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Introduction [i] Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas. It is found in water, organic compounds, biomass, and hydrocarbons such as petrol, natural gas, methanol, and propane. Hydrogen is high in energy content as it contains 120.7 kilojoules/gram. This is the highest energy content per unit mass among known fuels. However, its energy content per unit volume is rather low. Thus, challenges are greater in the storage of hydrogen for civilian applications, as compared to storage of liquid fossil fuels. When burnt, hydrogen produces water as a by-product and is therefore not only an efficient energy carrier but a clean, environmentally benign fuel as well. Hydrogen can be used for power generation and also for transport applications. It is possible to use hydrogen in internal combustion (IC) engines, directly or mixed with diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) or hydrogen can also be used directly as a fuel in fuel cells to produce electricity. Hydrogen energy is often mentioned as a potential solution for several challenges that the global energy system is facing. The advantages are the fact that hydrogen use results in nearly zero emissions at end-use, and that hydrogen opens up the possibility of decentralized production on the basis of a variety of fuels. But it is found that hydrogen will not play a major role in India without considerable research, technology innovations and cost reductions, mainly in fuel cell technology. This section provides inputs on the status of hydrogen energy in India. Hydrogen Production These methods include hydrogen production through (a) Biomass and biological route, Hydrogen Storage Technologies The most common method of storage of hydrogen is in gaseous form in pressurized cylinders/tanks. Hydrogen-Fuelled Vehicles
Technology
(b) Photo electrochemical route,
(c) Thermo chemical decomposition of water using nuclear energy or solar energy, and
(d) Electrolysis using renewable energy (solar, wind).
Fuel Cell Power Packs
Research efforts over the past several years have resulted in the development of phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) systems and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) systems.
Hydrogen Programme's in Major Countries
| Japan | Set up hydrogen fueling stations. Plans to spend $20 billion by 2020 |
| Germany | Largest number of demonstration of hydrogen based applications; Hydrogen fueling stations |
| Iceland | Iceland plans to be world's first hydrogen economy |
| USA | Annual spending around $ 30M Hydrogen Freedom Fuel Initiative announced in January, 2003 with budget of US $ 2.2 billion. IPHE set up in November 2003 |
Status of Hydrogen-based Technologies in India
Production[ii]
The Banaras Hindu University (BHU); Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre (MCRC), Chennai; and IIT, Kharagpur are among the leading research groups working on biological, biomass, and other renewable energy routes to produce hydrogen. With R&D support from the MNES, the MCRC has demonstrated hydrogen production in batch-scale from distillery waste. The pilot plant is able to produce up to 18 000 liters of hydrogen per hour.
Storage[iii]
The BHU, IIT Chennai, and the National Physical Laboratory are working on the hydrogen storage methods. The BHU has developed various types of metal hydrides with storage capacities of up to 2.4 weight%. It has also demonstrated the use of 1.6% weight storage in metal hydride on a pilot scale.
Hydrogen-Fuelled Vehicles[iv]
Hydrogen-operated motorcycles and three-wheelers have been developed and demonstrated. The BHU has modified a commercially available motorcycle (100 cc, four strokes) and a three-wheeler (175 cc, four strokes) to operate on hydrogen as a fuel.
