Lecture 8

Sustainable Energy
Technology
-Hydrogen-

KQK7012
Dr. Muhammad Khairi Faiz
 Hydrogen - the miracle fuel of the future?

IRENA estimates that the cost of hydrogen to fall over 95% by 2050 and traded over 30% across borders.
Hydrogen as a reagent and a carrier of energy: overview
Why consider using hydrogen? The ‘trump card’:

-releases a large amount of energy upon combustion and produces only water.
2 H2 + O2 2 H2O (+ energy)

-Uses:
-Can be used directly in combustion or in a fuel cell to produce electricity.
- Hydrogen is produced primarily for use as a reagent, for example to produce ammonia
for fertiliser and hydrocracking (making large hydrocarbons into smaller more useful ones).

Why not use hydrogen?

A carrier of chemical energy (not a primary source as it is not naturally available).
A highly explosive gas. Safe storage is a major challenge.

-At present, most is made by steam reforming of fossil fuels, which is unsustainable.

-Electrolysis of water using clean electricity is a sustainable alternative – but why not just
use the electricity directly in the first place?

Bottom line –hydrogen is an energy carrier, like a battery (with the

associated pros and cons).
 Potential energy content of hydrogen
High per kg but low per litre:

Table: Comparison of energy density of various hydrogen sources with a hydrocarbon.

Liquid Glucose Material Hexane C6H14 (0.67

Hydrogen hydrogen C6H12O6 containing 6% kg/L)
gas, (0.07kg/L @ H by mass
200atm 20K)
Moles H2 per kg - 500 33.3 25 -
Moles H2 per litre 8.33 35 - - -
Energy/ kJ/mol 237.2 237.2 237.2 (1) 237.2 (1) 4,017 (2)
Energy/ kJ per kg - 118,600 (14.2L) 7,898 (1) 7,116 (1) 46,711 (2)
Energy/ kJ per L 1,975 8,302 - - 31,296 (2)

(1) by combustion of the hydrogen component only.

(2) by combustion of the full hydrocarbon.

Glucose has as much hydrogen energy per kg as a litre of liquid hydrogen and a storage material containing 6% H by mass.

At 700 Bar (70 megapascals) you could get about 7000 kJ / Litre – just about possible. But you need to use energy to compress it.
 Potential energy content of hydrogen in organic molecules

An aspect of hydrogen generation from organic molecules is that potentially up to half the
hydrogen comes from water.

i.e. Organic molecules lever hydrogen out of water!

(nb a bit simplistic as I have ignored the energy cost/gain of the reaction shown)

C6H12O6 + 6 H2O 12 H2 + 6 CO2 Value of hydrogen produced:

15,813 kJ per Kg of glucose
Glucose; 6 out of 12 hydrogen molecules are from water.

C 3 H 8 O3 + 3 H2 O 7 H2 + 3 CO2 Value of hydrogen produced:

18,050 kJ per Kg of glycerol
Glycerol; 3 out of 7 hydrogen molecules are from water.

But why not just burn the biomass in the first place – carbon capture and storate (CCS)?.
 Fuel – Hydrogen Economy

Example: Gas reforming

Example: Overall process

Example: water-gas shifting
 Fuel – Hydrogen Economy

Use Hydrogen directly for Combustion

H2 + O2 → H20 *LHV = 120 MJ/kg (heat)

*Clean energy – No green house gas

*Higher power output than conventional fuels

Not economical – why?

• Limited by IC engine cycle (carnot)
• Storage is hard → need to be stored as
compressed (liquid) H2 due to low energy
density
• Safety issues
Solution? → Fuel cells

Direct convert to Electrical Energy via Fuel Cells

H2 + ½ O2 → H20

Much higher efficiencies than heat engines

 Using Hydrogen to Generate Power: Fuel Cells

Operation of Fuel Cells:

Protons and electrons are separated at
the anode.
Electrons take a path which allows them
to do work, then return to the cathode.
At the cathode, electrons ‘rejoin’ the
protons with the electrons and oxygen to
give water (hence a driving force).

PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane*) fuel

cell shown.
* Sometimes called ‘polymer electrolyte
membrane’ or some other variant.

Alternatively, you CAN BURN HYDROGEN ! , but this is usually less

efficient.
 Hydrogen transport applications already exist:

Hydrogen as a fuel for

transport applications:

Hyundai ix35 production hydrogen car:

Launched in 2013.
http://www.hyundai.co.uk/about-us/environment/hydrogen-fuel-cell
TOYOTA MIRAI 2022

Mirai generates power by combining hydrogen (tanks)

with oxygen from the outside air. On the road, hydrogen
from the fuel tank and air entering from the intake grille
meet in the Fuel Cell Stack. There, a chemical reaction
involving hydrogen and the oxygen in the air creates
electricity—powering Mirai.

