Structural safety guidelines for accidental hydrogen explosion hazards . This project aims to develop structural safety guidelines to mitigate hydrogen explosion hazards which can be identified as a major safety concern due to the higher demand worldwide for sustainable energy sources with no carbon emission. The world’s growing demand for hydrogen and Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy to develop the industry will make Australia a core player in hydrogen production creating a massive econom ....Structural safety guidelines for accidental hydrogen explosion hazards . This project aims to develop structural safety guidelines to mitigate hydrogen explosion hazards which can be identified as a major safety concern due to the higher demand worldwide for sustainable energy sources with no carbon emission. The world’s growing demand for hydrogen and Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy to develop the industry will make Australia a core player in hydrogen production creating a massive economic opportunity. However, the high flammability and low ignition energy of hydrogen makes it vulnerable to accidental explosions. Hence, this project will address the lack of safety protocols in Australian Standards related to the handling of hydrogen by producing essential design recommendations.Read moreRead less
Extracting energy from air: mechanism of a bacterial hydrogenase. The atmosphere has recently been shown to be a key source of energy for diverse soil bacteria. Bacteria use complex enzymes, namely Huc-type hydrogenases, to harvest atmospheric hydrogen directly from air to support growth and survival. However, little is known about how Huc functions within and outside cells. By synergising expertise in microbiology, biochemistry, and chemistry, we will resolve the mechanism, assembly, and integr ....Extracting energy from air: mechanism of a bacterial hydrogenase. The atmosphere has recently been shown to be a key source of energy for diverse soil bacteria. Bacteria use complex enzymes, namely Huc-type hydrogenases, to harvest atmospheric hydrogen directly from air to support growth and survival. However, little is known about how Huc functions within and outside cells. By synergising expertise in microbiology, biochemistry, and chemistry, we will resolve the mechanism, assembly, and integration of Huc, including the basis of its remarkably high affinity and oxygen insensitivity compared to previously studied hydrogenases. This project will enable biotechnological applications, as the first study of an enzyme that extracts energy from air, and has broad ecological and biogeochemical implications.Read moreRead less
Hydrogen generation by subsurface iron mineral transformations. Aim
The aim of this project is to elucidate key factors responsible for natural hydrogen generation in Australian subsurface environments.
Significance
Large amounts of this valuable resource are produced naturally with estimates of production rates of this “gold” hydrogen at least 100 times the annual demand for this critical resource.
Expected Outcomes
Based on improved understanding of the source of natural hydrogen, predictive ....Hydrogen generation by subsurface iron mineral transformations. Aim
The aim of this project is to elucidate key factors responsible for natural hydrogen generation in Australian subsurface environments.
Significance
Large amounts of this valuable resource are produced naturally with estimates of production rates of this “gold” hydrogen at least 100 times the annual demand for this critical resource.
Expected Outcomes
Based on improved understanding of the source of natural hydrogen, predictive tools will be developed that will assist in assessing the viability in Australia of hydrogen exploration and engineered retrieval.
Benefits
Ready access to naturally produced hydrogen could enable Australia to replace hydrogen that is currently generated via the use of unabated hydrocarbons.Read moreRead less
Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish ....Towards Robust Hydrogen Electrode for High-Rate Alkaline Electrolysis. This project aims to develop robust, efficient porous hybrid hydrogen electrodes for electrochemical hydrogen production in anion exchange membrane water electrolyser. anion exchange membrane water electrolyser powered by renewable energy has emerged as a key avenue towards clean hydrogen with zero carbon footprint. However, the electrochemical turnover on the hydrogen electrode has been significantly hindered by the sluggish reaction kinetics in alkaline solution. The project is expected to generate cost-effective hydrogen electrodes for hydrogen electrolyzers, advanced knowledge in the electrode material engineering, electrochemical reaction mechanistic insights, and eventually promoted development of disruptive electrolysis technology.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100468
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,000.00
Summary
Scalable high-performance electrolytic hydrogen generator. The project aims to demonstrate energy-efficient generation of compressed hydrogen by water electrolysis in a high pressure electrolyser test-rig produced by Melbourne company Energys Australia P/L, using high-performance membrane-electrode assemblies. Innovative electrode architectures, membranes, and method for their high through-put lamination will be developed. New knowledge in catalysis, device fabrication and materials science is e ....Scalable high-performance electrolytic hydrogen generator. The project aims to demonstrate energy-efficient generation of compressed hydrogen by water electrolysis in a high pressure electrolyser test-rig produced by Melbourne company Energys Australia P/L, using high-performance membrane-electrode assemblies. Innovative electrode architectures, membranes, and method for their high through-put lamination will be developed. New knowledge in catalysis, device fabrication and materials science is expected to be generated. The major project outcome is sustainable method for generation of compressed hydrogen at significantly reduced cost as compared to the existing technologies. Benefits include industry-ready processes for electrolyser and hydrogen production that support Australian energy industries.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100789
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$397,613.00
Summary
