R&D Needs for Hydrogen Utilization –German Perspective and ...

© RUB, Marquardt

R&D Needs for Hydrogen Utilization – German Perspective and ExperienceR. Span

H2-Workshop Australian Centre of LNG Futures. November 2018

R. Span | Hydrogen Workshop | Perth, 2018

Slide 2

• Global warming is accepted fact, scientific discourse focusses on “details”

• The need for reduction of atmospheric CO2-emissions is widely accepted

Reducing Atmospheric CO2-Emissions to Mitigate Climate Change

• Still emissions are on an all time high• Trend of China has turned (just as a

consequence of crisis?)• Emission intensity of global economy

goes back


Slide 3

Reducing Atmospheric CO2-Emissions to Mitigate Climate Change

• German government had formulated goals for mitigation by 2021

• Electric-power supply largely reliedon renewables

• Current trend over fulfillsestablished goal, governmentis reducing dynamics!

• Heat relied on insulation and CHP,misses goal

• Transport relied on bio fuel and electro mobility, misses goal

• Use of fossil fuels as basic chemicals or in industry is not even addressed

Approach effectively addresses only about 35% of the CO2 emissions!

40

30

20

10

0

Antic

ipat

ed C

O 2Re

duct

ion

/ %

2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020

Power

Heat

Transport

goal: 35%

goal: 14%trendgoal: 10%

trend

trend

Fraunhofer UMSICHT


Slide 4

Going Renewable – Fluctuating Power Production and Storage

• Fluctuations in renewable power-production became a dominant aspect in discussions onthe “Energiewende”

• Consequences are either over pronounced or ignored• Local fluctuations (cloud shadow on solar panel) are grid compensated• Regional fluctuations require strong high-voltage transmission lines• North/south transmission lines are high on

the political agenda• Public acceptance becomes a problem!• Day/night effect has to be compensated

A strong transmission grid can reduce storagedemands, but it cannot replace storage, ifCO2 mitigation by renewables is the goal


Slide 5

Going Renewable – Fluctuating Power Production and Storage

• With further focus on renewables, electricity storage becomes mandatory• Excess power becomes available, but not constantly over time• Daily fluctuations have to be compensated• Seldom complete lack of wind and solar• Electricity storage for backup?• Pumped hydro is classical storage technology• Compressed-air energy storage is proven technology, advanced

adiabatic concepts seem technically feasible• Li-Ion batteries are available at multi-MW scale• Liquified-air energy storage is under development• None of these technologies is currently economic, no long-term storage

Hydrogen generation by hydrolysis is discussed to ensure utilization of excess power!

• Strongly fluctuating hydrogen production, studies focus on mixtures with natural gas


Slide 6

Adding Hydrogen to Natural Gas

• If (only) excess power is used to generate hydrogenthe production will be highly fluctuating

• Natural gas consumption in Germany in thesame order of magnitude as power production

Large potential even at low concentrations

• Hydrogen injection so far only into local and regional natural-gas grids

• Natural gas primarily used for heating andprocess heat, consumption can be very lowon warm weekends

• Injection capacities are very limited, if only low hydrogen concentrations are allowed for

German studies focus on the allowable limit for hydrogen concentrations (today 2%)


Slide 7


• DVGW (Deutscher Verein des Gas und Wasserfaches e.V.) has carried out extensive studies

• Laboratory and limited field tests

• Focus has been on hydrogen concentrations up to 10% (molar)with some results for higher concentrations

• Critical issues at limited hydrogen concentrations are well known

• Results are extensively published (mostly in German)

• A good overview is given, e.g., by Müller-Syring and Henel (2014)

• Analysis is carried out technology by technology

Only some general statements at this point!


Slide 8


• For materials of long distance pipelines no problems are expected up to 10% hydrogen, substantially higher concentrations (up to 100%) seem feasible

• Gasturbines driving compressor stations can probably be adapted to concentrations up to 10%, higher concentrationsmay require exchange of gasturbines

• Gasturbines running at up to 100% hydrogen are available,but fluctuating concentrations are challenging

• Compressors can handle limited hydrogen concentrations,but more power is required for an equivalent energy flow

• Valves etc. use high strength material, may be affected byhydrogen embrittlement

Capacity of long distance pipelines is reduced; limitedinvestments will be necessary to handle hydrogen additions


Slide 9


• Natural gas is stored underground as energy reserve• Storage becomes essential, when hydrogen is used as backup• (Salt) Caverns are used for hydrogen as well, can be adapted• Pore storage (aquifers) seems critical with regard to leakage

and microbiological activities• Natural gas fuel stations can handle hydrogen• Natural gas tanks in cars are made of enforced polymers or

high strength steel, allow only for hydrogen concentrations up to 2%

There are “secondary issues” that make high hydrogen concentrations in the high pressure natural gas grid critical


