Hydrogen Generation & Energy Storage Systems

We were making Hydrogen over 40 years ago with two Muffler Pipes one inside the other with little Clearance and plastic spacers to keep the apart, with 12v Battery connected to each Pipe, a Bucket 3/4 full of tap Water, with a upside-down Plate placed atop the bucket, with a tiny air fitting in the centre, just another Hobby Project that actually worked.

The Colour Name given to hydrogen indicates the process used to extract it and the source of energy used.

GREEN Hydrogen is the cheapest form of "Hydrogen Power On-Demand", as Hydrogen is manufactured & consumed on site, with No additional expense of Labour & Freighting to site.

In 2024: Worldwide there are several Hydrogen Manufacturing & Storage methods being rapidly developed, the Best System is what is dubbed as Green Hydrogen, meaning the Hydrogen is Generated & Stored within the same System, without the need to Deliver Grey Hydrogen compressed in Cylinders.

Electrolysis is a promising option for carbon-free hydrogen production from renewable and nuclear resources.

Electrolysis is the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This reaction takes place in a unit called an electrolyser. Electrolyser can range in size from small, appliance-size equipment that is well-suited for small-scale distributed hydrogen production to large-scale, central production facilities that could be tied directly to renewable or other non-greenhouse-gas-emitting forms of electricity production.

How Does it Work ?

Like fuel cells, electrolyser consist of an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte. Different electrolyser function in different ways, mainly due to the different type of electrolyte material involved and the ionic species it conducts.

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Electrolyser

In a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser, the electrolyte is a solid specialty plastic material.

• Water reacts at the anode to form oxygen and positively charged hydrogen ions (protons).
• The electrons flow through an external circuit and the hydrogen ions selectively move across the PEM to the cathode.
• At the cathode, hydrogen ions combine with electrons from the external circuit to form hydrogen gas. Anode Reaction: 2H2O → O2 + 4H+ + 4e- Cathode Reaction: 4H+ + 4e- → 2H2

Alkaline Electrolyser

Alkaline electrolyser operate via transport of hydroxide ions (OH-) through the electrolyte from the cathode to the anode with hydrogen being generated on the cathode side. Electrolyser using a liquid alkaline solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte have been commercially available for many years. Newer approaches using solid alkaline exchange membranes (AEM) as the electrolyte are showing promise on the lab scale.

Solid Oxide Electrolyser

Solid oxide electrolyser, which use a solid ceramic material as the electrolyte that selectively conducts negatively charged oxygen ions (O2-) at elevated temperatures, generate hydrogen in a slightly different way.

• Steam at the cathode combines with electrons from the external circuit to form hydrogen gas and negatively charged oxygen ions.
• The oxygen ions pass through the solid ceramic membrane and react at the anode to form oxygen gas and generate electrons for the external circuit.

Solid oxide electrolyser must operate at temperatures high enough for the solid oxide membranes to function properly (about 700°–800°C, compared to PEM electrolyser, which operate at 70°–90°C, and commercial alkaline electrolyser, which typically operate at less than 100°C). Advanced lab-scale solid oxide electrolyser based on proton-conducting ceramic electrolytes are showing promise for lowering the operating temperature to 500°–600°C. The solid oxide electrolyser can effectively use heat available at these elevated temperatures (from various sources, including nuclear energy) to decrease the amount of electrical energy needed to produce hydrogen from water.

Why Is This Pathway Being Considered?

Electrolysis is a leading hydrogen production pathway to achieve the Hydrogen Energy Earthshot goal of reducing the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per 1 kilogram in 1 decade ("1 1 1").  Hydrogen produced via electrolysis can result in zero greenhouse gas emissions, depending on the source of the electricity used. The source of the required electricity—including its cost and efficiency, as well as emissions resulting from electricity generation—must be considered when evaluating the benefits and economic viability of hydrogen production via electrolysis.

In many regions of the country, today's power grid is not ideal for providing the electricity required for electrolysis because of the greenhouse gases released and the amount of fuel required due to the low efficiency of the electricity generation process.

Hydrogen production via electrolysis is being pursued for renewable (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal) and nuclear energy options. These hydrogen production pathways result in virtually zero greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions; however, the production cost needs to be decreased significantly to be competitive with more mature carbon-based pathways such as natural gas reforming.

Potential for synergy with renewable energy power generation

Hydrogen production via electrolysis may offer opportunities for synergy with dynamic and intermittent power generation, which is characteristic of some renewable energy technologies. For example, though the cost of wind power has continued to drop, the inherent variability of wind is an impediment to the effective use of wind power. Hydrogen fuel and electric power generation could be integrated at a wind farm, allowing flexibility to shift production to best match resource availability with system operational needs and market factors. Also, in times of excess electricity production from wind farms, instead of curtailing the electricity as is commonly done, it is possible to use this excess electricity to produce hydrogen through electrolysis.

