Hydrogen Discovery and Production

Hydrogen Discovery and Properties

• Henry Cavendish discovered hydrogen in 1766 by reacting zinc with hydrochloric acid.
• Hydrogen flames are pale blue and difficult to see in daylight due to the lack of soot.
• Hydrogen has the highest energy content per unit of weight making it ideal for weight-sensitive applications like aerospace.

Hydrogen Production

• Steam methane reforming (SMR) is the primary chemical process for hydrogen production: it reacts methane (CH₄) and steam (H₂O) to produce carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂).
• The Middle East has the lowest hydrogen production cost without carbon capture and storage (CCUS) due to its abundance of low-cost natural gas.
• Heterogeneous catalysis is preferred for hydrogen production: it allows for easier separation of the catalyst from the products, which is essential for industrial processes.
• Pre-reformers optimize the main reformer efficiency by converting complex hydrocarbons into simpler ones, reducing catalyst fouling.

Hydrogen Storage and Transportation

• Metal hydrides offer a more secure, compact method for storing hydrogen in mobile applications, eliminating the need for high-pressure containers.
• Type V all-composite tanks with no metal liner are a promising new design for hydrogen storage in automotive applications. These tanks are lighter and more cost-effective than traditional designs.

Hydrogen Modeling and Machine Learning

• Machine learning (ML) is used to accelerate the discovery of new hydrogen storage materials: regression models are used to predict the hydrogen absorption capacity of materials based on their chemical composition.