Solar Hydrogen Project at Neunburg vorm Wald, Germany

Toward the future

The Solar Hydrogen Project at Neunburg vorm Wald, Germany

The future of energy supply

Energy means life and prosperity Energy is vital to every sphere of human activity. About a third of all the energy consumed by the world's population is used in the private sector. With their need for heat and light and desire for mobility, people have come to regard electric power as a matter-of-fact convenience. Transportation and industry account for the other two-thirds of energy used. The more industrialized a region is, the bigger is its per capita energy consumption, leading to the highly industrialized countries - home to barely 20 percent of the world's population today spending some 80 percent of the world's total energy input. As the developing countries grow economically, energy consumption will increase there, too. Danger for the environment At the present time, around 90 percent of the world's energy demands is met by fossil fuels, meaning coal, oil and natural gas. Combustion of these fuels generates vast quantities of carbon dioxide, CO 2, which is now known to contribute to warming of the earth's atmosphere. Reducing the rate of CO2 emissions is desirable in order to diminish the serious impact of global warming, commonly known as the greenhouse effect. Nuclear and water power, both of which are "clean" as regards CO 2, supply about ten percent of the energy used worldwide.

Responsible management of natural resources Another problem to be faced is the finite availability of fossil resources. If we are to satisfy the rising demand for energy in an environmentally acceptable manner and ensure a supply for future generations, we must explore new reserves. One direction to be followed is that of renewable energy sources, above all solar power. The amount of energy reaching the earth from the sun in just half an hour equals an entire year's primary energy converted by man into heat or electricity. By finding ways to harness this solar energy, we can conserve fossil fuel resources and protect the environment at the same time. The sun shines only at times Meanwhile a whole number of technologies have been developed for utilizing the sun's heat and light. But there is a fundamental drawback to this supply of energy. The sun shines only during the daytime, longer in the summer than in winter and stronger in southern than in northern latitudes.

Insolation levels in Germany

Fig. 1 Precisely when and where energy is needed most - at night time, in winter and in the cold north - there simply isn't enough direct solar energy to answer the requirements. Moreover, the density of solar energy is lower by comparison with familiar fossil sources. Accordingly a way is needed of storing solar energy so that variations in its availability can be balanced out and the supply of energy can be better matched to demand. One possible storage medium is hydrogen, which can be produced using solar energy for subsequent utilization as an artificially generated secondary form of energy.

Supply of insolation energy compared with final energy requirement Annual trend in Germany

Fig. 2

Daily variation of global insolation Measurements at Neunburg vorm Wald, Germany

Fig. 3

Gas of many virtues Hydrogen is by far the most common element in nature. It is extremely light and is a constituent of water and many organic compounds. Being a natural part of the biological cycle, it is neutral to the environment. On the technical side, hydrogen possesses a number of advantageous properties. It can be stored and transported in the form of a gas or liquid or chemical compounds. It burns with a good energy yield, producing water unaccompanied by carbon dioxide or global warming potential. For several decades hydrogen has been widely used as a feedstock in industry, where it is manufactured by various methods, mostly from natural gas or crude oil. It is also obtained as a byproduct from numerous chemical processes. Hydrogen can otherwise be produced by the electrolysis of water, which involves passing an electric current through water to dissociate it into its elements.

The Solar Hydrogen Project at Neunburg vorm Wald

Origins It always takes time for new technologies to establish themselves. Conversion from wood to coal, from coal to oil, from oil to natural gas and the introduction of electricity have taught us that such a cycle spans a period of 50 to 60 years. Work on building a solar hydrogen world must therefore start today if it is to be in running order by the time fossil fuel supplies near their end. Politicians are generally not so inclined to think in terms of such long periods of

time. Major business companies on the other hand, and particularly members of the energy industry, are accustomed to planning decades ahead. As a result, the Bayernwerk, BMW, Dasa, Linde and Siemens companies joined forces in 1986 to form the solar hydrogen company Solar-Wasserstoff-Bayern GmbH (SWB). Dasa left the joint venture at the end of September 1994 to pursue the idea on its own. Concept SWB set itself the task of building, operating and testing a solar hydrogen energy system in a demonstration project which remains unique in the world for completeness and size. The concept represents the ideal case of an environmentally compatible energy cycle. Sunlight is employed to generate electric power in solar cells, the current then being used in electrolyzers to separate water into its constituents hydrogen and oxygen. Both product gases are stored on site. The hydrogen supply is either burned to produce heat, fed to fuel cell plants to generate electricity and heat, or liquefied for use as motor fuel. Each reaction results in reconversion of hydrogen to water.

