HYDROGEN DAIRY Promoting the use of clean energy and aiming for a pylon free future.
the Oval Partnership 2011
HYDROGEN DAIRY
A NEW ENERGY LANDSCAPE
In May 2011 the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the National Grid launched a competition to rethink the design of the electricity pylon.
Meeting the target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 requires substantial change in our energy infrastructure. This new energy landscape will be one underpinned by a diverse mix of renewables. The RIBA competition assumes that our historic paradigm of high voltage electricity transmission is the only future for this new landscape.
Energy doesn’t need to be transported by pylons – or indeed even as electricity - alternatives are possible. Hydrogen allows us to safely store, deliver and use energy and uniquely enables our electrical infrastructure to be unified with the fuel network supplying our transport needs.
The hydrogen dairy is a collaborative group of engineers and architects who believe that the RIBA competition is a missed opportunity to discuss real visions of our future energy landscape and instead propose a true alternative - a new hydrogen landscape.
Our earliest national energy grid was the infrastructure of canals feeding coal to the industrial revolution, whilst our current national energy grid dates from the 1930s integration of separate local electrical suppliers. Each of these grids evolved to suit the technologies and the requirements of the times. We think it is unlikely that our current grid – even with better looking pylons – will be the best solution to a radically new energy landscape built from a diverse range of widely spread renewables. We want to spark a wider debate which challenges preconceptions about our future energy landscape. This future landscape encompasses not just electricity but also the parallel energy network we use to fuel our cars and trucks. This landscape will also feature significant changes to the current relationships between energy suppliers and users.
We wish to collaborate with other groups to further this debate and explore means to help promote and realise the potential of a new hydrogen based energy landscape.
HYDROGEN DAIRY
The prospect of a multitude of smaller scale, renewable energy sources proliferating across the landscape, often sited in sensitive and remote locations, is what drives this competition to design a better pylon.
Yet we ask: Is converting and transmitting energy as electricity through above ground cables and pylons the most efficient, appropriate or environmentally sensitive solution? We think not.
Instead, we propose a national network of hydrogen dairies. These are wind, solar & hydro energy production sources switched to produce hydrogen instead of electricity. The hydrogen produced can be stored and collected daily or weekly in local, small scale networks or it can be piped underground to the national network when greater volumes are produced and longer distances must be traveled. The argument for hydrogen as the fuel source of the future is steadily being won with hydrogen powered buses now a reality in London. The benefit of hydrogen storage allows it to provide a ‘sponge’ or damper to soak up demand fluctuations in the existing grid, enabling an easy transition to a hydrogen fuel economy. Hydrogen is the right technology to store and transport energy from a myriad of sources of widely varying size and capacity scattered across the landscape – just as milk is collected from farms large and small through an adaptable, flexible network. And, just as the milkman now delivers potatoes, orange juice and a connection to the outside world for the rural elderly, this hydrogen network can be used to piggy-back wider commercial and social provisions. Hydrogen is a clean technology that can be seen, understood, and participated in at a variety of scales, giving it a tangible, local dimension that pylons and sub-stations do not offer.
The production and storage of hydrogen can take place at many scales from the macro off-shore wind farm to the micro single windmill or solar panal on a family’s house. The conversion of electricity to hydrogen depends on the efficiency of the “Electrolyzer” • • • • • • • • •
80% efficient large scale Electrolyzers are currently available. At 80% efficiency it takes 49.25kWh to produce 1 kg of Hydrogen Useful average wind speed typically = 6ms-1 (max useable = 25ms-1) Large scale wind turbines: 120m dia turbine, 90m high tower Power output = 15MWh (1,500kWh) Local turbine: 30m dia turbine, 40m high tower Power output = 0.3MWh (300kWh) Smallest worthwile turbine: 12m dia, 18m high tower Power output = 0.15MWh (150kWh)
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a 15MWh wind turbine can produce 30.46kg hydrogen each hour a 0.3MWh wind turbine can produce 6.09kg hydrogen each hour a 0.15MWh wind turbine can produce 3.04kg hydrogen each hour
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Hydrogen stores (tankers etc.) are typically pressurized to 10 atmospheres pressure At 10 bar 1m3 of space = 0.9kg hydrogen Typical fuel trucks hold 34m3 = 30.6kg hydrogen The energy value of the Hydrogen = 33.3kWh/kg So each truck holds 1018.98kWh 1018kWh = energy for heating, lighting and cooking for a typical 3bed house for two months
From the above numbers:
Hydrogen in Small scale storage: • • • • •
By apropriating existing gas-holders to store the hydrogen: • • •
60m dia gas-holder contains 50,000m3 hydrogen At 10 bar 1m3 of space = 0.9kg hydrogen So 60m dia gas-holder = 45,000kg hydrogen = 1,498,500kWh energy = enough for 3000 homes for a month
wind farm hydro solar pipeline major city storage
“With hydrogen we can store the energy we capture, making it possible to save solar power for a rainy day & allowing us to benefit from John, Renewable Futures, renewables 365 days a year.� finding alternatives to fossil fuels brought to you by Hydrogen First, promoting renewable energy sources
Hydrogen energy can be produced wholly through the capture of clean, renewable energy resources - be it solar, wind or hydro - that are found all across the United Kingdom. As hydrogen can easily be stored, there is always backup energy available to put into the national nextwork that can be moved through pipelines and used as necessary when the sun stops shining on solar panels or the winds pause in blowing. By replacing petrol gasoline with hydrogen, there is no longer any need to source such energy from abroad. This turns over a new leaf in the UK’s international relation policies with oil rich countries of the middle east and northern africa, as our reliance upon them for the transportation system’s fuel becomes unnecessary.
