Progress in Hydrogen Energy: Proceedings of the National Workshop on Hydrogen Energy, New Delhi, July 4–6, 1985

243 Pages·1987·17.659 MB·English

by  Maheshwar Dayal (auth.), R. P. Dahiya (eds.)

Progress in Hydrogen Energy
Progress in
Hydrogen Energy
Proceedings of the National Workshop
on Hydrogen Energy,
New Delhi, July 4-6, 1985
edited by
R.P. DAHIYA
Centre/or Energy Studies,
Indian Institute a/Technology, New Delhi, India
D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY
A MEMBER OFTHE KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS GROUP
DORDRECHT/BOSTON/LANCASTER/TOKYO
Library of Congress Cataloging in Pub6cation nata
Progress in hydrogen energy.
Includes indexes.
1. Hydrogen as fuel. I. Dahiya, R. P.
TP359.H8P75 1987 665.8'1 86-31519
ISBN -13: 978-94-010-8194-8 e-ISBN-13 :978-94-009-3809-0
001: 10.1007/978-94-009-3809-0
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TO
MY PARENTS
CONTENTS
Preface ix
Acknowledgements xiii
Inaugural Address
Maheshwar Dayal
National Research and Development Programme in the Field of
Hydrogen Energy 9
J. Gururaja
Electrolytic Hydrogen Production 15
M.P.S. Ramani
Hydrogen Production Through Photoelectrolysis 31
G. Prasad, N.N. ~ao and O.N. Srivastava
Hydrogen Production by Microorganisms 53
K.C. Khandelwal
Ocean Thermal Power for Hydrogen Production 59
M.V.C. Sastri
Solid State Materials for Hydrogen Storage 81
K. Ramakrishna, S.K. Singh, A.K. Singh and O.N. Srivastava
Thin Film Hydrogen Storage System 111
I.P. Jain and Y.K. Vijay
Cryogenic Storage of Hydrogen 123
Sunil Sarangi
Liquid Hydrogen as a Fuel for Ground, Air and Naval Vehicles 133
E.V.S. Namboodiry and V.N. Krishnamurthy
Hydrogen Fuelled Internal Combustion Engines 159
H.B. Mathur
Utilisation of Hydrogen for Domestic, Commercial and
Industrial Applications 179
R.P. Dahiya and Ami Chand
viii CONTENTS
Fuel Cells: Past, Present and Future 195
H.M. Sonawat, R.S. Phadke and G. Govil
Enzyme Electrodes - a Prelude to Utilizing Hydrogen or
Hydrogen Rich Fuels in Biochemical Fuel Cells 201
H.M. Sonawat
Analysis of H2-02 Powered Magneto-hydro-dynamic Generators 209
Ami Chana, R.P. Dahiya and M.S. Sodha
Energy Technology Characterisation and Assessment using
Input-Output Structure: A Case for Hydrogen 225
U. Nagchoudhuri and P.S. Satsangi
Panel Report 231
Author Index 235
Subject Index 239
PREFACE
Hydrogen has been recognised as a universal, clean fuel which is expected
to provide energy to our homes, industry and automobiles in the future.
It is considered as one of the most interesting alternat~ves to petroleum
fuels. A considerable amount of research and development work on product
ion, storage and transportation, and utilisation of hydrogen is in pro
gress allover the world. In India, several institutions have been
working on the various aspects of the hydrogen considering it as an
energy vector. A three-day National Workshop on Hydrogen Energy was
organised at Indian Institute of Technology (lIT) Delhi to focus attent
ion on developments in hydrogen energy at national and international
levels and to provide a forum to coordinate contemporary research trends
in the country in this field. The presentations made at the Workshop
covered the topics which are considered to be of significance to work
out the perspective, problems and promises for the future for transition
to hydrogen energy.
The proceedings of the Workshop are reported in this book, which
include the inaugural address, description of the national research and
development programme in the field of hydrogen energy, papers presented
on production, storage and transportation, and utilisation of hydrogen
and the panel report.