Fig. 4

from source: Daimler Benz AG

Objective In a solar hydrogen energy scheme, as elsewhere, it is a long way from the technical inception to market readiness. The objective defined for the Neunburg vorm Wald project was accordingly to improve the system components, test them in interaction with one another and among other things reduce conversion losses, advance their suitability for practical implementation, and develop optimized overall concepts. First and foremost, the aim is to lower the first cost and operating expense, because the system can only compete with conventional energy supplies if it has prospects of being introduced on a major scale. All

these aims are not to be attained by laboratory work alone. Actual field experience is necessary to promote further development of components and the complete system. SWB therefore set about installing and linking up the principal components of a solar hydrogen energy scheme at the Neunburg vorm Wald site. Organization Shares in SWB are now distributed among Bayernwerk, which holds the majority of 70 percent, and the three companies BMW, Linde and Siemens, each holding ten percent. The project got underway in 1985 with the preliminary planning and is due to terminate after 13 years at the end of 1999. The total budget amounts to DM 128 million with the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology contributing 35 percent of the costs qualifying for public sponsorship and the Bavarian State Ministry of Economics, Transport and Technology funding 15 percent. Location The SWB plant (Fig.5) is situated about two kilometres south of the small town of Neunburg vorm Wald in eastern Bavaria. Grounds of five hectares were purchased to accommodate the solar generators, the operating building and workshop, a liquid hydrogen vehicle refuelling station and a multi-purpose building incorporating an information center (Fig. 6). Public interest in the project is substantial, as reflected in the average of 1,000 visitors to the facility every month, among them numerous experts from all parts of the world.

Fig. 5

Fig. 6 Outlook The project is scheduled to close on December 31, 1999. A final report will be prepared detailing the valuable experience gained from it to the end. One thing certain even now is that the project has broken the ground for utilization of hydrogen as an energy medium. The know -how accumulated to date has already been put to use in other projects, for instance the Munich Airport Hydrogen project, the megawatt Solar Roof on the exhibition buildings of Neue Messe Mnchen, fuel cell propulsion for municipal vehicles and Coordination of the Bavarian Hydrogen Initiative (WIBA).

Electricity and hydrogen generated with solar energy

Electric power from sunlight Solar cells are used to convert sunlight directly into electrical energy, a process known as the photovoltaic effect. The cells are made from various semiconductor materials, mostly silicon up to now. They have been a customary source of power in satellites and space stations for many decades. Commonly shimmering in a graphite to blue tone, the panels of cells are assembled into modules mounted on suitable frames which are ideally aligned southward for maximum exposure to the sun. Different types of solar cells have been tested at the SWB project: monocrystalline cells consisting of thin wafers of silicon monocrystal, polycrystalline cells in which the crystals are variously oriented, and amorphous cells marked by a noncrystalline structure. Advanced solar cell designs of each type have been investigated. All told, the cells installed have a capacity of 360 kilowatts, sufficient to supply the electric power needs of about 70 households.

Fig. 7 Outline diagram of the plant Dissociation of water The direct current delivered by the solar cells (Fig. 8) - as long as the sun shines - is converted to be fed into a 220-volt power grid or to be used directly for generation of hydrogen. This is done in electrolyzers, in which water, which is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen, is dissociated into these two elements by passing an electric current through it.

Fig. 8 Three electrolyzers , each of about 100 kilowatts capacity (Fig. 9), have been tested in operation. Working to different principles, they are each capable of generating about 25 cubic

metres of hydrogen per hour. The hydrogen produced by two of the units, and also some of the oxygen, is compressed, treated and stored in vessels at a pressure of up to 30 bar (about 15 times that of an inflated car tyre). Two large outdoor storage vessels at the site hold 5,000 cubic metres of gas. Other storage facilities installed for testing are liquid hydrogen tanks and metal hydrides, in which hydrogen is bonded to a metallic powder.

