Renewable Hydrogen Storage and Transport Conference Session 3: Hydrogen End Use Applications

Tuesday, March 12 9:50AM-1:20PM PST at Town and Gown of USC, Los Angeles, CA

This session is designed to explore the entire spectrum of hydrogen utilization, discussing design and simulation, testing and monitoring, control solutions, scale-up strategies, competitive business models and market strategies.Talks will touch on industrial applications and discuss realistic solutions to overcome obstacles hindering the adoption of hydrogen technologies.

Session Chair: Chris Cavanagh, National Grid

Learn more about this session's presentations from leaders in the field:

9:50AM-10:20AM: "Renewable Hydrogen: An Enabler for the Industrial Decarbonization of Chemicals and Fuels Manufacturing"

Plenary Speaker: Ignasi Palou-Rivera, Chief Technology Officer, RAPID

9:50AM-10:20AM: "Technologies for a Safe and Effective Hydrogen Future"

Invited Speaker: Dr. Somesh Ganesh, VP of Advanced Technology Development, H2scan Corporation

The use of hydrogen as an energy source has been a promising solution to a sustainable future. The mass adoption of hydrogen for energy requires reliable, accurate and cost-effective sensors. These devices are necessary for leak detection at all phases of production, transportation, storage, and use. Sensors must be integrated into different systems such as electrolyzers, fuel cells, fueling stations and enable real-time monitoring and control. In this context, we will explore state-of-the-art sensing technologies that include MEMS based sensors that utilize data analytics. This type of sensors offers exceptional sensitivity, selectivity, and durability to detect a wide range of hydrogen concentrations in challenging environments.  

10:40AM-11:00AM: "Heat Rising: Revolutionizing Markets with HT-PEMFC as a Thermal Management Solution"

Invited Speaker: Dr. Vicente Galvan, Senior Scientist, Advent Technologies Holdings, Inc.

Advent Technologies is an innovation-driven technology company focusing on fuel cells and hydrogen. Our vision is to accelerate electrification through advanced materials, components, and next-generation fuel cell technology. Our technology applies to electrification (fuel cells) and hydrogen production markets, and we are commercializing it through partnerships with Tier1s, OEMs, and system integrators. Presently, the applications of HT PEM technology are restricted to those compatible with lower current densities in contrast to the cutting-edge LT PEM systems. Consequently, transportation endeavors have predominantly centered on utilizing HT PEM stacks as effective battery range extenders, particularly with energy-dense fuels like methanol. Conversely, LT PEM fuel cell stacks face substantial constraints in heavy-duty sectors due to limitations stemming from an insufficient heat gradient for adequate cooling, a challenge exacerbated by one day high temperatures. The introduction of a HT PEM MEA capable of operating at higher currents across a broader temperature spectrum, including startup below 100°C, would represent a pivotal advancement in the field. Such innovation would not only enable HT PEM technology to compete in domains historically dominated by LT PEM, but also be utilized in sectors where LT PEM are limited, such as heavy-duty applications. Additionally, stacks operating above 120°C present opportunities for implementing advanced, compact cooling systems, promising substantial reductions in fuel cell system weight and volume. Advent was chosen as the commercialization partner for a groundbreaking HT PEM technology initiated by scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratories that is based on an ionic pairing between charged groups in the polymers and phosphoric acid. This ion pair interaction has allowed for operation at significantly higher current densities and improved degradation rates compared to current HT PEM MEAs. Herein, we will highlight the potential of ion pair technology and introduce innovative cooling methodologies that harness the higher operating temperature of HT PEM systems. 

11:00AM-11:20AM: "CO2 Made Essential Products"

Invited Speaker: Billal Zayat, Senior Engineer, Twelve

A large number of essential products today are produced from fossil fuels and petrochemicals that contribute significantly to carbon dioxide industrial emissions. By utilizing electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, the feedstock of a large number of industrial processes can be replaced with a clean alternative resulting in zero net new emissions and zero trade-offs in quality and performance. Clean hydrogen is at the heart of this process as an important component in fossil fuel-free synthesis gas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen). The resulting syngas is embedded into current industrial processes to produce a wide range of products such as fuels, chemicals, and essential products.