In the end, the only by-product is water.

Sources: Toyota.com
Lots of hydrogen-powered vehicles already exist:

Hydrogen in buses in cities = lower

pollution, but can also ensure
hydrogen supply is in place. More
challenging situation for private
vehicle owner:
 Examples of Fuel Pumps-
Not many worldwide at present
Hydrogen filling
station in California

Eleven new hydrogen refuelling stations opened throughout the world in 2013, bringing
the total number of hydrogen refuelling stations in operation to 186 as of March
2014.This is the result of the sixth annual assessment by H2stations.org, a website of
Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik (LBST) and TÜV SÜD (http://www.tuev-sued.de/)
See also: http://www.netinform.net/h2/H2Stations/Default.aspx
No shortage of hydrogen through.
 PEM Fuel Cell Hydrogen Batteries & Motor
Barge:

• 10 large cylinders, each containing

30 kg of metal hydride powder.
• Gives about 5 kg of hydrogen.
• Operating pressure is < 10 bar

Hydrogen Materials Group www.hydrogen.bham.ac.uk

The 4 Shades of Hydrogen
 Hydrogen is cheap and easy to make.
Methods of hydrogen production include:
Steam reforming CH4 H2 + CO2 (via CO)

Electrolysis H2O H2 + O2

Algae Bioreactors Hydrocarbons H2 + CO2

Fermentation Fatty acids + H2 + CO2

(Dark or Light) bacteria

photoelectrochemical H2O H2 + O2
water splitting

Chemical catalysis HCO2H H2 + CO2

alcohols H2 + ketones or CO2

biomass H2 + high value

products

The carbon in any hydrocarbon has to end up as something, usually it’s CO or CO2
Development of clean,
sustainable, and cost-competitive
hydrogen production processes is
essential to for the future.

Distributed vs Centralized
Production
 Distributed Natural Gas
Reforming

• Most viable option for near-term option

• This production technology as an interim
option only as it will raise the demand for
natural gas and still release CO2
 Steam reforming is a long established process:
(hydrogen generation for energy and synthesis)

From oil

CnH2n+2 + n H2O (2n+1) H2 + n CO requires high

temperatures and catalyst

or ‘syngas’ or ‘town gas’

If you have a lot of coal:

C + 2 H2O 2 H2 + CO CnH2n+2 + n H2O

Fischer–Tropsch
Process (Co or Fe catalyst)

Cheap gas via fracking – a threat to sustainable energy generation?

 Bio-Derived Liquids
Reforming

Liquids derived from biomass (i.e., sugar alcohols)

can be reformed into hydrogen using high
temperature technologies similar to those used to
reform natural gas
 Coal and Biomass
Gasification

Combining feedstocks to offset challenges posed by

either coal or biomass alone
 Thermochemical
(Using a Heat-Driven Chemical Reaction To Split Water)

• Solar energy can be concentrated with mirrors focusing

on a special lens to generate temperatures close to
2,000°C.
• These temperatures can be used to trigger a series of
chemical reactions that split water molecules to
produce hydrogen without generating any harmful
emissions.
 Water Electrolysis
Involves passing an electric current through the
water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen.

Electrolysis is less efficient than a direct chemical

path but offers virtually no pollution or toxic
byproducts if the electric current is generated using
renewable energy → Green Hydrogen
Electrolysis or thermochemical water splitting
is a great method for making ‘green’ hydrogen – if the
source of electricity is itself ‘green’ (i.e. solar, wind, wave,
hydroelectric, tidal…):

Electrochemical or
photoelectrochemical H2O H2 + 0.5 O2
water splitting

Electrolysis relies on fairly obvious and simple technology, although

this is always being improved and made more efficient.

But then again…why not just use the electricity directly, why have
hydrogen at all…?
 Photoelectrochemical

Hydrogen can be produced directly from water

using sunlight and a special class of semiconductor
materials.

These highly specialized semiconductors absorb

sunlight and use the light energy to separate water
molecules into hydrogen and oxygen (Honda-
Fujishima Effect).

Researchers are currently working to discover

photoelectrochemical materials and coatings that
can efficiently convert a wide spectrum of light—
yet remain stable when they come into contact with
electrolytes.
Honda-Fujishima Effect → Photocatalytic water splittting
Fujishima and Honda discovered the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen by UV light-induced
electrocatalysis using titanium dioxide (TiO2) as photoanode in an electrochemical cell.

Due to the unique electronic band structure with filled valence band (VB) and empty conduction band
(CB), semiconductor acts as catalyst under irradiation of light for the photochemical reactions.

When irradiated with photons that have energy

equal to or above the band gaps of
semiconductors (energy ≥ band gap (Eg) of Reduction
semiconductor), the photogenerated electrons
and holes in the respective conduction and the
valence band can cause redox reactions.