Fig. 9 Safety first Like many other gases, for instance natural gas, hydrogen will readily ignite under certain conditions. Having no color or odor, it is imperceptible to the human senses. A variety of safety precautions is needed to prevent formation of ignitable gas mixtures, all of which have been duly implemented in the SWB project along with the technical and structural measures necessary to exclude ignition sources and prescribed for that purpose. The storage vessels are sited outdoors, as is the liquid hydrogen refuelling station (Fig. 10).

Fig. 10 Efficient ventilation is installed in parts of the buildings where gas might accumulate. All potential hazard areas are monitored by instruments and controls (Fig. 11) that give early warning of any escaping gas. Equipment containing gas is thoroughly purged with nitrogen before commencing repairs or maintenance work. Also, all staff have been instructed in appropriate safety procedures. Adequate steps have of course been taken for fire prevention and controlling any possible outbreak of fire. In sum all these precautions have helped to avert any serious incident throughout the projectss twelve-year lifetime to date.

Fig.11

The versatile uses of hydrogen

Heating and cooling Hydrogen can be used as a space heating fuel, either on its own or blended with natural gas. In the past, some mixtures of gas including hydrogen (some 50 percent by volume) and methane (some 25 percent) were commonly known as town gas. Various types of heating equipment are undergoing tests within the SWB project. A modified calorific-value heating boiler (Fig. 12, right) has proved reliable in operation, performing excellently especially as regards reduction of atmospheric emissions. Steam generated in the boiler is condensed to yield a further source of energy. Capacity of the boiler is 20 kilowatts, sufficient to heat a single-family house.

Fig. 12 Long-term tests were also successful with a catalytic heater (Fig. 12 , left), in which a blend of natural gas and hydrogen is converted over a catalyst without forming a flame, resulting in relatively low reaction temperatures below 900 degrees Celsius. The flue gas contains less nitrogen oxides than that from conventional burners. Flameless catalytic combustion of hydrogen can also be employed for cooling. An absorption -type refrigeration system (Fig. 13) with a capacity of 17 kilowatts was constructed by converting a conventional air-conditioning refrigeration unit to work on hydrogen and is successfully used to support on-site cooling requirements.

Fig. 13 Generation of electricity As well as heat and cold, electricity can be generated from hydrogen. The equipment that does the job is a fuel cell plant, in which hydrogen is reacted electrochemically with oxygen to form water, yielding electric energy and heat in the process. This is the reverse to water electrolysis. Stated simply, a fuel cell may be likened to a battery that is continuously recharged. The cells of a normal electric battery are discharged when the chemical energy combined in their "fuel" has been spent. If fresh chemical energy is supplied continuously, the battery can keep on delivering electric energy. This is what happens in a fuel cell by feeding in hydrogen and oxygen. In principle a fuel cell plant can operate with a variety of fuels, for instance hydrogen, natural gas, methanol, propane, butane or gasoline. Except with

direct hydrogen feed, the hydrocarbon fuel is first reformed with steam to liberate the hydrogen gas that is ultimately required for the reaction following purification. Oxygen required as the oxidizer may be taken from the surrounding air or supplied direct. The chemical reaction taking place in the fuel cell itself does not produce any pollutants. Emissions do occur on a small level when reforming a fuel, but are still well below those found with other energy converters.

Fig. 14 Various types of fuel cell plants have been compared and tested at Neunburg vorm Wald to determine their suitability for different applications. The phosphoric acid fuel cell plant (PAFC) (Fig. 14) working at around 190 degrees Celsius and yielding export heat at 165 degrees Celsius performed favorably as a stationary system for generating electricity with simultaneous waste heat utilization. Operating at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, the solid polymer fuel cell plant (PEMFC) (Fig. 15 ) at Neunburg vorm Wald has proved suitable for mobile applications. A 10-kilowatt system of this type is installed as the power source in a modified stock electric forklift truck undergoing testing as part of the SWB project. Hydrogen for the fuel cell is supplied by a metal hydride which has a charge lasting for about eight hours of operation.

