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Green hydrogen can be the transitional solution required to reduce anthropogenic emissions and enhance energy independency from fossil fuel. To improve green hydrogen adoption, a cluster-based infrastructure, called a hydrogen hub, is devised taking into account the demand-supply interplay coupled with transport ease. In this paper, we have identified sites across states that are conducive for hydrogen hubs. It involves a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) framework deployed to assign priorities within competing set of criteria. A comprehensive analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to rank criteria that are connected to establish a functioning hydrogen hub. These criteria include, but not limited to, proximity to refineries, fertilizer plants, substations, chlor-alkali units, steel manufacturing plants, water availability, access to gas pipelines, railway line access, and finally distance to highways. Our analyses indicate that proximity to refineries and fertilizers scored higher (scores directly proportional to importance) while railway line access scored the least. These prioritised scores are used to spatially locate sites using geographical information system. In a total of thirteen states identified, Gujarat had the largest parcel of most suitable land for setting up hydrogen hub followed by Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. For India to set up a functioning hydrogen economy and achieve green hydrogen goals, it is important to identify states that can drive the agenda forward. This paper illustrates a way (amongst many available ways) to identify states based on their strength and capability to fulfil the national goal of 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030. • The paper addresses setting up of green hydrogen hubs in India based on a multi-criteria site selection framework. • Nine selection criteria covering aspects of hydrogen ecosystem proposed to identify site(s) suitable for hydrogen hubs. • Integration of AHP and GIS is used to ascertain land parcels where hydrogen economy can sustain across states in India. • Zones in 13 states were identified as potential hydrogen hubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid renewable based power generation has emerged as a major breakthrough in electrical power system due to their capability of providing competitive and carbon free electricity to the consumer. This paper presents techno-economic analysis of a grid connected solar photovoltaic-fuel cell based hybrid energy system to supply the electrical load demands of a small shopping complex located at the University campus in India. The proposed system has been designed by considering the cost of energy purchase and sold to the utility grid and further ensuring the smooth power flow management between elements of the system and the utility grid. A simplified mathematical modeling of the proposed hybrid energy system, including power and hydrogen management has been presented to access the potential of hydrogen based energy systems. Component sizing to optimize the net present cost of the proposed system has been performed employing three meta-heuristic algorithms, i.e. , artificial bee colony, particle swarm optimization and a hybrid of both. The experimental results obtained from three algorithms have been compared in terms of cost effectiveness of the system. The hybrid system has been designed to cater the total electricity demand of 135 M W h / y r of a small community center. It has emerged from the simulation results that the total electricity demand could be met with a 106 k W solar photovoltaic, 8 k W fuel cell, 45 k W electrolyzer and a 150 k g of hydrogen tank. The proposed grid connected system has 30 k W grid purchase and 25 k W grid sale capacities, respectively. In this paper, grid sale and purchase capacities have been considered as a decision variable along with other system component sizing. Loss of power supply probability is minimized along with objective function i.e., levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) using the exterior penalty method. It is evident from the results that the proposed system is economically viable with a LCOE of 0.104 $ / k W h. It has emerged from the results that the proposed hybrid energy system may be helpful to promote hydrogen and solar based energy system to reduce the reliance on the overburden grid, particularly, in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper deals with how the Hydrogen Energy may play a crucial role in taking care of the environmental scenario/climate change. The R&D efforts, at the Hydrogen Energy Center, Banaras Hindu University have been described and discussed to elucidate that hydrogen is the best option for taking care of the environmental/climate changes. All three important ingredients for hydrogen economy, i.e., production, storage and application of hydrogen have been dealt with. As regards hydrogen production, solar routes consisting of photoelectrochemical electrolysis of water have been described and discussed. Nanostructured TiO2 films used as photoanodes have been synthesized through hydrolysis of Ti[OCH(CH3)2]4. Modular designs of TiO2 photoelectrode-based PEC cells have been fabricated to get high hydrogen production rate (∼10.35lh−1 m−2). However, hydrogen storage is a key issue in the success and realization of hydrogen technology and economy. Metal hydrides are the promising candidates due to their safety advantage with high volume efficient storage capacity for on-board applications. As regards storage, we have discussed the storage of hydrogen in intermetallics as well as lightweight complex hydride systems. For intermetallic systems, we have dealt with material tailoring of LaNi5 through Fe substitution. The La(Nil − x Fe x )5 (x =0.16) has been found to yield a high storage capacity of ∼2.40wt%. We have also discussed how CNT admixing helps to improve the hydrogen desorption rate of NaAlH4. CNT (8mol%) admixed NaAlH4 is found to be optimum for faster desorption (∼3.3wt% H2 within 2h). From an applications point of view, we have focused on the use of hydrogen (stored in intermetallic La–Ni–Fe system) as fuel for Internal Combustion (IC) engine-based vehicular transport, particularly two and three-wheelers. It is shown that hydrogen used as a fuel is the most effective alternative fuel for circumventing climate change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Active research in the development of hydrogen-fuelled low-emission engines is being pursued at the Engines and Unconventional Fuels Laboratory of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), for a period of close to two decades. This paper highlights the significant pursuits and attainments of the research and development (R&D) activities carried out in IIT, Delhi on hydrogen-operated engines. Both spark ignition (SI) and compression ignition engine test rigs have been developed and instrumented for the use of hydrogen fuel. Several existing petroleum-fuelled engine configurations have been modified by taking care to observe that the converted system does not need substantial hardware modifications. Various fuel induction techniques have been experimentally evaluated keeping in view the temperamental combustion characteristic of this fuel. Curative and preventive steps have been adopted and suitable retrofits and subsystems have been installed at the appropriate locations to preclude the possibility of any undesirable combustion phenomena such as backfire, knocking and rapid rate of pressure rise. Performance, emission and combustion characteristics of the systems have been determined. It has been observed that an appropriately designed timed manifold injection system can overcome the problem of backfire in a hydrogen engine. NOx emission level from a hydrogen-operated SI engine can be drastically reduced by way of lean engine operation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]