In case that they are transferred to water

molecules for water splitting, the electrons Oxidation
reduce water to form hydrogen while the holes
oxidize water to form oxygen.
Photocatalysts are usually in powders or colloidal form
Sunlight → produce hydrogen (photocatalysis)
Honda-Fujishima Effect → Photocatalytic water splitting (cont)

For water reduction reaction;

• Conduction band needs to be at a potential less than 0 V vs. NHE (H+/H2)
• Valence band needs to be at a potential more than 1.23 V that corresponds to light
of 1008 nm
*NHE – Normal Hydrogen Electrode

Required potential for water

splitting process is 1.23 eV
Contemporary efforts: ‘Solar Fuels’-– hydrogen can be made directly from
(sun)light using semiconductors.
Using inorganic semiconductor materials to split water – has been known since 1972 !!

Honda-Fujishima Effect !!!

(using uv light)
Fujishima A, Honda K: Electrochemical
photolysis of water at a semiconductor
electrode. Nature 1972, 238, 37–38.

Hydrogen photogeneration catalysts and cells currently major area of worldwide research. Lots of work
on different materials and modifications with additives.

At the moment they are not efficient, but this will inevitably improve with development.
Catalysts/materials also eventually degrade so stability is also a major challenge! How stable is
chlorophyll? How is it regenerated?

A. Kudo and Y. Miseki, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2009, 38, 253-278.

 Hydrogen from sunlight using a photochemical cell.
(Graetzel cell)
Sunlight enters the cell through the
transparent top, striking the dye on the
surface of the TiO2. Photons are
absorbed and create an excited state of
the dye, from which an electron can be
"injected" directly into the conduction
band of the TiO2, and from there it to the
clear anode on top.

Meanwhile, the dye molecule has lost

an electron and this is provided by the
iodide the in electrolyte below the TiO2,
oxidizing it into triiodide.

The triiodide then recovers its missing

electron by diffusing to the bottom of
the cell, to the counter electrode.

This completes the

Sunlight → electrical energy by the cell → hydrogen
electrical circuit.
(electrolysis)
 Biological
Scientists are pursuing innovative ways to improve
photolytic hydrogen production in green algae →
Biohydrogen

Green algae were cultured in an

open pond to store
carbohydrates (biomass of green
algae) in CO2, and then the
cultured green algae were
transferred into a dark and
airtight anaerobic fermentation
vessel for hydrogen production
 Hydrogen from glucose – with help from enzymes:
Overall reaction: 7 moles H2per mole glycerol
The pentose phosphate cycle (up to Ru5P)and its
interception in this project at the 5C sugar stage to Glucose
6 CO2 + 12 H2
give hydrogen from glucose: C6H12O6 + 6 H2O

2- 2- 2-
(O)3PO OH
(O)3PO Glucose-6- (O)3PO O
6-phospho- Phosphono-
O phosphate glucono- O
** gluconate
HO OH dehydrogenase. HO O + H2 lactonase HO OH
dehydrogenase
1.1.1.49 OH 3.1.1.17 OH 1.1.1.44
HO OH HO H2O HO
glucose-6-phosphate D-glucuno-d- phospho-D-
(G6P)* lactone-6-phosphate gluconate

2-
(O)3PO OH
Previous
2- slide
** (O)3PO hydrolysis HO
HO + H2 retro- 2 CO2 + 4 H2
aldol O O
2 H2O
O OH
D-ribulose-5-
HO Previous
phosphate (Ru5P)*** slide
3 CO2 + 6 H2
O OH 3 H 2O

* From glucose or from starch with glycogen phosphorylase then phosphoglucomutase.

** Hydrogen not formed directly: hydrogenase will be added to release H2 from the formed NADH,which is the initial enzyme product.
*** In the pentose phosphonate cycle, a series of 8 enzymes converts 6 molecules of Ru5P to five molecules of G6P and the cycle repeats

But is this ‘Green’ or not? You still end up with CO2, and what about the other uses that
glucose can be put to? Can this really supply the energy we need?
Hydrogen from lignin components (which would otherwise be waste)?:
Red = Hydrogen generation step.
Blue = water addition step. Running total (from starting
overall : C17 H20O6 + 28 H2O ---> 38 H2 + 17 CO2 material):
Purple = carbon dioxide loss step.
OH Moles Moles Moles
HO O O
i) Chemical H2 H2 O CO2
MeO catalyst -H2 MeO formed used formed
OMe OMe
+
HO 2) retro 1 0 0
OH HO OH
component of lignin: aldol A B
HO
O O
i) Chem. Cat.
OMe oxidn -H2
i) +H2O OMe -CO 2 4 2 1
OMe A
ii) Ru-catalyst ii) +H2O
oxidation - H2 OH
OH OH iii) Chem. Cat.
B oxidn -H2
O O i) Intradiol oxidation O
O
i) +H2O (enzyme) -2H2
MeO MeO MeO 10 8 1
OH OH
ii) Ru-catalyst ii) +2 H 2O
HO A oxidation - H2 HO HO
O C
(two molecules from
O O
each starting material) O O HO
HO 16 16 3
i) + 2 H2O HO
i) +H2O OH OH HO 2C
C MeOH +
O
HO D HO OH O
O O CO2H
i) +H2O 3 H2 + CO2 muconolactone

