[ heat transfer ]
Heat transfer needs : 1 . Electrolyte cooling 2 . Gas cooling 3 . Process water desalination 4 . Post-treatment cooling 5 . Overall plant cooling 6 . Waste heat recovery 7 . End-use applications
Efficient cooling and heat recovery are at the heart of optimized water electrolysis . Image © Alfa Laval
for the development of new climate-friendly technologies ranging from green hydrogen and power-to-X to energy storage , carbon capture , and biofuels . Efficient solutions are urgently needed everywhere to increase the scalability of these technologies and thus accelerate the transition to a carbon-free future .
Green hydrogen as a clean energy carrier
One energy carrier with particularly great potential in the future energy landscape is hydrogen . In the net-zero scenario , for example , 22 % of the world ’ s energy needs could be met by clean hydrogen by 2050 . 2 This includes both green hydrogen produced through electrolysis and blue hydrogen . In the latter , carbon capture is added to conventional production based on natural gas or coal . Overall , the hydrogen economy will grow significantly in the long run .
production , as a power source in fuel cells , and as a fuel in the transportation sector . While there are numerous possibilities , investments are needed to make the coming hydrogen economy a reality . The future is likely to witness a mix of centralized and decentralized solutions , both on a small and large scale . To achieve the full hydrogen economy needed for the net-zero emissions scenario by 2050 , green hydrogen production must be scaled up , appropriate infrastructure built , and reliable balancing ensured .
It is important to consider scaling at the development stage . This means investing in solutions that are also cost effective in the long term . When it comes to heating and cooling , optimal heat transfer is necessary in almost every industrial process – including the hydrogen value chain .
However , to make this a reality , we still face several challenges related to technology deployment , scalability , and commercialization . These challenges span the entire hydrogen value chain , from the production of green hydrogen to its final application as a molecule or energy carrier . Hydrogen can be used in many ways , including as a feedstock for industrial processes such as ammonia , methanol , and steel
Recovery of excess heat
One example is the production of green hydrogen . Currently , the most mature electrolysis technologies are PEM electrolyzers and alkaline electrolyzers , which are expected to remain dominant in the market for the next few years . They operate at temperatures approximately between 50 and 80 ° C . Regardless of the specific technology used , temperature control is
14 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 11 | August 2023