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Workshop

Putting Science into Standards: Power-to-Hydrogen and HCNG

Session 3: Use of HCNG for re-powering, mobility, heat

Research: Hartmut Krause DBI Gas- und Umwelttechnik GmbH

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• Background

• Research Needs in Different Sectors

• General Aspects

• Conclusion

Agenda

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• Distribution of Natural Gas in Sectors

• Expected Admixture of Hydrogen

• Impact on Gas Quality

Background

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Current Situation – Gas Distribution in Consumption Sectors

Sales of Natural Gas in 2010 by sector

in Eurogas Member Countries & EU27

(Source: Eurogas 2010)

Sales of Natural Gas in Germany by sector

(Source: BDEW 2014)

If HCNG is distributed in gas grids all gas appliances are involved

Focus of NG consumption is in industry and power plants

Focus of installed units is in residential heating (Germany~15Mio.Units)

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Mean value of 2 % will be reached in

2020 – 2025

Locally higher hydrogen content is

expected

Expected H2 Admixture in Germany by Power-to-H2

(Source: DVGW 2012)

Forecast of Hydrogen content in

overall German gas sales

Possible reduction of

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Injection of H2 has a relevant impact

on GHG emission of gas appliances

Natural Gas has the lowest GHG

emission of all fossil fuels

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Hydrogen will change the basic gas parameters for combustion appliances (Wobbe Index, calorific value, minimum air ratio, off gas components)

Because of the fluctuating sources the hydrogen content may fluctuate

Increasing unpredictable gas quality fluctuations will occur in a wide band within the Wobbe Index limits and other limits

Most highly sophisticated gas appliances fulfil the required flue gas norms, efficiency and quality standards only in a small band of gas quality.

Compensation systems for gas quality fluctuations exist but not for all appliances and not fully implemented in market

Impact of H2 Admixture by Power-to-H2 on Gas Quality

Wobbe Index [kWh/m³]

Calo

rifi

c v

alu

e [

kW

h/m

³]

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11

10

13

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admixture of

Hydrogen

Nitrogen

Propane

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• Mobility

• Power Generation and CHP

• Thermal/Thermo-Chemical Processing Appliances

• Residential Heat Appliances and CHP

Research Needs in Different Sectors

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Existing limit for H2 in Natural Gas is defined by international norm ECE R110 (DIN 51624) for on-board gas tanks to 2 vol%.

• Limit results from steel material, there are indications that the limit is extremely conservative adaption of standard

• Investigations necessary to enlarge the limit up to a safe value (10 vol% H2) investigations on existing materials, development of new materials for future applications under consideration of high pressure (~ 700 bar), fast pressure swing and large number of cycles

Adaption of combustion process in gas engines to higher H2 content

• Intensify investigations on combustion process for HCNG (increasing efficiency, impact on heat management in combustion chamber and emissions,

• Development of adaptive engine control mechanism for fluctuating gas quality

Development of cost efficient measurement systems to identify H2 content at filling stations for fiscal purposes and at vehicles for engine management purposes.

Research Needs – Mobility Sector

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Research needs – adaption of existing technologies, new developments not limited to dispatchable power generation

Gas turbines (GT):

• Main impact from HCNG: increased combustion velocity

• Consequences: vibrations, higher temperature in combustion chamber, higher NOx

• Research needs:

• better understanding of vibration generation by changing combustion velocity

• adaptive control mechanism for fluctuating H2 (air ratio, gas injection pressure, combustion quality, vibrations etc.), additional aim: increasing efficiency

Gas engines for power generation (CHP)

• Adaptive control mechanism for fluctuating H2 (s. mobility)

Fuel Cells (CHP)

• Main impact from HCNG: changing reaction scheme in fuel processing units

• Consequences: impact on reforming process (shifting chemical equilibrium, efficiency)

• Research needs: adaptive control mechanism

Research Needs – Re-powering Medium and Large Scale: Power Generation, CHP

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Thermal Processing Appliances, a definition:

• Low temp.: Vessels for heat supply, steam production, drying processes ...

