Authored by 40 of the most prominent and renowned international scientists from academia, industry, institutions and government, this handbook explores mature, evolving technologies for a clean, economically viable alternative to non-renewable energy. In so doing, it includes how hydrogen can be safely produced, stored, transported and utilized, while also covering such broader topics as the environmental impact, education and regulatory developments.
Fuel cells are expected to play a major role in the future power supply that will transform to renewable, decentralized and fluctuating primary energies. At the same time the share of electric power will continually increase at the expense of thermal and mechanical energy not just in transportation, but also in households. Hydrogen as a perfect fuel for fuel cells and an outstanding and efficient means of bulk storage for renewable energy will spearhead this development together with fuel cells. Moreover, small fuel cells hold great potential for portable devices such as gadgets and medical applications such as pacemakers. This handbook will explore specific fuel cells within and beyond the mainstream development and focuses on materials and production processes for both SOFC and lowtemperature fuel cells, analytics and diagnostics for fuel cells, modeling and simulation as well as balance of plant design and components. As fuel cells are getting increasingly sophisticated and industrially developed the issues of quality assurance and methodology of development are included in this handbook. The contributions to this book come from an international panel of experts from academia, industry, institutions and government. This handbook is oriented toward people looking for detailed information on specific fuel cell types, their materials, production processes, modeling and analytics. Overview information on the contrary on mainstream fuel cells and applications are provided in the book 'Hydrogen and Fuel Cells', published in 2010.
The fields covered by the hydrogen energy topic have grown rapidly, and now it has become clearly multidisciplinary. In addition to production, hydrogen purification and especially storage are key challenges that could limit the use of hydrogen fuel. In this book, the purification of hydrogen with membrane technology and its storage in "solid" form using new hydrides and carbon materials are addressed. Other novelties of this volume include the power conditioning of water electrolyzers, the integration in the electric grid of renewable hydrogen systems and the future role of microreactors and micro-process engineering in hydrogen technology as well as the potential of computational fluid dynamics to hydrogen equipment design and the assessment of safety issues. Finally, and being aware that transportation will likely constitute the first commercial application of hydrogen fuel, two chapters are devoted to the recent advances in hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines for transport vehicles. - Hydrogen from water and biomass considered - Holistic approach to the topic of renewable hydrogen production - Power conditioning of water electrolyzers and integration of renewable hydrogen energy systems considered - Subjects not included in previous books on hydrogen energy - Micro process technology considered - Subject not included in previous books on hydrogen energy - Applications of CFD considered - Subject not included in previous books on hydrogen energy - Fundamental aspects will not be discussed in detail consciously as they are suitably addressed in previous books - Emphasis on technological advancements - Chapters written by recognized experts - Up-to date approach to the subjects and relevant bibliographic references
This book introduces readers to hydrogen as an essential energy carrier for use with renewable sources of primary energy. It provides an overview of the state of the art, while also highlighting the developmental and market potential of hydrogen in the context of energy technologies; mobile, stationary and portable applications; uninterruptible power supplies and in the chemical industry. Written by experienced practitioners, the book addresses the needs of engineers, chemists and business managers, as well as graduate students and researchers.
Design and Operation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: The Systems Engineering Vision for Industrial Application presents a comprehensive, critical and accessible review of the latest research in the field of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). As well as discussing the theoretical aspects of the field, the book explores a diverse range of power applications, such as hybrid power plants, polygeneration, distributed electricity generation, energy storage and waste management—all with a focus on modeling and computational skills. Dr. Sharifzadeh presents the associated risks and limitations throughout the discussion, providing a very complete and thorough analysis of SOFCs and their control and operation in power plants. The first of its kind, this book will be of particular interest to energy engineers, industry experts and academic researchers in the energy, power and transportation industries, as well as those working and researching in the chemical, environmental and material sectors. - Closes the gap between various power engineering disciples by considering a diverse variety of applications and sectors - Presents and reviews a variety of modeling techniques and considers regulations throughout - Includes CFD modeling examples and process simulation and optimization programming guidance
Innovation, Markets and Sustainable Energy is the first attempt to explore fuel cells and hydrogen technologies by embracing a solid theoretical perspective in the field of innovation and management. Adopting a cross-sectional and international perspective, the book analyzes the implications of introducing fuel cells into the industrial system and explores the complexity of market development for new technological solutions. This book presents an in-depth study of the hydrogen and fuel cell industry and markets, concentrating on the disruptive nature of these technologies. It examines the value chain structure and the strategies of relevant industry players, the alliances and inter-organizational learning processes, the development of new markets, and venture capital dynamics. It also provides an overview of the policies that support hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in major countries around the world. Academics focussing on innovation management, strategy, sustainability, and energy and environmental management will warmly welcome this timely book. It will also be of great interest for the fuel cell and hydrogen practitioner community at large and in particular policymakers.
