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Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

New article: Economic Analysis of Hydrogen Production from Wastewater and Wood for Municipal Bus System

Article: Hatch C, Center A, Feitelberg AS, Fisher EM, Mutolo PF; (2013)  Economic Analysis of Hydrogen Production from Wastewater and Wood for Municipal Bus System.  International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 38 (36); 16002-16010

DOI

Abstract:  The levelized cost of hydrogen for municipal fuel cell buses has been determined using the DOE H2A model for steam methane reforming (SMR), molten carbonate fuel cell reforming (MCFC), and wood gasification using wastewater biogas and willow wood chips as energy feedstocks. 300 kg H-2/day was chosen as the design capacity. Greenhouse gas emissions were calculated for each for the three processes and compared to diesel bus emissions in order to assess environmental impact. The levelized cost per kilogram for SMR, MCFC, and gasification is $5.12, $8.59, and $10.62, respectively. SMR provided the lowest sensitivity to feedstock price, and lowest levelized cost at various scales, with competitive cost to diesel on a cost/km basis. All three technologies provide a reduction in total greenhouse gases compared to diesel bus emissions, with MCFC providing the largest reduction. These results provide preliminary evidence that small scale distributed hydrogen production for public transportation can be relatively cost-effective and have minimal environmental impact. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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