The new landscape of energy production will be more diverse, both geographically and in scale than today. The successful integration of these widely spread renewable sources relies on providing storage to balance the peaks of production and usage.
“We want to fuel our country with our energy, renewables are the way forward and Hydrogen power is what will get us there. There’s no need for more oil wars.” Erin, Student, studying the spatial inplications of the physical energy environment on our landscape
brought to you by Hydrogen First, rethinking the role of a pylon in tomorrow’s energy infrastructure
The new landscape of energy production will be more diverse, both geographically and in scale than today. The successful integration of these widely spread renewable sources relies on providing storage to balance the peaks of production and usage.
Whilst very small scale hydro storage (such as the Ffestiniog hydro plant) currently exists, hydrogen uniquely provides both a means of energy storage and transmission. A modest and cheap amount of local hydrogen storage can turn an intermittent source of electricity, such as wind or solar, into a firm dispatchable source that’s far more valuable. The technologies – and much of the infrastructure for building a hydrogen network already exists. At the macro scale the storage of very large amounts of hydrogen in underground caverns at up to 50 bar pressure has been achieved by ICI in Britain without difficulty. Similarly Gaz de France has stored 50%-hydrogen towngas in large aquifers, as has the city of Kiel, Germany.
At the medium scale re-used and converted gasholders provide a ready infrastructure for hydrogen storage conveniently located close to the main centres of use.
At the micro scale (i.e. the household or car) carbon fibre tanks are already being mass produced and provide a small and cheap means of storage to link the national network into household, or community level renewable generation.
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“It’s about creating a national network which fuels a gradual transition away from depleting fossil fuels as an energy source. Dot the landscape with renewable capture & conversion points, use the energy in the local grid first, then transport it to the cities through pipelines.” Susan, [H] plus, a global company designing and executing environmentally conscious infrastructure
brought to you by Hydrogen First: rethinking our national energy system from top to bottom
One of the great advantages of hydrogen is that it can be usefully supplied to the end user directly as hydrogen – i.e. via hydrogen filling stations along the route of the transmission pipeline, or alternatively converted locally by fuel cell and supplied as electricity. The new hydrogen infrastructure therefore replaces both the existing electricity and petroleum transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Hydrogen car technology is proven, and now reaching commercial viability. Commercial production of the hydrogen powered Honda Clarity started in the UK in 2010 giving a top speed of 100mph (160km/h) and a range of 270 miles. Using hydrogen overcomes the issues of battery range, weight and charging time currently holding back the widespread acceptance of electric cars. The fuel cell technology used to power these hydrogen cars is simple, robust and well proven, providing an approx. 2–3 fold increase in efficiency compared to a traditional petrol engine; and also can power existing interneral combustion engines making replacement of all current vehicle stock unnecessary. This all makes for a genuinely emission free ride.
Fuel cell technology used to power hydrogen cars is simple, robust and well proven, providing an approx. 2 – 3 fold increase in efficiency compared to a traditional petrol engine and a genuinely emission free ride.
“Drive carbon free.” Simon, Drive Forward, a campaign group established to find alternatives to petrol
brought to you by Hydrogen First: finding solutions to today’s environmental issues
The transition to a hydrogen economy requires bringing together many existing technologies and giving a second life to much redundant infrastructure.
