Understanding fluid behaviour and material properties is critical to ensuring gaseous and liquid hydrogen can be safely and economically stored and transported.
Areas of focus:
Applications:
The Monash Technology Precinct aims to be net zero by 2030. Within the precinct, there are several possible applications of hydrogen, including buses and trucks and several users of liquid nitrogen (currently trucked in) on site. There exist synergies between the production of liquid nitrogen and hydrogen which may lower capital cost barriers. A feasibility study examined end-users in the Monash Precinct and regional Victoria to provide renewable hydrogen for commercial users and pilot scale projects. The study was completed by ENGIE Impact, supported by Nikkiso Cryoquip. Funding for this project was provided by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) through the Victorian Government's Renewable Hydrogen Business Ready Fund (BRF). Key Researchers: Prof Paul Webley, Dr Tom Hughes, Prof Jacek Jasieniak.
The main challenge in the storage, handling and transportation of liquid hydrogen (LH2) is boil-off gas (BOG) generation which results in the loss of the valuable exportable commodity, unless it is reliquefied or utilised in an efficient manner. The production and liquefaction of hydrogen are highly energy intensive processes and therefore BOG management has an important role to play in preserving the liquid hydrogen produced. This project aims to investigate strategies, including refrigeration, that are cost-effective and feasible to minimise energy requirements for BOG management.
This project is supported by the Woodside Monash Energy Partnership.
Hydrogen is a versatile energy carrier which may be used to transport renewable power over long distances. Liquid hydrogen (LH2) offers significantly greater volumetric energy density compared to gaseous compressed hydrogen. Designing systems to handle hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures (20K) requires careful consideration of heat ingress and material issues such as embrittlement and thermal cycling. This project investigates the feasibility of large scale LH2 storage and transportation in the context of structures and insulation systems, as well as methods for reducing boil-off such as magnetocaloric cooling and integrated refrigeration and storage (IRAS).
This project aims to test effective strategies to re-use Australia’s depleted gas fields for large-scale, long-term, renewable energy storage. A critical challenge in the years ahead will be to effectively store large volumes of hydrogen for long periods (months and years). The overall expected outcome of this research is to fully understand the performance and the geological and environmental implications of long-term storage of hydrogen in empty gas fields.
This project is in partnership with Cambridge University and Pennsylvania State University.