Recommendations Hydrogen Future Realizing A · As a chemical,hydrogen safely provides us with...

For more information, see the HTAP Website at http://www.eren.doe.gov/hydrogen/htap.htmProduced for HTAP with U.S. Department of Energy funds

1000 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20585

By the National Renewable Energy LaboratoryA DOE national laboratory

DOE/GO-10099-906August 1999

Printed with a renewable source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste.

Hydrogen VisionYou don't have to imagine a world in which there isinexhaustible, clean energy. This is such a world.The sunis the energy source that, coupled with water, provideselectricity, fuel, and heat.And hydrogen is the mediumfor storing and carrying energy.

Hydrogen — the universe's most abundant element— is part of a clean and elegant cycle: Separate waterinto hydrogen and oxygen. Use the hydrogen to powera fuel cell, where hydrogen and oxygen from air recom-bine to produce electrical energy, water, and heat.Thisprocess produces no particulates, no carbon dioxide,and no pollution.

Hydrogen may be the perfect energy carrier.Today, it isproduced primarily from fossil fuels using well-knowncommercial thermal processes. In the future, it will beproduced directly from water and sunlight.

Today, hydrogen is transported by rail, truck, andpipeline and stored in liquid or gaseous form. In thefuture, it will be stored and transported in advancedsystems, such as metal hydrides or carbon structures.

As a chemical, hydrogen safely provides us with fertiliz-ers, resins, plastics, solvents, and more.As a fuel, it canprovide electricity, power our vehicles, and heat ourhomes and businesses.

Hydrogen can be produced in many ways and frommany domestic sources. It offers energy security anddiversity for the nation. It expands our technology baseto provide America with ample energy choices. Andbecause it is clean, it will promote a healthy environ-ment by reducing or eliminating harmful pollutants.

This is the vision of the Hydrogen Technical AdvisoryPanel and of the DOE Hydrogen Program: In the 21stcentury we see the dawning of a new era — toward aclean hydrogen economy that will be based on renewableenergy resources. To realize this vision requires investi-gating the science, developing the technology, building asafe infrastructure, crafting a robust strategy, and main-taining wise guidance.And it requires a national will.

The hydrogen cycle: when generated from renewable

sources, hydrogen production and useis part of a clean, cyclic process.

Hydrogen versatility: hydrogencan be used to generate electric-ity, heat homes and businesses,fuel our vehicles, and producecommodities we use every day.

Panel Members

Steering Committee

Mr. David NahmiasHTAP Chair Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., retired

Dr. Helena ChumChair of Coordinating CommitteeNational Renewable Energy Laboratory

Mr. Henry WedaaChair of Scenario Planning CommitteeChair Emeritus of South Coast Air QualityManagement District

Members

Mr. Christopher FlavinWorldwatch Institute

Mr. David HabermanDCH Technology, Inc.

Mr. Michael HainsselinPraxair, Inc.

Dr. Mounir KamalCo-Chair of Scenario Planning Committee General Motors Corp., retired

Dr.Alan LloydCo-Chair of Fuel Choice SubcommitteeCalifornia Air Resources Board

Dr. Roberta NicholsCo-Chair of Fuel Choice SubcommitteeFord Motor Company, retired

Dr. John O'SullivanElectric Power Research Institute

Dr. George SchmauchAir Products and Chemicals, Inc., retired

Members Emeritus

Dr. Henry LindenIllinois Institute of Technology

Dr. Patrick TakahashiUniversity of Hawaii

Past Members

Ms. Carol BaileyENRON

Dr.Addison BainNASA, retired

Dr. Bernard BakerEnergy Research Corp.

Dr. James BirkElectric Power Research Institute

Dr. Robert FroschGeneral Motors Research Laboratory,NASA

Mr. H. Jeffrey LeonardGlobal Environmental Fund

Mr. Frank LynchHydrogen Components, Inc.

