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TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY
INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING
THAPATHALI CAMPUS
PRESENTATION ON
HYDROGEN ENERGY
PREPARED BY

DEEPA POUDEL
075/BIE/09
JIGYASA REGMI
075/BIE/15
RASHMI DHUNGANA
075/BIE/30 1
 HYDROGEN ENERGY
Introduction
Hydrogen energy involves the use of hydrogen and/or hydrogen-containing

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compounds to generate energy to be supplied to all practical uses needed with
high energy efficiency, overwhelming environmental and social benefits, as well
as economic competitiveness. Hydrogen has the highest energy content per unit
of mass of any chemical fuel and can be substituted for hydrocarbons in board
range of applications, often with increased combustion efficiency. Therefore the
use of hydrogen as an energy sources involves five basic rules;
1. Production
2. Storage and transportation
3. Utilization
4. Safety and management
5. Economy
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METHODS OF PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN
Hydrogen can be produced using a number of different processes
which are described below
1. Electrolytic process
Electrolysis is a promising option for carbon-free hydrogen production

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from renewable and nuclear resources. Electrolysis is the process of using
electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Electrolysis consist of
two electrodes, commonly flat plate metal and carbon plate immersed in
aqueous conducting solution(e.g. KOH). When direct current voltage is
connected to electrode as a result current flow from positive electrode
(anode) to negative electrode(cathode). As a result the water in
electrolytic solution decomposed into hydrogen gas which is released at
cathode and oxygen gas released at anode. Anode Reaction: H2O → O2 +
4H+ + 4e Cathode Reaction: 4H+ + 4e- → 2H2.

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2. THERMO CHEMICAL PROCESS
  Thermo chemical process use heat and chemical reactions to release hydrogen from organic materials,
such as fossil fuels and biomass. Different thermo chemical process used for the production of
hydrogen are:

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I. Natural gas reforming(Steam methane reforming)
Natural gas reforming is an advanced and mature process for the production of hydrogen in which
high-temperature steam (700°C–1,000°C) is used to produce hydrogen from a methane source, such
as natural gas. In steam-methane reforming, methane reacts with steam under 3–25 bar pressure (1
bar = 14.5 psi) in the presence of a catalyst to produce hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and a relatively
small amount of carbon dioxide. Subsequently, carbon monoxide and steam are reacted using a
catalyst to produce carbon dioxide and more hydrogen CH4 + H2O (+ heat) → CO + 3H
CO + H2O → CO2 + H2 (+ small amount of heat)
II. Biomass gasification
Biomass gasification is a controlled process in which organic or fossil-based carbonaceous
materials at high temperatures (>700°C), without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen
and/or steam are converted into carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. The carbon
monoxide then reacts with water to form carbon dioxide and more hydrogen via a water-gas shift
reaction. C6H12O6 + O2 + H2O → CO + CO2 + H2 + other species
CO + H2O → CO2 + H2 (+ small amount of heat)
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 III. Solar thermo chemical water splitting process
Thermo chemical water splitting processes use high-temperature heat
(500°–2,000°C) to drive a series of chemical reactions that produce hydrogen. The
chemicals used in the process are reused within each cycle, creating a closed loop that

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consumes only water and produces hydrogen and oxygen The two examples of thermo
chemical water splitting cycles, the "direct" two-step cerium oxide thermal cycle and the
"hybrid" copper chloride cycle, are illustrated in Figure below .

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 3. PHOTOLYTIC PROCESS(DIRECT SOLAR WATER SPLITTING PROCESS)
 Photolytic, processes use light energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
These processes are currently in various early stages of research but offer long-
term potential for sustainable hydrogen production with low environmental
impact. Therefore different photolytic methods for production of hydrogen are

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I. Photo electro chemical process
In photo electrochemical (PEC) process,. hydrogen is produced from water using
sunlight and specialized semiconductors called photo electrochemical materials,
which use light energy to directly dissociate water molecules into hydrogen and
oxygen. The semiconductor materials used in the PEC process are similar to those
used in photovoltaic solar electricity generation, but for PEC applications the
semiconductor is immersed in a water-based electrolyte, where sunlight energizes
the water-splitting process.

