Advances in Hydrogen Production, Storage and Distribution Preface

Since the 1970s the 'hydrogen economy' has denoted an energy infrastructure based on hydrogen produced from non-fossil energy feedstocks. The 'hydrogen economy' involves replacing the petroleum fuels used for transportation vehicles. Hydrogen is burned in internal-combustion and external-combustion engines, or supplied to fuel cells, to generate power in a more environmentally friendly way. Hydrogen can be utilized both as a fuel for direct combustion and for producing electricity in fuel cells for both stationary and mobile applications. An important benefit of using hydrogen as an energy carrier is its outstanding properties for environmental protection. In the last decade the 'hydrogen economy' has been seen as one way to solve the problem of climate change and air pollution caused by emissions from the use of fossil fuels. This book is divided into three sections which discuss the fundamentals of hydrogen production and its impact on the environment, hydrogen production, storage and distribution. In Part I of the book (Fundamentals of hydrogen production), Chapter 1 (Kim, Boo, Cho and Moon) provides an overview of the development of a hydrogen infrastructure, and its implications for the hydrogen economy. Chapter 2 (Ota, Mitsushima, Matsuzawa, Ishihara) discusses the global effect of an energy carrier, such as hydrogen and hydrocarbons, on the natural cycles of materials, such as the hydrogen cycle (water cycle) compared to the carbon cycle. The authors introduce the concept of the Environmental Impact Factor as a means of measuring the effects of the hydrogen economy. Chapter 3 (Twigg and Dupont) reviews the early development of large-scale coal-based hydrogen production in the context of ammonia synthesis, before outlining more modern technologies using hydrocarbon feedstocks. The authors discuss catalytic steam reforming as well as partial oxidation approaches and catalytic autoreforming. A clear description of hydrogen production, its storage and utilization is given in Chapter 4 (Fino). Chapter 5 (Zanfir) describes the production of hydrogen through microreactor systems, pointing out the advantages and drawbacks of this technology at the industrial level. In particular, the author assesses the potential of microreactors in stationary, portable and mobile applications, with promising developments by several industrial suppliers. The second part of the book (Hydrogen production from renewable sources) starts with Chapter 6 (Kelly), which describes the fundamental aspects of electrolysis. The author describes the combination of high-pressure water electrolysis with a renewable energy source to provide a fuelling system for fuel-cell electric vehicles. Chapter 7 (Bensaid, Ruggeri, Saracco) describes photo-electro-chemical CO2 conversion to produce methanol as a key intermediate for the production of fine chemicals (such as fragrances, flavourings, adhesives, etc.), integrated with a lignocellulosic biorefinery. Chapter 8 (Chiarello and Selli) gives a detailed description of the photocatalytic production of hydrogen from solar energy, paying particular attention to both the development of innovative materials and the different set-ups and devices. Chapter 9 (Anisha and John) discusses the bioengineering of algae for biological production of hydrogen, pointing out that this technology can be considered a sustainable method to solve the current energy crisis. Chapter 10 (Giaconia) describes thermochemical and other methods for the production of hydrogen. The last part of the book (Hydrogen production using membrane reactors, storage and distribution) begins with Chapter 11 (Piemonte, Di Paola, De Falco, Dalena, Iulianelli, Basile), which provides an overview of the production of hydrogen through membrane reactors as alternatives to conventional reactors. It also describes both traditional bio-hydrogen production and production via bio-membrane reactors. Chapter 12 (Matsumoto, Yukawa, Nambu) reviews key terms and applications of the quantitative evaluation method for the mechanical properties in group 5 metals. Chapter 13 (Yukawa, Nambu, Matsumoto) describes the mechanisms of hydrogen permeation through metal membranes, as well as the design of group 5 metal-based alloy membranes. Chapter 14 (Millet) discusses hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials, giving a general view of the principles behind hydrogen adsorption and the different material types used for storage applications. The chapter also describes the use of nanoporous materials in practical hydrogen storage units. Chapter 15 (Broom and Book) reviews chemical methods (metal and chemical hydrides) for hydrogen storage, including reversible hydrogen storage in hydride forming metals and intermetallics. Chapter 16 (Squadrito, Andaloro, Ferraro, Antonucci) discusses the use of hydrogen in fuel cells, and their range of applications, as well as the advances required for the large-scale commercialization of fuel-cell technology (particularly, polymer electrolyte and solid oxide fuel cells). In conclusion, Chapter 17(Anstrom) focuses on hydrogen as a useful fuel for several applications, including the variety of available feedstocks and energy resources from which hydrogen can be produced. The editors would particularly like to thank all the authors for their work in the preparation of the chapters for this book.