Pathways To A Hydrogen Future

Hydrogen may someday fuel our cars and power and heat our homes and businesses and revolutionize the way we use energy. Moving to a hydrogen economy could help reduce our reliance on foreign oil, improve local air quality, and reduce the risk of climate change. Despite the potential of hydrogen, there is no guarantee that the hydrogen economy will happen as the obstacles are considerable and the competing visions are many. Pathways to a Hydrogen Future seeks to untangle the competing visions of a hydrogen economy, explain the trade-offs and obstacles and offer recommendations for a path forward. The results are based on a detailed simulation model developed at Sandia National Laboratories: "The Hydrogen Futures Simulation Model (H2Sim)". The H2Sim is a high-level strategic tool for evaluating the economic and environmental trade-offs of alternative hydrogen production, storage, transport, and end use options in the year 2020. An executive version of H2Sim is included with the book allowing readers to explore the various scenarios discussed. H2Sim’s ease of use and its ability to provide answers to these types of questions make it a powerful educational and policy making tool. The model's structure is ideal for exploring "what-if" questions, such as: Can fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) compete economically with current cars if the FCVs are 2.5 times as efficient? Should the hydrogen be produced at fueling stations or at central locations and transported to fueling stations? * Includes an executive version of H2Sim allowing readers to explore the various scenarios discussed * H2Sim's ease of use and ability to provide answers makes it a powerful educational and policy making tool * The model's structure is ideal for exploring "what-if" questions, such as: Can fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) compete economically with current cars if the FCVs are 2.5 times as efficient? Should the hydrogen be produced at fueling stations or at central locations and transported to fueling stations?

A transition to renewable and low-carbon forms of energy is being widely debated as a means of securing a sustainable future for mankind. Hydrogen Energy Challenges and Prospects, a new book from the authors of Clean Energy, considers the prospects for hydrogen as a universal energy vector and fuel for the decades to come. With no emissions other than water arising from its combustion, the potential virtues of harnessing and utilizing hydrogen correlate with recent growing concern over the security of conventional fuel supply and global climate change. This book sets out to analyze the technical situation in an objective fashion, free from the constraints of political and industrial loyalties. Areas covered include pathways to hydrogen production, prospects for carbon capture and storage, options for hydrogen storage on vehicles, fuel cells, and fuel cell vehicles. Each of the many facets of hydrogen energy is discussed and the challenges to be faced are addressed. The authors acknowledge it is not possible to reach a simple, unequivocal conclusion regarding overall prospects, since the international energy scene is so complex, and predicting long-term futures is so notoriously difficult. Nevertheless, the reader will be given compelling pointers indicative of the way in which events might develop. This topical book is ideal for undergraduates, postgraduates and academics with an interest in hydrogen energy. Government agencies and energy professionals will also find this content to be a useful reference source.

The announcement of a hydrogen fuel initiative in the President's 2003 State of the Union speech substantially increased interest in the potential for hydrogen to play a major role in the nation's long-term energy future. Prior to that event, DOE asked the National Research Council to examine key technical issues about the hydrogen economy to assist in the development of its hydrogen R&D program. Included in the assessment were the current state of technology; future cost estimates; CO2 emissions; distribution, storage, and end use considerations; and the DOE RD&D program. The report provides an assessment of hydrogen as a fuel in the nation's future energy economy and describes a number of important challenges that must be overcome if it is to make a major energy contribution. Topics covered include the hydrogen end-use technologies, transportation, hydrogen production technologies, and transition issues for hydrogen in vehicles.

Given the backdrop of intense interest and widespread discussion on the prospects of a hydrogen energy economy, this book aims to provide an authoritative and up-to-date scientific account of hydrogen generation using solar energy and renewable sources such as water. While the technological and economic aspects of solar hydrogen generation are evolving, the scientific principles underlying various solar-assisted water splitting schemes already have a firm footing. This book aims to expose a broad-based audience to these principles. This book spans the disciplines of solar energy conversion, electrochemistry, photochemistry, photoelectrochemistry, materials chemistry, device physics/engineering, and biology.

In the near future the world will need to convert to a suitable, clean energy supply: one that will meet the demands of an increasing population while giving few environmental problems. One such possible supply is hydrogen. Hydrogen Energy System describes the present status of hydrogen as an energy supply, as well as its prospect in the years to come. It covers the transition to hydrogen-based, sustainable energy systems, the technology of hydrogen production, its storage and transport, and current and future hydrogen utilisation. Economic analyses of the hydrogen energy system, together with case studies, are also presented.

Diploma Thesis from the year 2003 in the subject Engineering - Industrial Engineering and Management, grade: 1.0 (A), University Karlsruhe (TH) (IWW), 88 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: As society enters the 21st century, there is a growing awareness of the burdens being placed on the planet, as its ability to keep up with the demands of modern society are strained. One of the major contributors to this burden happens to be a main resource required for sustained development. Energy has always been, and will always be a necessary resource for existence. Since the industrial revolution, fossil fuels such as coal and oil have been the main-stay fuel to accommodate society's appetite. As the demand for this resource increases, the climatic and socio-economic costs of this fuel become more acute, and it is well documented that the supply of this fuel is not endless. One of the major consumers of this fuel, as a society, is the transportation sector. The processes in place which take it from the ground, to its combustion as a fuel, are some of the main culprits which adversely affect the planet. This thesis explores the issues associated with the introduction of another energy resource – Hydrogen – as a replacement fuel for the transportation industry. It is argued that for the transportation sector, Hydrogen offers the most promising alternative as a fuel. Making Hydrogen readily available and affordable through the retail infrastructure is of paramount importance, if its widespread use is to be achieved. The logistics of this are explored, and it is believed that the introduction of small Hydrogen fuelers at existing retail outlets, is the preferred method to instantiate the transition in the short to medium term. Those fueling stations can utilize grid electricity to produce Hydrogen by the means of water electrolysis, or take advantage of the existing Natural Gas distribution infrastructure to produce Hydrogen via steam reformation. This thesis examines the Well-to-Wheels impacts and economic feasibility of those options and compares them to existing vehicle and fuel technologies. The state of California was chosen as a target market due to its high automobile density, the resulting pollution issues, and its clear mandate on promoting alternative energy sources.