It is important to note...

• Today's grid electricity is not the ideal source of electricity for electrolysis because most of the electricity is generated using technologies that result in greenhouse gas emissions and are energy intensive. Electricity generation using renewable or nuclear energy technologies, either separate from the grid, or as a growing portion of the grid mix, is a possible option to overcome these limitations for hydrogen production via electrolysis.
• Australia, Germany, America and others continue efforts to bring down the cost of renewable-based electricity production and develop more efficient fossil-fuel-based electricity production with carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Wind-based electricity production, for example, is growing rapidly in the Australia, United States and globally.

Research Focuses On Overcoming Challenges

• Meeting the Hydrogen Shot clean hydrogen cost target of $1/kg H2 by 2030 (and interim target of $2/kg H2 by 2025) through improved understanding of performance, cost, and durability trade-offs of electrolyser systems under predicted future dynamic operating modes using CO2-free electricity.
• Reducing the capital cost of the electrolyser unit and the balance of the system.
• Improving energy efficiency for converting electricity to hydrogen over a wide range of operating conditions.
• Increasing understanding of electrolyser cell and stack degradation processes and developing mitigation strategies to increase operational life.
• The Great thing about a Hydrogen System that Generates Excessive Hydrogen, you only need to add more Hydrogen Storage Cells, as they are very Cheap compared to the Electrolyser & other System components.  Think of it like a Solar Array that generates more Energy than can be Consumed & Stored (either in Batteries or Hydrogen storage cells), that Energy is simply wasted if Off-Grid, obviously if On-Grid Excess Energy can be beneficial to the Community !

Is it worth staying State Grid Connected ?

• Not unless you have a Solar Array that Generates a lot of Excessive Energy per Day to cover the Costs to Remain State Grid Connected, the 8 cents kWh = over 12kWh Energy per Day, You have to Gift to the Deceptively Named Energy Retailer !
• Unfortunately the brain dead politicians in charge of the Australian Energy sector, Starting with Chris Bowen, who is either an imbecile or purposely avoids stating the way the Australian Energy Marker Operator (AEMO) Sets & Charges the Commercial Energy Rate, and most Politicians are X Lawyers that could Not make it in the real word !
• People with Solar are now Purchasing Energy Storage & disconnecting from the State Grid in droves !
• It is Not worth staying connected, for Three basic Reasons;
  1. The "Cost to Remain Grid Connected" is Not worth the minimum $30 monthly Cost, as the Customer is Worse off financially, as they have to gift 375kWh Energy each month if getting 8 cents kWh Feed-in-Tarrif, that is just to offset the $30 month Charge to remain Grid Connected !
  2. People are Paying up to 300% more for importing Power after Sunset than they are getting as Feed-in-Tarrif (FIT) !
  3. Our Customers Data shows that over 12 months, a Fuel Generator only Cost is $60 a year (16% of the $360 Connection Charges), to Operated a Generator during short periods of Extended Bad weather !

How is Hydrogen Stored ?

Commonly the Storing of Green Hydrogen is pressurised into material called Metal Hydrides (MHx) is the most Technologically relevant class of hydrogen storage materials, because the Hydrogen is only pressurised up-to 40 bar in special Canisters, and are used in a range of applications including;

1. Electrochemical Cycling
2. Thermal Storage.
3. Heat Pumps.
4. Purification/Separation.
5. Neutron moderation.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology:

There are many Hydrogen Fuel Cells of varying size being manufactured & available world wide, a lot are used in Hobby kits.

There is also a growing market in Vehicle Retrofitted Hydrogen Fuel Kits that only supply addition Hydrogen to substitute the existing Fuel a Vehicle engine uses saving form 35~45% Fuel consumption of the primary Fuel providing better fuel efficiency.

--- GREEN Hydrogen ---

What is Green Hydrogen ?

Green Hydrogen is Hydrogen Manufactured & Dispatched to the End User at the Same Location as it is manufactured.

Green hydrogen is Produced by splitting water molecules using electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar, or hydro-power.

Green hydrogen is carbon-neutral, but it's expensive to produce, costing between US$3 and US$7 per kilogram.

In general, the round Trip of the Energy used to manufacture Hydrogen & then Store for later usage to Generate Energy is around 30~40% Efficiency !

The Videos below explains Solid Hydrogen Storage - Is it the Future of Energy Storage ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0fnEsz4Ks0

When purchasing a Green Hydrogen System, the main Expense of the System is the Electrolyses, that manufacture the Hydrogen, then if you need to increase the Hydrogen Energy Storage, you ONLY need to add additional Storage Cylinders, Not increase the System size, Hydrogen Storage Cylinders are a lot cheaper than Electrolyses !