Photo-thermal ammonia decomposition . This project aims to develop of novel catalysts targeted to utilise light and heat for the photo-thermal decomposition of ammonia to produce hydrogen and generate new understanding on the role of light in thermal catalytic reactions. The emergence of the hydrogen economy has resulted in the urgent need for safe and efficient hydrogen transport and storage vectors. Ammonia, a hydrogen carrier, is being increasingly considered as a potential key to facilitate ....Photo-thermal ammonia decomposition . This project aims to develop of novel catalysts targeted to utilise light and heat for the photo-thermal decomposition of ammonia to produce hydrogen and generate new understanding on the role of light in thermal catalytic reactions. The emergence of the hydrogen economy has resulted in the urgent need for safe and efficient hydrogen transport and storage vectors. Ammonia, a hydrogen carrier, is being increasingly considered as a potential key to facilitate the hydrogen economy due to its relative ease of storage. The development of catalysts tailored toward capturing light for ammonia decomposition will enable a new potential pathway for the hydrogen economy, with ammonia as a hydrogen vector. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE240100084
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$950,000.00
Summary
Australia’s fuel cells and electrolysers prototyping and testing facility. This project aims to address a major gap in Australian infrastructure for researching and developing technologies for Power to X, including hydrogen production and use. The aspiration is to establish an integrated fuel cell and electrolyser prototyping and testing facility to support Australia’s excellent fundamental research in advanced energy materials, electrocatalysis, and engineering design. The aim is to equip the r ....Australia’s fuel cells and electrolysers prototyping and testing facility. This project aims to address a major gap in Australian infrastructure for researching and developing technologies for Power to X, including hydrogen production and use. The aspiration is to establish an integrated fuel cell and electrolyser prototyping and testing facility to support Australia’s excellent fundamental research in advanced energy materials, electrocatalysis, and engineering design. The aim is to equip the research community with the capability to fabricate electrolyser and fuel cell prototypes at relevant scales to accelerate translational research in these areas. Doing so will also enable the technical and expertise platform needed to support industry's transition toward Australia’s 2050 net zero objective.Read moreRead less
Industry Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: IL230100173
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,689,641.00
Summary
Accelerating Green Hydrogen Production with High Efficiency Electrolysers. This project aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of high-carbon industries (eg heavy transport, chemical production, and steel) by advancing the manufacture of high efficiency water electrolysers in Australia. Innovative electrochemical and other techniques that exploit all of the levers for high efficiency in electrolysers, will be applied to support the commercial development of this key component of green hydrogen p ....Accelerating Green Hydrogen Production with High Efficiency Electrolysers. This project aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of high-carbon industries (eg heavy transport, chemical production, and steel) by advancing the manufacture of high efficiency water electrolysers in Australia. Innovative electrochemical and other techniques that exploit all of the levers for high efficiency in electrolysers, will be applied to support the commercial development of this key component of green hydrogen production. Expected outcomes of this project, in collaboration with industry partner Hysata, include a low-cost, simplified design, and ultra-high energy efficiency. This should provide significant benefits to the green hydrogen sector, industry, and contribute to achieving net-zero emissions globally.Read moreRead less
A unifying model for ion exchange membranes – towards a low carbon future. Polymeric ion exchange membranes are key to emerging renewable energy systems and bioprocessing applications. Advances in this field are currently impeded by a focus on their performance in idealised pure solutions and siloed research. This project aims to draw together fundamental and applied research to develop an innovative, unifying model for the transport of both charged ions and uncharged molecules through these mem ....A unifying model for ion exchange membranes – towards a low carbon future. Polymeric ion exchange membranes are key to emerging renewable energy systems and bioprocessing applications. Advances in this field are currently impeded by a focus on their performance in idealised pure solutions and siloed research. This project aims to draw together fundamental and applied research to develop an innovative, unifying model for the transport of both charged ions and uncharged molecules through these membranes within complex, multicomponent mixtures. The team will build on strong collaborations to drive uptake of the new model within the clean energy and CO2 reduction sectors to advance the abatement of Australian emissions; and will prepare young researchers for a role within these emerging fields.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100215
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$440,926.00
Summary
Design and optimisation of metal hydride hydrogen storage tanks. This project aims to tackle the bottlenecks of the current metal hydride hydrogen storage tank developed by the key industry partner LAVO, i.e., limited storage capacity and non-efficient structure design. Through advanced numerical modelling and machine learning methods, the metal hydride hydrogen storage tank will be optimised by redesigning advanced heat management systems and optimised hydride materials, enabling it to store an ....Design and optimisation of metal hydride hydrogen storage tanks. This project aims to tackle the bottlenecks of the current metal hydride hydrogen storage tank developed by the key industry partner LAVO, i.e., limited storage capacity and non-efficient structure design. Through advanced numerical modelling and machine learning methods, the metal hydride hydrogen storage tank will be optimised by redesigning advanced heat management systems and optimised hydride materials, enabling it to store and deliver hydrogen in a more controllable way with high performance. Expected outcomes of the project include the numerical platform to improve the material and design iteration and a prototype of the next-generation metal hydride hydrogen storage system. This opens a new market for Australian-H2 storage tanks.
Read moreRead less