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Dynamic simulation and evaluation of renewable hydrogen supply chains to a refinery
Publikationstyp
Conference Paper
Date Issued
2017-05
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Institut
TORE-URI
Start Page
1199
End Page
1208
Citation
International Gas Union Research Conference - Natural Gas: Catalysing the Future, IGRC 2017 (IGU) Band 2: 1199-1208
Contribution to Conference
ISBN
978-1-5108-6317-0
In this presentation, three alternative hydrogen supply chains are investigated. After generation by means of an electrolyzer using surplus renewable power, the hydrogen is stored and transported by a) the natural gas grid and reclaimed by the existing steam reformer, b) an own pipeline and C) hydrogen trailers. The analysis is applied to the city of Hamburg, Germany, for the years of 2035 and 2050. For these years, the annual course of the excess power is determined by extrapolating the curves of volatile renewables and subtracting the annual demand curve. By analyzing measured data from an existing refinery in the south of Hamburg, the replaceable hydrogen flow rate is identified. The location of the power-to-gas plant is chosen considering the high voltage electricity grid, the high-pressure natural gas grid, and salt structures for storage caverns. For modeling the system components, the equation-based modeling language Modelica® is used and relevant dynamic effects are considered. The system elements are designed in such a way that overall costs are minimized. Annual dynamic simulations of the different hydrogen supply chains are performed. Hydrogen production costs, overall efficiencies, and CO2 emissions are determined and compared to the reference case in which hydrogen is produced by the existing steam reformer. It is found that a single-digit percentage of the overall hydrogen demand of the refinery can be substituted by renewable hydrogen. In all three alternative hydrogen supply chains, the CO2 emissions can be reduced while the efficiencies are lower and overall costs are higher compared to the reference case. Transporting the hydrogen via the natural gas grid is the least efficient but the most economical alternative. Using a pipeline is the most efficient option while it will strongly depend on the economic parameters if employing a pipeline or trailers is more cost effective.
DDC Class
620: Ingenieurwissenschaften