Fig. 15 Motor fuel Hydrogen can also be used directly as motor fuel in internal-combustion engines, making it an alternative for example to virtually eliminate car exhaust emissions in inner-city traffic. Hydrogen-fuelled experimental vehicles, cars and buses, are already on the road. Before hydrogen power can generally spread to motor transport, however, automobile manufacturers have to build production vehicles with the necessary fuel system and refuelling stations have to be available that are both easy and safe to operate. A filling station for liquid hydrogen has been constructed and optimized by SWB at Neunburg vorm Wald. As an outcome of tests conducted primarily with different fuel-hose coupling and vehicle tank

systems ( Fig. 16 ), time for filling a car fuel tank has been cut to less than three minutes.

Fig. 16

Important results of the Solar Hydrogen Project

Technical evaluation As of the present time, such systems and units as exist for the production and use of hydrogen as an energy medium are mostly still in the prototype stage. Extensive development work is accordingly called for from here on. The SWB project is contributing to the practical groundwork essential for further progress in the components. Numerous workable recommendations have already been relayed to the manufacturers and users, most of which have since been put into effect. For example, knowledge of internal electrical defects occurring in the polycrystalline type of solar generator has prompted the manufacturer to revise the modules. Suggestions have also been brought forward to improve the assembly and insulation of some models. Following modification, the solar generators concerned generally proved reliable in operation. Revamping of the pressure type of water electrolyzer was found to be necessary. Modifications are currently in the process of being tested. Experience acquired with continuous operation of the alkaline low-pressure electrolyzer has been good after making a number of early changes. Useful results have come out of investigating the gas treatment and storage systems. Problems on these concerned the compressors and components of the decentralized process control system for the most part. By and large, work with two of the three heating units tested, the absorption type refrigeration system and the phosphoric acid fuel cell plant may be termed positive since they have been upgraded. Experience is highly promising above all with regard to gradual transition from the current fossil fuel natural gas to the future energy form hydrogen. Test operation of the forklift truck powered by an air-oxidized solid polymer fuel cell plant (Fig. 17) has just commenced. Although its capacity is on the short side, the truck is fully usable both for experimental purposes and as a working machine. Practical testing of the liquid hydrogen fuelling station for motor vehicles, in the course of which advanced fuel coupling and tank systems were developed, was marked by success.

' Fig. 17 Safety issues Operating and safety considerations, as well as plain economics, make it advisable to construct solar hydrogen plants for energy supply schemes as centralized facilities. Like natural gas or propane for example, the production and storage (Fig. 18) of hydrogen and its use as energy demand proven safety engineering and optimum attendance by fully trained personnel. Nothing fundamentally opposes the handling of hydrogen by end -consumers on a broad basis.

Fig. 18

Energy scenarios for the future Owing to its favorable environmental properties, hydrogen is exceedingly desirable as an energy medium. Conversion to hydrogen is nevertheless only meaningful in the environmental context, if it can be produced using renewable energy sources such as solar power. In addition to serving as an energy storage medium for balancing the supply of energy at appropriate times and places, hydrogen can help to reduce local emission levels by being used for example as fuel for space heating in densely populated areas and to power automobiles. With conditions as they are today, solar-generated hydrogen is still very expensive by comparison with conventional energy systems and therefore far removed from being economical. There will presumably be no change in this assessment in the immediate future. Energy supply for the world's population must be expected to remain rooted in a balanced mix of energy forms for the medium term. To assist the commercial introduction of hydrogen technology it will be meaningful to make stepwise transition from natural gas as the fossil fuel in use at present to hydrogen. On the technical side this is possible both with stationary fuel cell plants and vehicle power plants. In this way sensible use could be made of the know-how already available in this field during the gradual build-up of a solar hydrogen energy world.

Solar-Wasserstoff -Bayern GmbH Nymphenburger Strae 39 80335 Mnchen Germany Phone +49-89-12 54-40 81 Fax +49-89-12 54-40 82

Information Center of Solar-Wasserstoff -Bayern GmbH Brnhof 1 92431 Neunburg vorm Wald Germany Open Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 12 pm 1 pm to 4 pm Arrangements may be made for group visits at other times. Phone +49-9672-1882 Fax +49-9672-4155

Issue: March 1999