Green purchasing - or eco-procurement - by local and central governments has long been recommended in documents such as Agenda 21 to be a key - although sometimes supplemental-ingredient in the achievement of more environmentally responsible economies. Certainly, sustainable consumption cannot be considered a realistic goal without the full engagement of public authorities. Many initiatives have been undertaken in OECD countries, most successfully in Japan and Denmark where green public purchasing has been proven to be workable and highly effective, while, in other countries, city municipalities have successfully pioneered the development of sophisticated public environmental purchasing policies. However, for the vast majority of countries and their major cities, the potential for green public purchasing remains woefully untapped. A key question is what would be the environmental impact if the majority of cities in Europe replicated the success stories of those leading the way? Public procurement has, after all, been an important tool in achieving other public policy goals such as defence. Why should it not be used as a tool to defend the environment? The RELIEF project, funded by the EU's "City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" programme was established to answer exactly this question: to define the true potential of eco-procurement and to develop a strategy for change in Europe. Buying into the Environment is the result of the research segment of the project which has now been completed. A further stage-to design a Europe-wide action plan will follow in 2004. The book, organised under the auspices of the International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) analyses national approaches already tested, and provides in-depth surveys on the pioneer cities such as Hamburg, Malmo and Zurich. Serious attention is given to city-specific hurdles which have been faced and overcome. The most relevant product groups for eco-procurement such as construction, transport, energy, information technology, furniture and food. are also analysed. Uniquely, the book also provides calculations on the environmental benefits potentially achievable through greener purchasing. Tools were developed and tested by the RELIEF researchers on the environmental assessment of products, public buying power and on evaluations of market conditions in order to provide scenarios for the application of green purchasing at a European level. The conclusions are that there is huge potential for both local and central governments to adapt their behaviour patterns and purchase in a more environmentally responsible way. For example, 18% of the EU's Kyoto Protocol commitment could be achieved if major cities in the European Union purchased green electricity. The results are complemented by new ideas on how best to foster innovation in public contractual arrangements-to encourage the development of products such as super-energy-efficient computers and fuel cells-and how the legal system may require adaptation and reform. The results presented in this book will provide an indispensable resource for municipalities, governments, researchers and business practitioners looking for answers on how public procurement can have a fundamental and manifestly positive effect on the environment.
The book summarizes the current state of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology in power generation applications. It describes the single cells, SOFC stacks, micro-combined heat and power systems, large-scale stationary power generators and polygeneration units. The principles of modeling, simulation and controls of power systems with solid oxide fuel cells are presented and discussed. Authors provide theoretical background of the technology followed by the essential insights into the integrated power systems. Selected aspects of the design, construction and operation of power units in range from single kilowatts to hundreds of kilowatts are presented. Finally, the book reports the selected studies on prototype systems which have been constructed in Europe. The book discusses the theoretical and practical aspects of operation of power generators with solid oxide fuel cells including fabrication of cells, design of stacks, system modeling, simulation of stationary and non-stationary operation of systems, fuel preparation and controls.
This book details state-of-the-art fuel cell systems incorporating methanol reformers as the source of purified hydrogen (rather than compressed hydrogen). Beginning with an overview of PEM fuel cells, the book discusses the various technical approaches to methanol reforming and hydrogen purification. A unique theme carried throughout the discussio