Dr. James MacKenzieWorld Resources Institute

Dr. Mark S.WrightonWashington University

Dr. Robert ZaloshWorcester Polytechnic Institute

Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel

Hydrogen Vision

Strategy

Recommendations

Realizing A Hydrogen Future

Energy Partners, Inc. PIX 02070

Hydrogen proof-of-concept car (1993)

Panel Members

Steering Committee

Members

Members Emeritus

Past Members

Hydrogen Vision

Strategy

Recommendations

Strategy

Present

NASA's space shuttle uses liq-uid hydrogen and oxygen forpropulsion and hydrogen-powered fuel cells to provideon-board electricity and water.

Today, almost allhydrogen is pro-duced via steamreforming of natu-ral gas at oilrefineries. The greatmajority of thathydrogen is used byoil refineries andpetrochemical plantsto refine fuel and tomake industrialcommodities.

Today, the United States safely uses about 90 billion cubic meters (3.2 trillioncubic feet) of hydrogen yearly, almost all of which is produced at oil refineriesor by the chemical industry via the steam reforming of natural gas.This hydro-gen is used primarily for refining petroleum and for making industrial commodi-ties, such as ammonia.

Comparatively little hydrogen is currently used as fuel or as an energy carrier,i.e., as a medium by which energy may be moved from the place of productionto the place of use.Yet, the Hydrogen Program calls for making a transition to ahydrogen-based economy, with the expectation that in the long term hydrogenwill join electricity as a major energy carrier and that much of the hydrogenwill be derived from renewable energysources.

One of the options for the near term is tomix hydrogen with methane for use ininternal combustion engines, as with this"hythane"-fueled pickup.

NASA, PIX 03988

Hydrogen Components, Inc., PIX 03548

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Advanced Hydrogen Technologies

Long TermMid Term

In the long term, advancedtechnologies, such as thisone in which hydrogenand oxygen bubbles arebeing produced by lightshining on a photoelectro-chemical device, will beused to produce hydrogen.

Throughout the transition period, scientists, engineers,and systems designers will advance the technologiesfor safe hydrogen production, storage, and utilization.

Production Technologies:• Thermochemical processes — use heat to con-

vert biomass into a gaseous mixture that can pro-duce hydrogen and other valuable products.

• Photobiological processes — use sunlight and thenatural activities of enzymes in green algae andbacteria to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

• Photoelectrochemical processes — use semicon-ductor technology to split water upon illumina-tion with sunlight.

Storage Technologies:• Metal hydrides — absorb and retain hydrogen

and release it for different applications.

• Carbon nanostructures — contain microscopicpores that adsorb high densities of hydrogen viacapillary action at room temperature.

Utilization Technologies:• Phosphoric acid fuel cells — represent a near-term

application for stationary power generation.

• The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (see sidebar) — the prime candidate for near- to mid-termapplications, especially in automobiles, buses, and light-duty vehicles, and in distributed power applications.

• Solid-oxide and molten carbonate fuel cells —due to their high operating temperatures, havepotential for highly efficient combined heat andpower applications.

A second near-termoption is to use hydrogen-powered fuel cells fortransportation.

California mandates for zero-emission vehi-cles will provide an opportunity for cars andbuses run by hydrogen-powered fuel cells.

Large hydrogen-powered fuel cells willbe used in the mid term for distrib-uted electric power applications.

also produce thermal energy for hot water,space heating, and industrial processes.

During this phase, hydrogen for these applica-tions will be increasingly produced from coaland from the pyrolysis or gasification of bio-mass.

Biomass for hydrogen production will come fromdedicated crops, agricultural residues, or municipalsolid wastes. Dedicated crops will be particularlyvaluable for offsetting carbon dioxide emissionsbecause biomass crops regrown specifically forenergy recycle carbon dioxide from the atmos-phere, resulting in no net carbon dioxide emis-sions.

