Solar-aided hydrogen production methods for the integration of renewable energies into oil and gas industries

Journal article

Authors/Editors

HONG-MING KU

Strategic Research Themes

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Publication Details

Author list: Likkasit C., Maroufmashat A., Elkamel A., Ku H.-M., Fowler M.

Publisher: Elsevier

Publication year: 2018

Journal: Energy Conversion and Management (0196-8904)

Volume number: 168

Start page: 395

End page: 406

Number of pages: 12

ISSN: 0196-8904

URL: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85047073365&doi=10.1016%2fj.enconman.2018.04.057&partnerID=40&md5=149c299f02a22e12058a6521b8b0f233

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

This paper integrates solar energy, regarded as the most abundant renewable energy in the world, into oil and gas industries to produce the hydrogen required in crude oil upgrader processes. Three alternatives of producing hydrogen from solar energy were proposed, namely, Solar Steam Methane Reforming using a Volumetric Receiver Reactor (SSMR-VRR), Solar Steam Methane Reforming using Molten Salt (SSMR-MS), and Solar Thermal Power generation coupled with Water Electrolysis (STP-WE). Simulations of all alternatives have been done to produce 2577 kmol per hour hydrogen: that is, the demand in the crude oil upgrader process. The technical, economic, and environmental analysis is performed to compare the results of the alternatives with the conventional steam reforming of natural gas. The results suggest that SSMR-VRR has the lowest levelized cost of hydrogen production, which is $2.5 per kg of hydrogen; SSMR-MS has a highest energy efficiency of 68%, and STP-WE has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions. The economic analysis suggests that currently the thermochemical processes (SSMR-VRR and SSMR-MS) have potential for producing hydrogen required by the crude oil upgrader; however, as the renewable energy technologies progress that may lead to their capital cost decrease, solar thermal power with water electrolysis (STP-WE) will become a more promising sustainable option for hydrogen production. ฉ 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

Electrolysor, Levelised cost of hydrogen, Mitigation of greenhouse gas emission, Process simulation, Renewable energy (solar)