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Development of New On-board Hydrogen Power Technologies: |
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Introduced below are the Hydrogen Posture Plan (published in December 2006 by the US Department of Energy) that set the time schedule to the hydrogen-powered society and the targeted price of hydrogen, the trial calculation of the cost of manufacturing on-board hydrogen fuel by Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project (JHFC), and the new technologies exhibited at the FC EXPO 2007 that may be applied to on-board hydrogen systems.
Among the technologies from the FC EXPO 2007 and outlined below are hydrogen manufacture by dimethyl ether (DME) reformation (Osaka Gas), hydrogen manufacture by electrolysis of ammonia (Acta, Italy), on-board hydrogen system by organic hydride (Hitachi), and hydrogen inclusion storage (Kurita Water Industries). They all represent greater advantages in principle over the onboard systems of pressurized gases. ■US DOE: Time schedule to the hydrogen-powered society (December 2006) The Bush administration ended PNGV (Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles; an industrial-governmental joint project aimed at drastically increasing automotive fuel efficiency) that was introduced by the Clinton administration. Nevertheless, President Bush announced the "Hydrogen Initiative" in the State of the Union Message for 2003, aimed at conversion to the hydrogen energy society. In December 2006, the US Department of Energy published "Hydrogen Posture Plan - An integrated Research, Development and Demonstration Plan" in which the time schedule toward the hydrogen-powered society by the US government was clarified.
■US DOE's time schedule toward the hydrogen-powered society (announced in December 2006)
■Targeted cost of hydrogen set to $2~3/gge The DOE report introduces the outcome of past efforts on the manufacture and storage of fuel hydrogen, and future goals of the same. On the ground that the fuel cell vehicles (FCV) must be equal to or better than, in terms of fuel economy, the gasoline-fueled vehicles or the hybrid vehicles that are expected to penetrate the market, the report sets the targeted cost of hydrogen prevailing in 2015 at $2~3/gge (gge: per gallon of gasoline equivalent; 1 gge is roughly equivalent to the heating value of 1kg of hydrogen).
■US DOE's trial calculation: Cost of hydrogen by on-site reformation of natural gas to be $3.10/gge today, $2.0/gge in the future Since transporting hydrogen costs some money, it is believed, at least in the penetration phase of FCV, it is economical to manufacture hydrogen by reforming natural gas at the site of hydrogen supply. The US DOE has built the world's first energy station for producing electricity and hydrogen from natural gas and, based on the result of the station operation, evaluates that hydrogen can be supplied at $3.10/gge once such an energy station is built in a large number (the cost of hydrogen at the energy station was $5.00/gge in 2003). The Department also estimates the price can be reduced to $2.0/gge by 2015 by means of engineering improvement. ■US DOE's trial calculation: Cost breakdown of hydrogen by natural gas reforming at $3.10/gge
■Japanese targets: 50,000 FCVs in 2010 Japanese Government is also making special efforts toward the commercial application of fuel cells based on the report presented by the Fuel Cell Implementation Strategy Study Group, an advisory organ of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The Group estimates the market penetration of FCVs to be 50,000 vehicles in 2010. ■FCV penetration goals in Japan
In 2000, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry began subsidizing the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project as a measure to achieve the above goals. Phase 1 of the subsidy measure ended in March 2006. The manufacturers involved in the project exhibited their FCVs and other results of development efforts, by means of test driving and panels, at the FC EXPO 2007. ■Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project: Outcome of Phase 1 (ended March 2006)