The best way to Manufacture Hydrogen is by utilising what would normally be Unused or Wasted Energy for any Generation source, like Solar, Wind, Aqua and Biogas being the most common forms of Energy that could be Harvested & Not Wasted.

Vehicles Filled from this Hydrogen EV Charge Station Manufacture the Hydrogen on site, so produces Green Hydrogen.

Also Retrofitted bolt-on Vehicle Hydrogen Systems manufacture Green Hydrogen, as they have an Electrolyser incorporated into the Vehicles system, where Water is topped-up into a tank and on-board Electrolyser Manufactures the Hydrogen, that in turn is used as a clean Fuel substitute to increase the Fuel efficiency of either Diesel or Petrol.

Recent University Tests confirm that using Hydrogen in a Vehicles Engine increases the Fuel efficiency of both Diesel & Petrol Engines between 35%~45%, as well as Cleaning out the Combustion chamber due to better combustion !

--- Turquoise & Blue Hydrogen ---

What is Turquoise & Blue Hydrogen ?

Turquoise and blue hydrogen use significantly less energy per kilogram of hydrogen produced than green hydrogen, and in fact a fraction of the hydrogen produced from turquoise or blue hydrogen processes could be used to provide their process energy guaranteeing the production to be carbon dioxide free.

Turquoise & Blue Hydrogen uses natural gas as a raw material, and is more energy efficient than green hydrogen. The process of producing turquoise hydrogen generates solid carbon, which can be used in other industries or stored. Turquoise hydrogen can be carbon neutral if the methane used comes from biogas that has captured carbon dioxide from the air.

--- GREY Hydrogen ---

What is Grey Hydrogen ?

The Name Grey Hydrogen is given because the Hydrogen Manufactured, and then Delivered to the likes of a Service Station or storage Depot where the Hydrogen is then either Consumed or Delivered to the End user, like a Vehicle Charge Station or Converted into Heat for Consumption.

Grey Hydrogen simply incurs additional Costs to Deliver the Hydrogen to a site, where it will be Dispatched to the end user, in other words the Hydrogen being delivered, uses a vehicle & additional Labour.  So our academics coin the phrase as Grey Hydrogen to be able classify the underlying costs incurred with the delivery of the Hydrogen.

Black, brown, and grey hydrogen: Are made from fossil fuels, and are the most polluting types of hydrogen.

--- Semi-Commercial Green Hydrogen ---

Australian Company GreenHy2 Pty Ltd   is a publicly listed company on the ASX (HG2), is marketing & supporting the well established GKN Hydrogen Energy Storage Systems  (HESS), that uses Metal Hydride as the Hydrogen Storage Medium that pressurise the Hydrogen up to 40bar.

GreenHy2 is partnered with GKN Hydrogen Technology in Australia, and the GKN Smallest unit is HY2MINI, where these can be scaled up to Commercial Grid Utility applications, by supplying a full suit of Commercial Hydrogen systems.

GKN is a commercial Manufacturer of Hydrogen Energy Storage & Hydrogen Heat Technology, currently GNK's smallest system is HY2MIMI module that is fully self contained system that Manufactures & Stores from 165kWh~420kWh of Energy within the 3mt (10') shipping container easily relocated to any location.

The HY2Mini is more suited for large Energy Consumers or semi-commercial applications like Crypto Data-mining, that we are currently looking to install and test this module in a 125kWh/p Solar Farm near Sydney.

Download GNK HY2MINI 165~420kWh Hydrogen Generator Document;

https://www.gknhydrogen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GKN_HY2MINI_ProductSheet.pdf

--- Semi-Commercial Green Hydrogen ---

Australian CSIRO Solid Oxide Electrolysis  Australian Government and international policies are continuously emerging to support a green hydrogen industry.

A global target of low-cost hydrogen (below $2/kg) is currently in place to help industries achieve de-carbonisation goals by adopting hydrogen at scale.  200 micron SOE ceramic tubes Our tubular solid oxide electrolysis (tSOE) technology produces hydrogen by electrolysing water using a combination of heat and electricity.

The technology allows 30 per cent less electricity consumption (<42 kWh/kg of hydrogen) compared to existing alkaline and polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser technologies (~60 kWh/kg of hydrogen).

Its cell materials and configuration also allow for simplified, low-cost manufacturing processes.

The technology is being commercialised through the creation of a new company. We are seeking interest from strategic and industrial investors who are interested in supporting the growth of Australia's hydrogen industry.

--- LAVO in 2024 ---

WARNING: LAVO's Hydrogen system is starting to look like a Scam ! Especially after No answers to direct supply Questions, leaving us thinking there is some underlying Problem in there Hydrogen equipment manufacturing or storage medium &/or operational issues with the LAVO Hydrogen System !

