Systems Analysis of Hydrogen Supplementation in Natural Gas Pipelines.

摘要

The potential for hydrogen supplementation in natural gas pipelines is analyzed for a specific site from both mid-term (1985) and long-term perspectives. The concept of supplementing natural gas with the addition of hydrogen in the existing gas pipeline system serves to provide a transport and storage medium for hydrogen while eliminating the high investment costs associated with constructing separate hydrogen pipelines. This paper examines incentives and barriers to the implementation of this concept. The analysis is performed with the assumption that current developmental programs will achieve a process for cost-effectively separating pure hydrogen from natural gas/hydrogen mixtures to produce a separable and versatile chemical and fuel commodity. The energy systems formulation used to evaluate the role of hydrogen in the energy infrastructure is the Reference Energy System (RES). The RES is a network diagram that provides an analytic framework for incorporating all resources, technologies, and uses of energy in a uniform manner. A major aspect of the study is to perform a market analysis of traditional uses of resources in the various consuming sectors and the potential for hydrogen substitution in these sectors. The market analysis will focus on areas of industry where hydrogen is used as a feedstock rather than for its fuel-use opportunities to replace oil and natural gas. The sectors of industry where hydrogen is currently used and where its use can be expanded or substituted for other resources include petroleum refining, chemicals, iron and steel, and other minor uses.