Publication Detail

Optimal Design of a Fossil Fuel-Based Hydrogen Infrastructure with Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Case Study in Ohio

UCD-ITS-RP-05-07

Presentation Series

Hydrogen Pathways Program

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Suggested Citation:
Johnson, Nils, Christopher Yang, Meng-Cheng Ni, Joshua Johnson, David Z. Lin, Joan M. Ogden (2005) Optimal Design of a Fossil Fuel-Based Hydrogen Infrastructure with Carbon Capture and Sequestration: Case Study in Ohio. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Presentation Series UCD-ITS-RP-05-07

Presented at the National Hydrogen Association Annual Hydrogen Conference (NHA 2005), Washington, DC, March 29 - April 1, 2005

The use of hydrogen as a light-duty transportation fuel requires the development of a widespread regional hydrogen infrastructure, including production facilities, a distribution network, and refueling stations. In the case of fossil-based hydrogen production with carbon capture and sequestration, additional infrastructure is needed for CO2 disposal. If construction of this infrastructure is to proceed, it is necessary to identify strategies for minimizing the cost while maximizing the utility during the transition. We have developed an infrastructure model that identifies the major parameters that determine infrastructure cost and uses a geographic information system (GIS) to apply these parameters to optimize infrastructure design for a given region.

In this paper, the model is applied to a regional case study of a potential coalbased hydrogen economy in Ohio with CO2 capture and sequestration. The objective is to model the optimal hydrogen infrastructure design for the entire state under different market penetration scenarios. GIS facilitates this analysis by allowing one to use existing spatially-referenced data, such as population distribution, coal resources, existing infrastructure, and CO2 sequestration sites, to calculate the location and magnitude of hydrogen demand and optimize the placement of production facilities and pipeline networks for transporting hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Engineering/economic models that identify the costs and technical performance of infrastructure components allow for the calculation of the costs, energy usage and emissions of different hydrogen infrastructure options. Based on these parameters, it is possible to identify the lowest cost infrastructure design for supplying hydrogen to users under multiple scenarios. The goal of this research is to increase understanding of the economics and design issues related to hydrogen infrastructure development under real-world constraints.