Session: 03-03 Hydrogen Sustainability, Affordability and Safety

Paper Number: 102283

102283 - Techno-Economic Analysis of a Physisorption-Based Hydrogen Storage System 

A new concept for hydrogen storage, the Cryogenic Flux Capacitor (CFC) is presented and analyzed from a technical and economic point of view. Due to the increasing relevance of CO2-neutral energy production and storage, hydrogen-based technologies offer an alternative to battery-based energy storage. The CFC stores hydrogen as an intermediate between high-pressure and cryogenic concepts. Hydrogen is cooled down to 80 K by using liquid nitrogen. In the storage tank, the hydrogen binds within nanoscale pores within an aerogel composite blanket material. It is therefore possible to operate the CFC under different pressures with practical storage times between 10 and 100 hours.

This paper first examines the cost of a lab-scaled version of the CFC. In a parametric study, the sensitivity of the operational costs over the lifetime of the capacitator depending on pressure and storage duration are explored. More specifically, the operating costs for fuel and cooling systems (e.g. hydrogen and liquid nitrogen) are calculated in addition to the fixed material costs.

Secondly, the economic viability of using the system when connected to a power grid based on renewable energies is examined where the price of electricity varies significantly depending on energy supply and demand. Finally, the cost model for the Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) is applied to the CFC system. Thus, the overall costs in $/kWh are presented and compared to other common energy storage systems.

This paper examines the future possibilities and relevance of the CFC system regarding economic viability and feasibility at a relevant scale.

Presenting Author: Marcel Otto University of Central Florida

Presenting Author Biography: Post doc at UCF

Authors:

Yannik Schueler University of Central Florida
Marcel Otto University of Central Florida
Jayanta Kapat University of Central Florida
Joshua Schmitt SwRI