In the inaugural address, emphasis is laid on the need for a trans
ition from the presently used fuels to the newer ones, preferably to
those which are renewable and non-polluting such as hydrogen. However,
future developments for the application of hydrogen will depend signifi
cantly on the success achieved in improving production (especially using
renewable sources), storage and transportation, and utilisation.
Hydrogen production based on electrolysis, photoelectrolysis, ocean
thermal power and micro-organisms is discussed in four papers which also
include advanced technologies being pursued in the respective fields. In
the paper on electrolytic hydrogen production, besides the conventional
method, solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) electrolysis, high temperature
water vapour electrolysis and other advanced technologies and developments
are covered. Details of an advanced high temperature and high pressure
electrolyser of 1.5 m3h-1H2 capacity developed by Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre, Bombay, are presented. Salient features of the processes are
reviewed in the paper on hydrogen production through photoelectrolysis.
The basic characteristics of the photoelectrothermal processes leading
to photoelectrolysis, employing two important semiconducting photoelectro
des, namely n-Ti02 and n-WSe2. are described in detail. The importance
of the results obtained with these materials with regard to hydrogen
production through photoelectrolysis is highlighted. Ocean thermal power
for hydrogen production is the topic for another paper. Hydrogen can
x PREFACE
provide a highly efficient carrier for transferring very large chunks of
OTEC power from mid-ocean sites to the mainland. In principle, liquid
hydrogen, liquid ammonia and methanol produced at an OTEC plant can help
conservation of terrestrial fossil fuel resources. A variety of micro
organisms belonging to morphological and physiological groups have the
ability to evolve hydrogen. The paper on hydrogen production by micro
organisms discusses these groups and it explains that the biological
system has the ability to use wide range of visible light spectrum to
catalytically split water to HZ and OZ'
On the storage side, presentations are made on solid state storage
and cryogenic storage mode of hydrogen. Experiments conducted by
synthesising amorphous phases of RNiSCLaNiS,MmNis) materials are discus
sed Which demonstrate that this phase has a higher hydrogen storage
capacity. Comparison is made between bulk and thin film hydrogen storage
systems. The discussions on cryogenic storate of hydrogen covers the
why and how of hydrogen liquefaction. Ortho-para conversion is taken
into account While working out the energy requirement for liquefaction
of hydrogen. It is specified that liquid hydrogen can be stored in
insulated walled containers having either liquid nitrogen or hard vacuum
in the interspace of the walls.
The potential of hydrogen as a fuel is discussed in six papers
which cover a wide variety of its applications for ground, air and naval
vehicles; for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes; and for
electrical power generation through fuel cells and MHD power generators.
The benefits and limitations of gaseous hydrogen are clearly brought out
for spark ignition (S.l.) and compression ignition (C.l.) engines. On
the basis of results presented it is concluded that a hydrogen fuelled
S.l. engine would be a feasible proposition. However, for hydrogen
fuelled C.I. engine dual fuel operation is considered preferable in which
the intake system should be modified enabling induction of a hydrogen
gas-air mixture during the suction stroke and injection of appropriate
diesel charge near the end of the compression stroke in the usual manner.
It is brought out in the paper on the use of liquid hydrogen that thr.ee
candidate fuels could be seriously considered as alternatives for the
future transport aircrafts, viz. liquid hydrogen, synthetic jet fuel and
liquid methane. The liquid hydrogen fuelled aircraft is shown to be
superior in many respects when compared with the conventionally fuelled
transport aircraft. It would be lighter, use smaller engines, have a
smaller wing (but a longer fuselage) and would operate using short run
ways. Use of liquid hydrogen fuel for both subsonic and supersonic air
crafts is discussed. To establish the point, reference is made to the
test flight made by Lewis Research Centre with a modified B-S7 aircraft
in which engines are converted to accept HZ as fuel. It is also pointed
out that liquid hydrogen can not only replace fossil fuels but can also
supplement nuclear power systems in ships and submarines.