Slide 10


• Up to 10% no problems are expected for metal and plasticpipes of the low pressure distribution grid

• Up to 10% no problems are expected for sealings and joints• Household gascounters suitable for 10% hydrogen admixture • Household burners mostly work at 10%, but cause problems

when the hydrogen concentration increases further• Industrial burners generally work at 10%, but product quality

may be very sensitive – every single case needs to be analyzed• The same is true, when natural gas is used as feed stream

Little problems are expected on the distribution level up to 10% hydrogen concentration, but higher concentrations may need modified components


Slide 11


• Several problems are encountered in conjunction with custody transfer / fiscal metering

• Flow measurement equipment works up to 10% and probably higher

• Installed gas chromatographs cannot measure hydrogen content properly

• AGA8-DC92 and GERG-2008 allow for volume/mass-conversionsat typical pipeline conditions up to about 50% hydrogen, butfail at lower temperature and for gases with untypical composition

• To handle fluctuating hydrogen-concentrations gas compositionneeds to be tracked in distribution grids

• (Legal) Standards need to be reformulated Several actions required with regard to fiscal metering

and custody transfer


Slide 12


• Increasing the hydrogen content of natural gas to 10% is technically feasible with onlyfew relevant problems

• However, at least limited investments will become necessary• Some customers / stakeholders may face major investments

(mostly industry and transport companies)• Investments for 10% are partially stranded, when hydrogen

concentrations are increased to > 10% in a second step• Many technologies are sensitive to fluctuating hydrogen

concentrations• Stepwise increase of hydrogen concentrations and allowing for

fluctuating concentrations is expensive and leads to a long periodof technical instability

The measures broadly discussed in Germany focus on the utilization of excess electrical power, do not systematically address aspects like supply of heat and basic chemicals


Slide 13

ELEGANCY

• ELEGANCY – Enabling the Low Carbon Economy by Hydrogen and CCS• Multinational project in the EERA-ACT program• Scenario: Hydrogen is generated from natural gas with CCS, hydrogen is distributed


Slide 14

ELEGANCY – The German Case Study

• Hydrogen is supplied by Norway, generated from reforming natural gas with CCS


Slide 15

ELEGANCY – The German Case Study

• Hydrogen is supplied by Norway, generated from reforming natural gas with CCS


Slide 16

What My Group Actually Does

• Thermodynamics at Ruhr University is known for highly accurate measuring and modelling of thermodynamic properties

• Measurement of properties with self-developed apparatusses Densities with single- and dual-sinker densimeters Speeds of sound with pulse/echo und spherical resonators

• Modelling with empirical multiparameter models International standards for pure fluids (H2O, CO2, N2, CH4, …) International standards for mixtures (natural gas, CO2-rich, …)

• Software technical and scientific applications (TREND)

• Modelling of processes (focus on energy technologies)


Slide 17

What We Are Concerned About

Density deviations between GERG-2008 and highly accurate experimental dataMixture 30% H2 / 70% CO2


Slide 18

30% H2 / 70% CO2

Density deviations Span & Wagner (1996) andhighly accurate experimental data, pure CO2



Slide 19

30% H2 / 70% CO2

Density deviations GERG-2008 and highlyaccurate experimental data, synthetic natural gas

reines CO2



Slide 20

Why Should You Be Concerned As Well?

• Density of 70% CO2 / 30% H2 mixture is over estimated by about ≈ 1%, error not linear in concentration

• Density of 55% CO2 / 45% H2 mixture is predicted rather accurately at ≈ 15 MPa

Supplier A Separation ProcessSupplier A

V/v(T,p,x) = 100 mol/s55% CO2 / 45% H2

45 mol/s H2


Slide 21

Separation Process Supplier A

V/v(T,p,x) = 100 mol/s70% CO2 / 30% H2 24 mol/s H2

Supplier B5,7 mol/s H2

instead of 6 mol/s H2 -5%Allocation Poblem!





Slide 22

V/v(T,p,x) = 126 mol/s55% CO2 / 45% H2

Leakage Alert!

-1,3 mol/s





Slide 23

• Further examples can easily be constructed …

Allocation of gas flows in grids

Leakage and plant control

Fiscal metering / custody transfer / legal constraints

Closing of mass balances in dynamic process- and grid-simulations withvarying hydrogen concentrations

…

If methods applied by natural-gas industry are to be applied in distributedgas-grids with increased hydrogen concentrations, uncertainties as low as

in natural-gas industry have to be aimed at


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