Acknowledgements • Dr. Rhonda Peters – Clipper Energy • Dr. Kevin Harrison – NREL • E. Lockey, “A critical review of the Energy Policy Act of 2005’s treatment of hydrogen”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 32 (2007) 1673-1679. • P. Moriatry and D. Honnery, “Intermittent renewable energy: the only future source of hydrogen?” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 32 (2007) 1616-1624. • G. Marban and T. Valdes-Solis, “Towards a hydrogen economy?” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 32 (2007) 1625-1637.