• High temp.: industrial furnaces in petro-chemical industry, metallurgy, ceramic …

• Focussing on burners, heat exchangers, off-gas in contact with products

Impacts from HCNG:

• Increasing emissions by fluctuating H2 content, general off-gas composition

• Changing in flame geometry, hot spots, efficiency

Research needs:

• Basic investigation on impact of H2 on flame geometry depending on burner technology (identification of H2 limits) NOx formation heat transfer coefficient (gas/off gas)

• Adaptive combustion control incl. identification of gas quality (development of air ratio management systems, gas/air pressure control)

Research Needs – Industry: Thermal Processing Appliances

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Thermo-chemical Processing Appliances

• Chemistry: Feedstock for syngas production as interstage product

• Metallurgy: Feedstock for protective gas or as C-carrier

Impacts from HCNG

• Syngas production: Variation in H/C ratio variation in product gas composition

• In reforming processes deactivation of catalysts by insufficient addition of additives

Research needs:

• Chemistry: Investigation impact on process stability

• Metallurgy: Investigation impact on product quality

• Determination of H2 limits in every process

• Development of cost efficient, fast measurement systems for complete gas composition

• Adaptive control systems based on gas composition

Research Needs – Industry: Thermo-chemical Processing Appliances

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Residential Heat Appliances

• Heating: gas boiler, gas vessels, gas heat pumps etc.

• CHP Appliances: Stirling engine, gas engine, fuel cells

Impacts from HCNG (type depending):

• Combustion systems: flame stability, flame geometry, emissions, efficiency

• Combustion engines: knocking stability, emissions (s. mobility)

• Fuel processors: process stability, deactivating catalysts, heat management efficiency

Research needs: • In combustion systems/engines:

low cost adaptive combustion control incl. identification of combustion quality (development of air ratio management systems, gas/air pressure control)

• In fuel processors: low cost adaptive process control incl. identification of feedgas quality (reformer feed control systems)

Research Needs – Low Carbon Heating: Residential Heat Appliances

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• Urgent Standardisation Activities

• Synergies to Other Sectors

General Aspects

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CEN started harmonization process by defining natural gas quality H by mandate M400 in group CEN/TC 234 WG11 for prEN 16726

• Main issue: EU should have at its disposal the widest possible array of supply sources to successfully carry out its gas source diversification strategy; different gas qualities and standards should not impact cross-border flows and the functioning of the internal market.

• Hydrogen is not an issue now Germany: limited to 10 % with restriction according to connected customers minimum consensus seems to be ~2 vol%; no clear roadmap

• Methane number is limited to 70

• Fluctuations in gas quality are identified as serious but not implemented in the standard

General Aspects in Gas Supply

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Test gas standard EN 437

• Implementing new test gases with H2 content (e.g. test gas 10 %, test gas for flash-back >23 vol%)

Adaption of CEN standards for the safety and performances testing of gas appliances

• Implementing of test gases in existing test procedures of gas appliance directive (small scale appliances)

• Adaption of EN 746 industrial furnaces (large scale appliances)

• Development of test procedures for adaptive control system

• Implementing the idea of gas quality fluctuations in test procedure

General Aspects in Gas Supply

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In many areas the measurement of gas composition, identification of gas quality or components are necessary for control purposes Development of cost efficient measurement systems

It is expected there will be a limit for maximum admixture of hydrogen and fluctuations in gas quality which can be tolerated by gas utilization processes. Compromise has to be found to limit the impact on gas appliances as well as the effort to compensate fluctuations

Cooperation between grid operators and manufacturer/operators of gas appliances in development of local compensation strategies • Flexible applications

• Conditioning of gas quality in the grid

Synergies to Other Sectors

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Conclusion

• Adaption Gas Norms

EN 16726, EN 437

• Manuf. gas appliances,

grid operators

2015 2017 2019 2021 2023 2025 2030

• Devlpt. program gas measurement systems

• Manuf. gas appliances, measurements

• Development of roadmap HCNG, medium and long term (all stakeholders)

• Invest. CNG car tanks

• Car manufacturers

• Development program for adaptive control systems

• Manufacturer of gas appliances

• Adaption ECE R11

• Car manufacturers

• Standardisation process for adaptive control systems

• Manufacturer of gas appliances

• Development of local compensation strategies

• Manuf. gas appliances, grid operators

Research Activities

Standardisation Activities

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•Prof. Dr. Hartmut Krause

•Managing Director

• hartmut.krause@dbi-gut.de

DBI Gas- und Umwelttechnik GmbH Karl-Heine-Straße 109/111 D-04229 Leipzig Tel.: (+49) 341 24571-11 Fax: (+49) 341 24571-36 E-Mail: Web: www.dbi-gut.de

Thanks for your attention!

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