Course

Unit 1

Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen economy, Properties of Hydrogen, Methods of hydrogen production: Thermochemical, Photochemical, Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical (PEC) methods.

Steam reforming, Catalyst activation, hydrolysis of NaBH₄, water electrolysis – electrolyzers, Photo-Catalytic Water Splitting, Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Photo-Catalysis, Principles of Photoelectrochemical Cells, Nanostructured a-Fe₂O₃ Photoanodes, Mixed Metal Oxide Photoelectrodes and Photocatalysts, Multijunction Approaches to Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Unit 2

 Hydrogen Storage

Hydrogen storage methods – Compressed gas, Liquid state and Solid-state methods.

Solid-state hydrogen storage: Metal hydrides, Intermetallic hydrides, complex hydrides, Physisorption of hydrogen on porous materials. thermodynamics and kinetics of metal hydrides, tailoring reaction enthalpy of hydrides, nanoparticles for hydrogen storage. nanoparticles in 3D support. Various methods of nanomaterial synthesis, Carbon based materials for hydrogen storage

Unit 3

Applications

Fuel cells, Electrochemistry and thermodynamics of fuel cells, Types of fuel cells, Proton exchange membrane cells- Current collectors and gas delivery system, Gas diffusion layers, Catalyst action, Overall performance and reversible operation, Degradation and lifetime. Combustion engines with Hydrogen fuel and Hydrogen sensing.

Pre-requisites: Basic math, physics and chemistry

Total number of classes: 45

Course Outcomes:

• To understand the Hydrogen economy and properties of Hydrogen as fuel.
• Introduce the hydrogen production and storage technologies.
• Applications of hydrogen as fuel in combustion engines and fuel cells.

1. Handbook of Hydrogen Energy edited by S. A. Sherif, D. Yogi Goswami, CRC Press
2. Handbook of Hydrogen Storage: New Materials for Future Energy Storage edited by Michael Hirscher, Wiley-2010.
3. Nanomaterials for solid state hydrogen storage-Robert A. Varin, springer 2007.
4. Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Emerging Technologies and Applications (Sustainable World) Bent Sorensen, Elsevier Academic Press 2005.