11:20AM-11:40AM: Coffee Break

11:40AM-12:00PM: "Hydrogen Combustion Engines: Challenges and Opportunities"

Invited Speaker: Fokion Egolfopoulos, William E. Leonhard Professor in Engineering, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, USC

While hydrogen has excellent combustion properties, it has not been used to fuel internal combustion engines due to availability, transport, and storage technical and logistical constraints. As a result, existing engine technologies are based on a very rich knowledge acquired from the utilization of fossil fuels, especially liquid ones. While the combustion engine is considered one of the main drivers of climate change, its use during the last 150 years or so has been responsible for major technological advances of humanity and its replacement hits major roadblocks. At the very basic level, the second law of thermodynamics is responsible for achieving compact and inexpensive energy conversion in thermal engines. Whether this trend will continue or not, depends on the availability of renewable and preferably carbon-free fuels, and renewable hydrogen is the obvious choice. Its utilization in combustion engines may be driven by cost, given that fuel cells require very high fuel purity. Regarding the specifics, hydrogen offers at least on paper, excellent burning rates, the ability to burn at temperatures that are very low to form any measurable nitrogen oxides, and high resistance to extinction that can compromise engine stability. However, earlier and recent engine studies report, among others, high levels of nitrogen oxide emissions and notable pre-ignition events, with the latter leading eventually to engine failure. Those and related issues will be outlined and the opportunities to remedy them will be discussed.

12:00PM-12:20PM: "Hydrogen At Scale"

Invited Speaker: Dr. Thomas I. Valdez, Vice President of Hydrogen Energy, Plug Power

Plug Power (Plug) is building an end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem, from production, storage, and delivery to energy generation, to help decarbonize the economy. This hydrogen ecosystem is inclusive of production, storage, delivery, and energy generation. As the largest user of liquid hydrogen globally, Plug plans to build and operate green hydrogen production plants across North America and Europe. Plugs hydrogen production plants are based on internally developed proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis technology. This presentation will review the state of commercial PEM water electrolysis membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and provide insights into what advances are required to produce hydrogen at a levelized cost of $1/kg.

12:20PM-12:40PM: "Beyond Compliance, a Balanced, Hybrid Approach to Decarbonization"

Invited Speaker:  Michael Rohan, Principal, Energy, Engineering & Infrastructure, Northwell Health

Our society is poised for a grand transformation of the energy grid, through electrification, decentralization, and a reimagining of how we consume energy.  Strategic plans, technology, and innovation that are disrupting traditional models from generation through utilization. The vital importance of hospitals as institutions of public good is paramount to the maintenance and betterment of society.  Healthcare institutions will require numerous, hybrid technologies to remain resilient and function for the public good through pandemics, public emergencies, and climactic events.

12:40PM-1:00PM: "Enabling Widespread Blending of Hydrogen in Natural Gas Pipelines Utilizing De-Blending Technologies"

Submitted Abstract:  May Kwan, GTI Energy

The energy industry is proactively pursuing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve deep decarbonization across the energy value chain. Local natural gas distribution companies, who operate the bulk of natural gas delivery infrastructure in the US, are exploring options to blend hydrogen with natural gas as they transition towards low-carbon energy systems. However, certain critical applications such as combustion turbines, compressed natural gas vehicles, and some industrial heating processes cannot accept natural gas with elevated hydrogen content. Servicing these end-users will be challenging as gas distribution companies look to scale-up hydrogen blending in their systems. A potential solution is to install de-blending (hydrogen removal) technologies upstream of hydrogen-sensitive end-users, which would protect these specific end-users while other end-users receive hydrogen-natural gas blends. This presentation will share results of a natural gas industry-funded study and techno-economic review of de-blending technologies to protect two specific end-use applications (compressed natural gas stations and liquefied natural gas liquefaction plants) in order to enable widespread blending of hydrogen in natural gas pipelines.

1:00PM-1:20PM: "Digital Technologies for Driving Lower Lcoh through the Integration of Production with End-Use"

Submitted Abstract:  Simon Leyland, Siemens

Hydrogen is pivotal in decarbonizing advanced economies, with growing interest in sustainable hydrogen production and utilization technologies. However, challenges like scaling up, reducing costs, integration into wider systems, and building confidence persist. As the industry strives to find the best solutions to these challenges, focusing on minimizing the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH), several areas are being explored, in addition to improvements in production technologies. This includes integrating production with end-use and valorizing the electrolysis-produced oxygen, recovering energy from waste heat streams, or finding additional uses for excess renewable energy to enhance overall process economics. The integration of green hydrogen with downstream processes is in the demonstration phase. Optimization of by-products and waste energy stream integration is crucial but must be fine-tuned for specific cases. To ensure economic viability and efficiency, a deep understanding of system interactions is essential for safe and reliable operations. Digital process twins offer a virtual environment for testing these interactions, aiding in process design, integration, and real-time optimization. This research illustrates how digital process twins can explore integration concepts in the hydrogen value chain. Examples include: Using electrolysis-produced oxygen. Harnessing electrical energy from waste heat streams. Adjusting operating strategies for downstream process efficiency during surplus renewable energy generation. This comprehensive understanding, embedded in digital tools capable of real-time interaction with operating plants, empowers companies to pursue net-zero emissions confidently while reducing risks.