Doctoral themes 2023

Optimizing the hydrogen storage reversibility on liquid organic hydrogen carriers

Supervisors

Maria Fátima Montemor, mfmontemor@ecnico.ulisboa.pt

Tiago A. Fernandes, tiago.a.fernandes@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Diogo M. F. Santos,  diogosantos@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Registration Institution

Instituto Superior Técnico

Project description

 Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) are an exciting energy-storage technology that can change hydrogen storage and transportation. Chemically bonding hydrogen to LOC, hydrogen may be stored and transported safely in the liquid state, eliminating the need for high-pressure storage tanks.

One advantage of LOHCs is their compatibility with existing infrastructures, making it a particularly appealing alternative for decarbonizing energy-intensive industries such as transportation, chemical manufacture and power generation. LOHC technology has the potential to play a substantial part in the transition to a more sustainable and renewable energy future.

The main objectives are: 1) Selection and characterization of LOHCs, with interesting potential for industrial applications; 2) On-line assessment of LOHC physical parameters (e.g., density, viscosity) over a wide range of P-T; 3) LOHC ageing research & number of life cycles; 4) Identification of secondary reactions and by-products generated during LOHCs’ hydrogenation and dehydrogenation (GC-MS, LC-MS, and NMR); 5) Suitable pressure reactor design and system assembly; 6) Testing selected LOHCs in the reactors under several pressure and temperature conditions for the optimizations of the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation parameters. Ecotoxicological assessment of the developed materials and systems are also important. This multidisciplinary project combines organic, analytical, inorganic & materials chemistry with energy science, sustainability & engineering. It includes a company in the sector, TecnoVeritas, two research groups of CQE (G5, G10) and the Center of Physics and Engineering of Advanced Materials. The project addresses the challenges of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Goals 7, 8, 9, 11).

Keywords

 Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs)

Energy storage

Hydrogen storage and transportation

Sustainable and renewable energy

Green hydrogen