National Hydrogen Energy Roadmap
Status of Major Technologies
| Technology | International Status | National Status |
|---|---|---|
| Coal Gasification(IGCC) | Commercially available | Efforts underway to set up pilot plant |
| Biological route for Hydrogen Production | In Pre-Commercial stage | Demonstration Plant set up |
| Metal Hydrides for Hydrogen storage | Metal Hydrides for Hydrogen storage Hydrides with 1.5 -2.0wt% storage capacity for ambient conditions developed | Hydrides with 2.42wt% storage capacity for ambient conditions developed |
| Carbon Nano-structures for Hydrogen Storage | In R&D Stage | In R&D Stage,Further R&D efforts underway |
| IC Engine for Hydrogen | Not commercially available | Dedicated engine to be developed |
| PEM Fuel Cells for Stationary applications and automobiles | Commercially available | Prototype Demonstrated,PEMFC of international specifications and suitable for automobiles to be developed |
| Solid Oxide Fuel Cells | In R & D Demonstration Stage | In early stages of R&DStatus |
Fuel Cells
Fuel Cell Power Packs[v]
| Projects |
|---|
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (R&D), Hyderabad. They are involved in the development of Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFCs) and have developed a 50-kW stack. They have also installed a 200 kW fuel cell bases power plant. The fuel used is LPG and besides generation of electricity, it also produces hot water which is uses in their canteen. |
TATA Energy Resources Institute (TERI) has in the past demonstrated the use of digester gas (biogas) for generating electricity from a 2.5-kW PAFC stack imported from ERC (Energy Research Corporation), USA. |
MNES has funded the import of a 200-kW PAFC system made by the ONSI to evaluate its operation. |
SPIC-SF (SPIC Science Foundation) is working on Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells and has developed stacks. They have also demonstrated a fuel-cell battery hybrid vehicle using a 10-kW PEM power plant. |
Work on an MCFC stack is underway at TERI and the Central Electrochemical Research Institute. TERI has tested the operation of an MCFC monocell on simulated coal gas. Development of a kW-level stack is currently underway with the aim of integrating it with a coal gasifier. |
Work on developing a DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) is underway at IISc (Indian Institute of Science). |
In addition, research on SOFC is being done at IISc and CGCRI (Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute). |
Research and development on metal hydride storage is ongoing at BHU (Banaras Hindu University) |
Eden Energy Ltd., through its wholly-owned subsidiary Hythane Company LLC, has been selected by Indian Oil Corporation to install and supply the first public hydrogen fueling station in India. The $1 million retail outlet will be sited in the heart of Delhi at one of India’s busiest natural gas fuelling stations. Hydrogen Energy Research Institutes Department of Energy Systems & Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre (MCRC) Shri AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre, popularly known as MCRC, is a non profit research organization. MCRC’s ideologies are centered on science and technology applications for rural development thereby improving the quality of life of the rural people, particularly the under privileged and the marginalized. Hydrogen energy technology has been a part of MCRC research for two decades. With financial assistance from the Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources (MNES), MCRC has developed a biological process for generation of hydrogen from sugar and distillery wastes using the effluents at M/s. E.I.D. Parry Ltd., at Nellikuppam, Tamilnadu. MCRC has been working on scaling this technology using a 125 m3 bioreactor which has produced 18,000 liters of total gas per hour with about 60% hydrogen mixed largely with CO2 and CO. Apex Bodies Ministry Of Non-Conventional Energy Sources [i] http://mnes.nic.in/booklets/Book8-e.pdf (Hydrogen Clean Burning Fuel) (*Data as per 31 March 2005)
Barriers
A fuel cell and hydrogen research center is being planned in the department. The department will have a new building (approx 80,000ft2 of built up area) as a zero energy building using passive solar, building integrated PV, day lighting. There are plans for specialized laboratories like efficiency laboratory, solar PV laboratory, fuel cells and hydrogen laboratory, energy innovation laboratory, alternative fuels laboratory apart from the existing solar and energy systems laboratories.
Block 14, Cgo Complex
Lodi Road
New Delhi, 110003
[ii] http://mnes.nic.in/booklets/Book8-e.pdf (Pg 11 New/renewable technologies for hydrogen production) (*Data as per 31 March 2005)
[iii] http://mnes.nic.in/booklets/Book8-e.pdf (Pg 12 Hydrogen storage technologies) (*Data as per 31 March 2005)
[iv] http://mnes.nic.in/booklets/Book8-e.pdf (Pg 13 Hydrogen-fuelled vehicles) (*Data as per 31 March 2005)
[v] rsme.nic.in/files/FCellRDSO.pdf (*Data as per July 2004)