Implementing a Hydrogen Energy Infrastructure: Storage Options and System Design

摘要

The development of a hydrogen infrastructure has been identified as a key barrier to implementing hydrogen as for a future transportation fuel. Several recent studies of hydrogen infrastructure have assessed near-term and long-term alternatives for hydrogen supply. In this paper, we discuss how improvements in current hydrogen storage technologies could change how a future hydrogen infrastructure is designed. Using a simplified engineering/economic model for hydrogen infrastructure design and cost, we explore some potential impacts of near-term advances in storage performance and cost, in terms of system design, cost, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. We find that the characteristics of hydrogen storage play a major role in the design, cost, energy use, and CO_2 emissions of hydrogen supply infrastructure.