■Energy efficiency of hydrogen station 65~77%, calculated cost of hydrogen manufacture ¥1,100~¥2,000/kg Based on the result of evaluation of the demonstration station, the JHFC Project has determined the efficiency of energy conversion to be 65 to 77% when liquefied fuel, gaseous fuel and electricity were supplied to the hydrogen station and hydrogen was manufactured there. Based further on that energy conversion efficiency level, the cost of manufacturing hydrogen by the on-site reforming process in the commercialized stage was estimated at ¥100 to ¥180/Nm3 (¥1,100 to ¥2,000/kg) versus ¥40 to ¥80/Nm3, targeted price for the popular penetration of FCVs. The project revealed, once again, the need for further technical development and cost reduction, among others, in terms of hydrogen supply before all conditions are met for market penetration of FCVs. ■JHFC Project's trial calculation of energy efficiency of the on-site hydrogen manufacturing process
■New technologies for on-board hydrogen system at FC EXPO 2007: Organic hydride technology by Hitachi, hydrogen inclusion storage by Kurita Water Industries The demonstration FCVs currently running in Japan carry a 35MPa or 70MPa pressurized hydrogen tank. Since the amount of hydrogen storage cannot be increased by increasing the pressure alone, each fill is not large enough for desired driving distance. Introduced below are some of the technologies that were exhibited at FC EXPO 2007, namely hydrogen manufacture by dimethyl ether (DME) reformation (Osaka Gas), hydrogen manufacture by electrolysis of ammonia (Acta, Italy), on-board hydrogen system by organic hydride (Hitachi), and hydrogen inclusion storage (Kurita Water Industries). They all represent greater advantages in principle over the onboard systems of pressurized gases. ■Osaka Gas: Hydrogen manufacturing technology by dimethyl ether reforming Dimethyl ether (DME:CH3OCH3) is suitable for manufacturing hydrogen by reforming at lower temperatures compared to methane, the main component of natural gas. DME is liquefied at 0.6MPa under normal temperature, and it also has portability similar to that of propane or butane. Osaka Gas, as a member of JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation), is currently in the process of developing technology for producing hydrogen from DME. The company recently announced it had completed a compact reforming device for use on FCVs. The device, featuring a Cu-Zn-alumina catalyst that was also developed by the company, has durability over 3,000 hours.
■Acta: Hydrogen manufacturing technology by ammonia electrolysis Acta, an Italian venture company (represented in Japan by Sumitomo Corporation), has developed a platinum-free catalyst, made by dispersing extremely fine cobalt, nickel, iron and other base metals 0.3 to 0.7nm (nanometer) in size over a special resin, then reduced on a porous carbon film. Acta exhibited technology for generating hydrogen under normal temperature and pressure by applying the catalytic technology to developing a new catalyst used for electrolysis of ammonia. ■Ammonia as an ideal carrier of hydrogen
■Hitachi: Hydrogen supply to FCVs by an organic hydride system Studies are under way in many places with regard to chemical reaction between hydrogen and benzene (C6H6), naphthalene (C10H8), etc., to turn them into cyclohexane (C6H12), decalin (C10H18) or other forms of organic hydride for ease of transporting and storing. Hitachi exhibited its technology to reform organic hydride, transported to the fuel station, in an on-board reforming device and produce hydrogen which is then supplied as fuel for fuel cell vehicles.
■Organic hydride system proposed by Hitachi
■Kurita Water Industries: Inclusion technology for storing hydrogen in molecular form Kurita Water Industries announced a clathrate compound process for storing hydrogen in the included form in which the hydrogen molecules are included in the crystalline lattice of the host material. Compared to the use of hydrogen storing alloys in which the hydrogen molecules are broken into hydrogen atoms and stored in the crystalline lattice of the metal, the hydrogen molecules are stored directly in the inclusion storage process. This means the system requires less energy to store and discharge hydrogen.
Kurita Water Industries has not disclosed the identity of the host material. Kurita exhibited an image of using its inclusion storage technology. Kurita also exhibited solid methanol solidified by the clathrate compound process instead of hydrogen. (Note) Methane hydrate, one of the deep-sea resources being studied as a promising source of
■Hydrogen supply devices to fuel cell vehicles Special hoses and couplers that do not allow hydrogen gas leakage are required to supply pressurized hydrogen from the dispenser to the fuel tank onboard the fuel cell vehicle. Necessary efforts are being made in the development of these auxiliary components as more hydrogen supply stations are erected. ■Main exhibits of hydrogen gas supply hoses and couplers
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