5. Environmental and energy aspects

5.1 Hydrogen production and distribution

Hydrogen can be produced by steam reforming of hydrogen-rich fuels. This process is highly energy-efficient, up to 90% (losses being mainly thermal). However, the CO ₂ emitted during this transformation is greater than the direct combustion of these fuels. Water electrolysis is the process which, if the electricity used is decarbonized, makes it possible to obtain green hydrogen. Electrolysis efficiency can reach 85% for large-scale PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) technology.

Hydrogen transport and distribution require storage in compressed or liquid form. Compression losses are of the order of 10 to 20% in energy for pressures between 300 and 700 bar. For hydrogen liquefaction,...

You do not have access to this resource.

Exclusive to subscribers. 97% yet to be discovered!

You do not have access to this resource.
Click here to request your free trial access!

Already subscribed? Log in!

The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference

A Comprehensive Knowledge Base, with over 1,200 authors and 100 scientific advisors

+ More than 10,000 articles and 1,000 how-to sheets, over 800 new or updated articles every year

From design to prototyping, right through to industrialization, the reference for securing the development of your industrial projects

This article is included in

Vehicules and mobility

This offer includes:

Knowledge Base

Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees

Services

A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources

Practical Path

Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills

Doc & Quiz

Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading

Subscribe now!

Ongoing reading
Environmental and energy aspects

Previous
page Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on the market

Economic aspects

Bibliography

(1) - GRIMES (P.G.) - Historic pathways for fuel cells – The new electric century. - IEEE AES Systems Magazine, p. 7-10 (2000).
(2) - MOND (L.), LANGER (C.) - A new form of gas battery. - Phil. Mag., vol. 46, p. 296-304 (1889)....

Standards and norms

Hydrogen fuel – Product specification – Part 2: Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell applications for road vehicles. - ISO/TS 14687-2 - 2012
Hydrogen gas and hydrogen gas mixtures – Fuel tanks for land vehicles. - ISO/TS 15869 - 2009
Considérations fondamentales pour la sécurité des systèmes à l'hydrogène. - ISO/TR 15916 - 2004
Transportable gas storage devices – Hydrogen absorbed in a reversible...

Regulations

In addition to the traditional type-approval rules for combustion-powered vehicles and the rules relating to the electrification of the propulsion system, fuel cell vehicles are subject to specific European regulations, such as EC 79/2009 and its implementing directive 406/2010. These two regulations require proof of the hydrogen system's operational safety. They also require "type-approval" for the most sensitive components...