The use of hydrogen for domestic, commercial and industrial purposes,
requiring only minimal modifications to the existing furnaces and cum
bustors, could significantly implement the hydrogen economy, even with
the level of technology available. The flameless catalytic combustion
of hydrogen could be used in domestic appliances as there would be no
pollutants. These aspects are covered in a paper. Two routes for
PREFACE
generating electricity from hydrogen are discussed in the papers on this
topic - fuel cells and MHD power generation. Hydrogenase, the enzyme
that catalyses the oxidation of hydrogen, seems to be an ideal candidate
for most hydrogen-oxygen type fuel cells. It is pointed out in the
papers on the fuel cell that glucose oxides systems could be useful for
bringing down the operating temperature and pressure of the fuel cells.
Feasibility studies carried out on the use of hydrogen in portable as
well as steam-bottomed MHD power generators are presented. The analy
tical investigations have been shown to give overall efficiencies of
steam-bottomed MHD generators of up to 50 per cent for optimal design
parameters.
While discussing the case for hydrogen using input-output structures
for energy technology characterisation and assessing the impact hydrogen
energy could make, it is realised that there is a paucity of data regard
ing hydrogen as input to various sectors of the economy and inputs from
various sectors of economy to hydrogen in monetary terms. However, the
model presented in the paper is limited in the sense that it does not
include the clean fuel concept (environmental aspect) of hydrogen.
The recommendations made by a panel, on the basis of the deliberat
ions of the Workshop, are listed in the Panel Report.
R.P. Dahiya
Coordinator of the Workshop and
New Delhi, 1986 Editor of the Proceedings
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Secretary, Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Government
of India, Shri Maheshwar Dayal, has been supporting whole-heartedly the
area of hydrogen energy in India. His support and encouragement for
organising the National Workshop on Hydrogen Energy is gratefully
acknowledged. The Workshop has been fully sponsored by the Department
of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, New Delhi.
We are grateful to Prof. N.M. Swani, Director, Prof. M.K. Jain,
Deputy Director (Administration) and Prof. R.C.Malhotra, Deputy Director
(Faculty), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, for providing the
facilities to organise the Workshop at lIT Delhi. A special debt of
gratitude is owed to Prof. P.D. Grover, Head, and Prof. K.L. Chopra,
Ex-Head,Centre of Energy Studies, Prof. M.S. Sodha and Prof. H.B. Mathur
for their constant support.
The idea of organising the National Workshop on Hydrogen Energy has
been pursued vigorously by Dr. J. Gururaja, Adviser, Dr. E.V.R. Sastry
and Dr. Ved Mitra, Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources. My
special thanks are to them. Shri J.R. Meena is thanked for his co
operation and untiring efforts to make the Workshop a success.
Thanks are due to the speakers who not only shared their views with
the participants of the Workshop but also made available their manuscri
pts for publication in the present Proceedings. The members of the Panel
are specially thanked for their deliberations during the Panel discussion.
The efforts of many other individuals were essential in planning
and organising the Workshop. While it is difficult to acknowledge each
person individually, I would like to mention Dr. Ami Chand who greatly
contributed to the success of the Workshop. The assistance of
Shri M.P. Joseph for a neat and painstaking typing of the manuscript,
and of Shri Kirpal Singh for his skilled art work is duly acknowledged.
I must also acknowledge with appreciation the publishers, D. Reidel
Publishing Company, Holland, for undertaking the publication of the
Proceedings.
It would not have been possible for me to organise this Workshop and
bring out its proceedings without the patience and cooperation of my wife
Chandrawati Dahiya, and our sons Rajeev and Manish. I express myappre
ciation to them.
R.P. Dahiya
Coordinator of the Workshop and
New Delhi, 1986 Editor of the Proceedings
xiii