Processes for converting electricity to hydrogen (by electrolysis) and then if necessary back to electricity via fuel cells are well proven, and increasingly efficient. Techniques also exist for generating hydrogen directly from solar energy. Most manufacturers see hydrogen as the car’s fuel of the future – hydrogen cars, and buses have been tested in the UK and are now entering commercial production. The storage, transmission and use of hydrogen can all be achieved safely. Due to its lightness (over 14 times lighter than air) hydrogen disperses quickly and safely away from any source of leakage. Hydrogen in free air is also very hard to explode, if ignited it does burn, but emits far less heat than a hydrocarbon fire. The existing network of gas transmission pipelines exist could easily be converted to hydrogen service by adding polymer-composite liners, similar to those now used to renovate old water and sewer pipes, plus a hydrogenblocking metallized coating or liner to overcome issues of hydrogen embrittlement.
The transition to a hydrogen economy can be managed in a series of viable small steps, gradually assembling a national infrastructure. Initially hydrogen, locally generated by renewable sources, might link into fuel cells located in commercial buildings (where any waste heat from the fuel cell can be used for space heating). These buildings could then be expanded to provide fuelling for hydrogen cars before being interlinked to create regional, then national networks.
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Renewable energy is captured at small to large scales throughout the landscape - as seen here at the (1) wind farm. This electricity is (2) put directly into the local grid or (3) transported to the local depot through a low-voltage cable. Solar panels are able to generate hydrogen directly (4) transporting it to the depot via pipeline.
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At the local depot the electricity is (5) converted into hydrogen through electrolysis. The depot is best located near a (6) water source, giving new life to much of the country’s redundant canal network. The hydrogen is then either (7) used to power vehicles at the fueling station, (8) stored in converted gas holders or underground caverns, or transported at a local scale via (9) hydrogen trucks and at further distances by a (10) pipeline.
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The (11) hydrogen pipeline leads into the larger cities with smaller (12) local feeds branching off of it to hydrogen fueling stations along the way. Upon reaching the city, the hydrogen can be converted back to electricity at a (13) power station or linked into (14) fuel cells in commerical and residential buildings.
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“The transition to a hydrogen economy can be managed in a series of viable small steps, gradually assembling a national infrastructure.� Stewart, Connect, designing for forward thinking
brought to you by Hydrogen First: finding viable economic alternatives to our energy system
Pylons are the manifestation of our current paradigm of energy transmission. As earlier generations built an infrastructure of canals to transfer coal so the previous generation built an infrastructure of pylons to transfer energy as high voltage electricity from large centralised sources of production to distance centres of use.
The future energy landscape includes a significant portion of renewables and many consumers who are also producers. Pylons can transmit energy, they can’t store it – hydrogen is easily, and efficiently produced from electricity and provides a way to both transfer and store high value energy. Hydrogen provides the future both for domestic and industrial electricity supply, but also the future energy source of our transport network. The legacy of pylons represents a reflection of our past means of generation – it isn’t the only, or the best way to transfer energy. Replacing the pylon infrastructure preserves untouched landscapes and allows existing ones to be re-discovered – the future is hydrogen.
Our legacy of pylons represents a reflection of our past means of generation – it isn’t the only, or the best way to transfer energy. Replacing the pylon infrastructure preserves untouched landscapes and allows existing ones to be re-discovered – the future is hydrogen.
“Electric pylons are iniquitous intrusions in our landscape. We say, put hydrogen pipelines below ground, and leave the sky untouched.”
Alice, Pylon Underground a nonprofit formed to protect the English countryside
brought to you by Hydrogen First: our future is hydrogen
www.hydrogendairy.com RIBA Competition Entry 2011
Design Team
Milk Structures the Oval Partnership tsArchitecture
REFERENCE SOURCES ‘Carbon Footprint Calculator Assumptions’, PG&E Corporation, 2011, http://www.pge.com/about/environment/calculator/ assumptions.shtml ‘Hydrogen’, The Hydrogen Economy, 2011, http:// www.hydrogen.co.uk/h2/offshore_windpower.htm ‘Optimized Hydrogen and Electricity Generation from Wind’, L.J. Fingersh, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2003, ‘Rocky Mountain Institute’, Rocky Mountain Institute, 2011, http://www.rmi.org/rmi/ ‘Thoroughly tested, utterly reliable’, Siemens Energy Sector, 2011, www.siemens.com/energy ‘Twenty Hydrogen Myths’, Amory B.Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute, 2005, ‘We don’t want your power pylons’, The Daily Post, 2005, http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/local/news/wedont-want-your-power-pylons/3625546/
the Oval Partnership