A Composite Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Society

• Main Authors: I-Ching CHEN, 陳怡靜
• Other Authors: Yasuhiro FUKUSHIMA
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/89788206096730945193

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 環境工程學系碩博士班 === 97 === The use of hydrogen as alternative energy carrier has been receiving attentions due to its various advantages: ex. breakaway from dependency on fossil fuels, decentralized energy systems for secure supply and with less transportation, centralization of emissions of pollutants at the hydrogen production stage, and the availability of efficient energy conversion devices such as fuel cells. From environmental point of view, the impacts induced by emissions and consumption at different life cycle stages of hydrogen should be taken into consideration. Although there is a wide spectrum of growing literature exploring different possible production and utilization pathways of hydrogen, a comprehensive analysis method on achieving environmentally- friendly hydrogen society is still absent. Therefore, the objective of this study is to present an assessment method that allows decision-makers analyze consequences of introduction of related technologies in a strategic manner when designing the future hydrogen society. The method needs to allow assessment of a composite of production and utilization technologies that build up the envisioned hydrogen society. Using the novel methodology termed composite life cycle assessment, a possible future hydrogen society with appropriate hydrogen amounts based on a chosen set of technologies will be assessed from environmental life cycle perspectives. First, Production and Utilization curves are constructed by accumulating impacts associated with a technology over hydrogen supply and demand respectively. Each technology makes up one segment in the curves, taking resource availability and service demand into account. Next, the two curves are added over envisioned hydrogen utilization to synthesize an Impact curve. Case studies on assessment of changes in greenhouse gas emission induced by hydrogen-based transportation systems in Taiwan are conducted by using the methodology presented. The results of maximum environmental impact hydrogen, utilization amount of absolute emission reduction and maximum emission reduction were calculated. The composite life cycle assessment method is developed to allow decision-makers conduct strategic analyses on aware choice of hydrogen technologies. The presented case studies demonstrate the use of methodology, and shows possibility of feedback on target efficiencies and consequential environmental benefits to the researchers developing the technologies assessed. By collecting more data on wider variety of hydrogen related technologies, an assessment platform for hydrogen platform can be constructed. It is recommended that such a platform be constructed to make the most of the technological assets generated as a result of research activities. As a result, the platform enables optimization of possible future hydrogen society using various criteria and constraints. Keywords: Composite LCA, Hydrogen technologies, Taiwanese hydrogen society, Transportation sector