In the mid-term an increasing numberof hydrogen-fueled zero-emission vehi-cles will also be on the road, due toimprovements in on-board storagetechnologies. This, in turn, will pro-vide impetus for building a hydrogeninfrastructure along dedicatedtransportation corridors or clus-ters of use.

Long Term In the long term, strong hydrogen markets and agrowing hydrogen infrastructure will launchopportunities for renewable hydrogen systems.Intermittent energy sources such as wind turbinesor photovoltaics, for example, will power electrol-ysis to produce hydrogen for fuel cells.The fuelcells will use the hydrogen to provide electricityduring higher demand periods or to supplementthe intermittent energy sources.

This era will also witness the emergence andgrowth of advanced technologies that producehydrogen from water and sunlight and that storehydrogen in high-energy-density systems.

Market penetration of advanced tech-nologies to produce, store, and usehydrogen will herald the establishmentof the hydrogen energy economy.

In the mid to long term, a largeand growing renewable-basedelectric power system will requiresignificant storage capacity —hydrogen will provide a perfectstorage medium.

The transition to a hydrogen-based energy econ-omy is being made gradually, in phases, so that bythe middle of the 21st century our energy sys-tem will be on its way to being clean, renewable,and secure.

Near TermTo expand the role ofhydrogen in the near term,several approaches are beingproposed. One approach isto use hydrogen for trans-portation by mixing it withnatural gas in internal com-bustion engines; this wouldincrease engine performanceand decrease pollution.

Another approach calls forproducing hydrogen at cen-tral locations and distribut-ing it to refueling stations.There, it will be pumped onboard vehicles for use in fuel-cell powered sys-tems.The use of such hydrogen-powered fuelcells produces no emissions other than watervapor, an important element in California's leg-

islative mandate for the introduction of zero-emission vehicles.

During this near-term phase, hydrogen will beproduced primarily by advanced steam reform-

ing of natural gas, either atcentral or distributed facili-ties.This presents an oppor-tunity to decrease theamount of carbon dioxidereleased to the atmosphere— a byproduct of steamreforming is a nearly purecarbon dioxide stream thatcould be collected andsequestered in many ways,such as coal seams, depletednatural gas fields, or salineaquifers.

Mid TermIn the mid term, restructur-ing of the electric utility

industry will present opportunities for distrib-uted generation, where hydrogen-powered fuelcells will provide on-site generation of electrici-ty. In addition to electricity, these fuel cells will

Making the Transition

Energy crops such as switchgrass (above)or trees (timeline, below) will be usedto produce hydrogen in the mid term.The cultivation of these crops will alsooffset carbon dioxide emissions.

Because of their ability to safelystore high volumes of hydrogenand to release the hydrogen ondemand by small changes in tem-perature and pressure, carbonnanostructures (shown schemati-cally) are promising storageoptions for the long term.

The Hydrogen Program views fuel cellresearch as a prime avenue for leveraging itsfunds and expertise, and thus for acceleratingthe transition timetable.The Program coordi-nates its efforts with those of a number ofother DOE offices, especially TransportationTechnologies, Building Technologies, and FossilEnergy.The Program also cooperates withother nations and international organizations,such as the International Energy Agency, wherehydrogen and fuel-cell research are being vigorously pursued.

Fuel Cells — Options on the Road to a Hydrogen EconomyFuel cells, which employ hydrogen to produce electricity, can be used to power a wide variety of applications.This is especially true in transportation, where there are several options for providing hydrogen for the fuel cells.

One option for getting the hydrogen is to use an on-board reformer to extract it from the gasoline in our gastanks. (Reformers break down hydrogen-carbon bonds to produce a mixed gas from which pure hydrogen isderived.) This approach could also be applied to other hydrocarbons, but may require the development offuel-cell membranes or changes in refining methods.

A second option is to use methanol as the hydrogen carrier. Methanol is easier to reform than gasoline and

can be produced from natural gas, solid fossil fuels, or renewable biomass resources.