Australian company LAVO   website previously pouted in 2021 the release of a $26'000, 40kWh Residential Hydrogen Energy Storage System  (HESS) that uses Metal Hydride as the Hydrogen Storage Medium, saying can be scaled up to Commercial applications, we now hear through the Hydrogen sector that LAVO are Re-funding Customers who placed a deposit for there Hydrogen System.

LAVO's web-site previously showed 17 people on staff, NOW January 2024 there site is pretty well useless to directly Contact anyone of authority if looking to Purchase there Phantom Hydrogen System !

LAVO is NOW Only offering Lithium Phosphate Battery modules that DON"T have any Hydrogen components, these are just a LAVO branded Battery Casing with either 3.20kWh or 5.12kWh per module, all cloaked in subterfuge by offering "the LAVO Life system" or the "Energy-As-A-Service" (EAAS) bullshit, and supply a common Inverter, Solar Panels & Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger, NO mention of Hydrogen !

This LAVO EAAS Charges, if you are Foolish enough to Purchase there branded Lithium Battery System, good luck !

You are better-off Investing in the Outright Purchase of the System, and Disconnect from the State Grid, and Stop needing to Pay to Import Power back, as well as not needing to pay any Connection Fees.

Click on this image to see the Rates on offer;

Or Click Here to see LAVO Energy Rates on Diamond Energy site .

LAVO Yearly Charges Calculates to;

• LAVO Basic Green Plan Service Fee: @$3.25 x 365 days = $98.85 Month = $1'186.25 per Year or
• LAVO Premium Green Plan Service Fee: @$6.54 x 365 days = $198.92 Month = $2'387.10 per Year
• LAVO Green Plan Base Cap: 13.3kWh per Day, then you Pay 25c per kWh after the Cap, or
• LAVO Green Plan Premium Cap: 26.6kWh per Day, then you Pay 25c per kWh after the Cap.
• LAVO Metering & Data Charge of 60c Day = $219 Year.
• Plus you still have to Pay 25c per kWh if you Consume above the 13.3kWh or 26.6kWh Day LAVO Plan.
• Considering a 5.12kWh Lithium Phosphate Battery currently only Costs $3'500.00 each.

Until LAVO clarifies why there Hydrogen System is no-longer available, below is just BS !

LAVO say there module produces hydrogen from tap water with an electrolyser, a process powered by solar panels or any other from of Hi-amp power.  The Hydrogen is stores in patented Metal Hydride canisters, and is converted back into AC power on demand via a fuel cell .

The LAVO Module dimensions is said to be 168 x 124 x 40 cm and weighs approx. 200 kg, that's not bad considering 4x 10 kWh LiFePO4 Modules weigh 400kg – so the LAVO works out to be 200 kg lighter than four 10kWh LiFePO4 modules.

LAVO says a bathtub of water "could power the house for 2 weeks".  So, anywhere from 300~400 litres. That's about a $1 worth of water.  The company recommends using drinkable Town water, as hard or dirty water will result in the Filters and Reverse Osmosis membrane needing to be replaced more often, that's another ongoing cost to consider.

The round trip efficiency of the LAVO unit is said to be approximately 50%, due to energy being lost in the process of electrolysis and at the fuel cell conversion.

This YouTube video by "Just Have a Think" tells the story of this Technology, and is worth a listen, the good information starts at 5:30 seconds;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_bTjcjqN6c

Until LAVO tables why there Hydrogen System is No-longer available, we recommend you avoid there "EAAS Lithium Battery Marketing spin", as they may not be around much longer !

--- Nickel Hydrogen Battery ---

Nickel Hydrogen (NiH2) Battery Technology was first used in Aerospace 30 years ago, and is still being used in the latest Aerospace projects like the International Space Station, Mars mission & powers the Mars Rover.

The NiH2 Batteries may be another solution for providing reliable Residential & Grid Scale Power, as they have a proven track record to Retain 86% or there Energy after 30'000 Cycles  ENERVENUE is currently backing the Technology as the next step forward.    Watch this Nickel Hydrogen Battery Video  it explains it well;

--- VEHICLE Hydrogen Systems ---

This Australian company Hydrogen Fuel Systems   is marketing Retrofitted Vehicle Hydrogen Fuel Systems, these appear to be able to increase the Vehicle Fuel Economy by up to from 34%~43%, they cost from $4'500~$5'500 per Kit depending on the Engine size.

This Vehicle Hydrogen System has been University Tested to provide an increase in Fuel Efficiency of between 32%~43%, for both Petrol & Diesel Engines.

Vehicle Hydrogen Kits only require three Fuel Cells that Manufacture & supply enough Hydrogen

There are fewer Commercial Hydrogen Fuel Cells, NUVERA is one of the leading Proton Exchange cells.

--- STATIONARY ENGINE Hydrogen Project ---

For people looking to make there own Hydrogen Generator, this is a Great Video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d85OX6yEwE0