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II. PHOTO BIOLOGICAL PROCESS

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3. BIOLOGICAL PROCESS
In biological process, microorganisms such as bacteria and algae are used to produce
hydrogen. Different biological process used for the production of hydrogen are:
I. Photo biological process

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The photo biological hydrogen production process uses microorganisms (such as green
algae, cynobacteria and sunlight to turn water, and sometimes organic matter, into
hydrogen. The hydrogen ions are combined through direct or indirect routes and
released as hydrogen gas.
II. Microbial biomass conversion processes 
In fermentation based microbial hydrogen production processes microorganisms, such
as bacteria, break down organic matter to produce hydrogen and in direct hydrogen
fermentation, the microbes produce the hydrogen themselves. These microbes can break
down complex molecules through many different pathways, and the byproducts of some
of the pathways can be combined by enzymes to produce hydrogen

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INFRASTRUCTURE OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
 The hydrogen infrastructure would consist mainly of industrial hydrogen

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pipeline transport and hydrogen-equipped filling stations like those found
on a hydrogen highway.
  Hydrogen stations which were not situated near a hydrogen pipeline would
get supply via hydrogen tanks, compressed hydrogen tube trailers, liquid
hydrogen trailers, liquid hydrogen tank trucks or dedicated onsite
production.
 Over 700 miles of hydrogen pipeline currently exist in the United States.
Although expensive, pipelines are the cheapest way to move hydrogen over
long distances. Hydrogen gas piping is routine in large oil-refineries,
because hydrogen is used to hydrocrack fuels from crude oil.

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HYDROGEN STORAGE
 Hydrogen can be stored physically as either a gas or a liquid.

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Storage of hydrogen as a gas typically requires high-pressure
tanks (350–700 bar [5,000–10,000 psi] tank pressure). Storage
of hydrogen as a liquid requires cryogenic temperatures
because the boiling point of hydrogen at one atmosphere
pressure is −252.8°C.
 Hydrogen can also be stored on the surfaces of solids (by
adsorption) or within solids (by absorption).

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CONTINUE…
 Hydrogen is the lightest gas in the entire Universe. One liter of this

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gas weighs only 90 mg under normal atmospheric pressure, which
means that it is 11 times lighter than the air we breathe.
 A volume of around 11 m3 (which is the volume of the trunk of a
large utility or commercial vehicle) is needed to store just 1 kg of
hydrogen, which is the quantity needed to drive 100 km. For this
reason, its density must be increased using one of the following
techniques:
1) High-pressure storage in the gaseous form
2) Very low temperature storage in the liquid form
3) Hydride-based storage in the solid form

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IN THE LIQUID FORM
 A state-of-theart technique for storing maximum hydrogen in a

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restricted volume is to convert hydrogen gas to liquid hydrogen
by cooling it to a very low temperature.
 Hydrogen turns into a liquid when it is cooled to a temperature
below -252,87 °C.
 At -252.87°C and 1.013 bar, liquid hydrogen has a density of
close to 71 kg/m3. At this pressure, 5 kg of hydrogen can be
stored in a 75-liter tank.

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IN SOLID FORM

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 The storage of hydrogen in solid form, i.e. stored in
another material, is also a promising avenue of
research.
 Methods for storing hydrogen in solid form are
techniques involving absorption or adsorption
mechanisms of hydrogen by a material.
 One example is to form solid metallic hydrides
through the reaction of hydrogen with certain metal
alloys. This absorption is the result of the reversible
chemical combination of hydrogen with the atoms that
comprise these materials. The most promising 13
materials are composed of magnesium and alanates.
UTILIZATION OF HYDROGEN
 Rocket fuel is a major use of hydrogen for energy

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 Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity
.
 Hydrogen use in vehicles

 Hydrogen use in Industries

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SCOPE OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
 Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be used in internal combustion

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engines or fuel cells producing virtually no greenhouse gas emissions when
combusted with oxygen.
 In the future, hydrogen will join electricity as an important energy carrier,
since it can be made safely from renewable energy sources and is virtually
non-polluting.
 It will also be used as a fuel for ‘zero-emissions’ vehicles, to heat homes
and offices, to produce electricity, and to fuel aircraft.
 Hydrogen is versatile, It can be transported as a gas by pipelines or in liquid
form by ships, much like liquefied natural gas (LNG). It can be transformed
into electricity and methane to power homes and feed industry, and into
fuels for cars, trucks, ships and planes.

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CHALLENGES
 Weight and Volume. 

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 Efficiency.

 Durability. 

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CONTINUE…
 Refueling Time. 

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 Cost. 
 Codes and Standards. 
 Life-Cycle and Efficiency Analyses. 

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THANK YOU !!!!

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