A third option is to develop a fuel cell that uses methanol directly, eliminating the need for a separatereformer. Instead, a catalyst on the fuel-cell membrane would chemically break the methanol into hydrogenand carbon dioxide.

A fourth option is to produce the hydrogen at central locations and then store it on board the vehicle as agas, as a cryogenic liquid, or in a solid.With this option, the hydrogen could be produced via steam reformingof natural gas, via pyrolysis or gasification of biomass or fossil fuels, or via electrolysis of water.

The proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cellis a promising option for vehicles and distributedpower plants.The cell uses two flow-field platessandwiched together with a plastic membrane.Hydrogen and air are fed through channels in theplates on either side of the membrane — hydro-gen on one side and air on the other. Hydrogenatoms flow through channels to the anode, wherethey are separated into protons and electrons.

The electrons are conducted through an externalcircuit, creating a flow of electricity.The protonsmigrate through the membrane where they combinewith oxygen from the air and with electrons fromthe external circuit; this produces water and heat.

Single cells are combined into a fuel-cell stack toproduce the required level of power. In this modu-lar manner, fuel cells can be made to poweralmost any size application — from laptop com-puters to cars to entire buildings.

The PEM Fuel Cell

Near Term

Ballard Power Systems, PIX 01440 Ballard Power Systems, PIX 02005

Richard Peterson Photography, Pix 01443

Long TermMid Term

The PEM Fuel Cell

Near Term

Long TermMid Term

The PEM Fuel Cell

Near Term

Recommendations

The Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel (HTAP) was created in 1992 in accor-dance with Section 108 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen ResearchDevelopment and Demonstration Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-566).The Panel's pri-mary functions are to advise the Secretary of Energy on the implementation ofthe U.S. DOE programs in hydrogen RD&D and to review and make recom-mendations on the economic, technical, and environmental consequences ofdeploying safe hydrogen energy systems.

The Matsunaga Act was later amended by the Hydrogen Future Act of 1996(P.L. 104-271), which authorized additional spending on the research, develop-ment, and demonstration of hydrogen production, storage, transport, and use.In addition, this Act requires HTAP to prepare an analysis of the effectivenessof DOE's efforts related to hydrogen and to make recommendations forimprovements, including recommendations for future legislation.

The Panel commends the DOE for —

• devising a balanced strategy for a hydrogen future;

• supporting the mix of technologies being researched andvalidated;

• making significant progress in these technologies; and

• coordinating hydrogen-related activities within DOE andwith other federal agencies.

The Panel recommends strengthening DOEefforts in —

R&D and Technology, by:

• continuing support of a well-balanced portfolio (especiallyin core R&D) — to ensure realization of the vision and toretain critical capabilities and resources.

Coordination and Outreach, by:

• continuing high-level coordination of hydrogen-relatedactivities across agencies (including DOE, NASA, DOT,DOD, NIST, and other agencies) — to leverage resources,establish a shared knowledge base, and accelerate reachinga hydrogen-powered future.

Legislation and Funding, by:

• extending the Hydrogen Future Act beyond 2001, for fiveadditional years with yearly funding increases — to enablethe nation to move more rapidly toward its hydrogen future;

• providing multiyear funding and minimizing funding discon-tinuities — to increase efficiencies in advancing the tech-nologies and in implementing the Program; and

• supporting hydrogen as an option in federal alternative-fueled vehicle programs — to give this important fuel-celloption, which promises significant societal benefits, theimpetus it needs to make a sufficient impact.

From investigating methods forproducing and storing hydrogen toanalyzing gas streams, maintain-ing a well-balanced R&D portfo-lio is essential for realizing thehydrogen vision.

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Panel Members

Steering Committee

Members

Members Emeritus

Past Members

Hydrogen Vision

Strategy

Recommendations

Recommendations Hydrogen Future Realizing A · As a chemical,hydrogen safely provides us with...

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