O O
i) +H2O O i) +H2O
O O 24 20 7
H2 + 2 CO2
HO HO
ii) Chem. Cat. HO ii) Chem. Cat.
O OH
+ oxidn -2H2 oxidn -H2
" " H2 + 2 CO2 32 24 11
D HO " "
O
O O
HO
O i) +H 2O O OH
OH i) +H2O HO 2 H2 + 3 CO2 38
+ OH 28 17
ii) Chem. Cat. HO
O O
oxidn -H2 HO O
 Generating Hydrogen from Biomass

Formation of hydrogen gas from Biomass in a Biomass reactor:

Biomass at Warwick HRI is used

as fuel for enzymatic
decomposition in the biomass
reactor

H2
A Novel Method → Hydrogen generation from organic molecules (Chemistry):
Routes from complex molecules to hydrogen:
 The ‘artificial leaf’ is already here:

Why is water splitting ‘equivalent’ to

photosynthesis in energy terms?

Look at the energies:

CO2 + H2O → 1/6 C6H12O6 + O2 Eo = 1.24 V

But: H2O → H2 + 0.5 O2 Eo = 1.23 V !!!

(hence CO2 + H2 → 1/6 C6H12O6 + 0.5 O2 Eo = 0.01 V)

‘…the production of the carbohydrate stores only 0.01 eV more energy than water
splitting. Thus, solar energy storage in photosynthesis is achieved by water
splitting; carbohydrate production is nature’s method of storing the hydrogen that is
released from the water splitting reaction. Consequently, the key to duplicating
photosynthesis lies squarely in the ability to achieve solar-driven water splitting by
a direct method.’

Taken from: Daniel Nocera, Acc. Chem. Res., 2012, 45 (5), pp 767–776.
 The ‘artificial leaf’ is already here:

Need to use a ‘stack’ of these to achieve the required voltage for reduction.

Taken from: Daniel Nocera, Acc. Chem. Res., 2012, 45 (5), pp 767–776.
Hydrogen photogeneration cells are currently a major area of worldwide research
Hydrogen storage options (still a major challenges today):

Liquid hydrogen: Most compact and high-energy version but a lot of energy (about 30-
40% of the energy value of the hydrogen) is required to compress it. Needs to be
cooled and kept under very high pressure.

Compressed hydrogen: Up to 700 bar is a possibility – about 80% of the density of

liquid hydrogen, but 200-250 bar is more readily achieved (this is the pressure of a
cylinder we would use in a lab).

Hydrogen complexes of metals: Probably the safest way to store hydrogen but there is a
limit to how much you can store.

Look at: http://energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-storage

Hydrogen generation/storage schemes linked to solar
and wind energy and transport applications:

Hydrogen is generated and

stored at times of excess
wind and solar energy,
then used when required.
Hydrogen generation/storage schemes linked and
transport applications:

Hydrogen as a fuel for

transport applications:

Which is the best for each

transport method?
 Why hydrogen?

Some issues to reflect on:

What is the best use of hydrogen energy – local generation, energy storage,
transport…

What is the best way to generate hydrogen, (is green hydrogen really ‘green’ when
you have to pave over fields to make the required facilities)?

What are the risks with hydrogen energy? Are they any worse than the risks with
other energy sources (petrol also burns, nuclear!)?

Will cheap renewable energy really solve the ‘energy crisis’?

 Why hydrogen?

What is the best use of hydrogen energy? → Right now, petrol cars are quite efficient
although hybrids are better. In urban areas, hydrogen can reduce local pollution levels so
that’s good. An ideal use would be local energy storage – generate and
store hydrogen locally when there is an excess of ‘green’ power then consume it via a fuel
cell when there is a deficit of other power sources available.

Green Hydrogen → The “clean” hydrogen and the probably best way to generate hydrogen
through the use of solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal etc power sources. Solar fuel technology
is probably a good bet. Steam reforming does not really provide any advantages – but is
cheap (grey and blue hydrogen).

Hydrogen is not really any more dangerous than other energy sources, but being a gas
makes it appear to be more dangerous than it really is!

Help solving the ‘energy crisis’ → as an alternative methods of energy sources and storage