Hydrogen is expected to be the energy of the future. The hydrogen market opens up a great opportunity for Australia to become one of the significant exporters of hydrogen to the world by having great access to the coastal transport ports, infrastructure and resource for hydrogen production, and cutting‐edge research institutes to improve hydrogen production and transport.
Hydrogen production by utilising electrolysis consuming renewable energy is the green and most desired choice in respect to the environment and global warming. However, hydrogen production using electrolysis powered by any source contributes only 4 percent of the current hydrogen production.
The main challenges in utilising hydrogen production plants are:
1. Electricity and hydrogen production deficiency in comparison with fossil‐based approaches,
2. Complexity of the compliance monitoring, and
3. Operation safety monitoring and preservation.
Advancement of innovative technologies and emergence of smart sensing, analytics, and actuation techniques has improved the efficiency of production and safety, as well as effective monitoring and compliance of standards and regulations in several manufacturing sectors. Renewable hydrogen plants have the potential to gain operational and safety advantage from advanced data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital innovative technologies to improve the efficiency of the plant. Other advantages include real‐time monitoring and maintenance of people and plant safety, and finally real‐time and accurate compliance assurance of standards, regulations and provenance of hydrogen from the plants.
Hydrogen 4.0 platform discussed in this project will investigate the cyber‐physical systems of the following hydrogen plants:
1. QUT mini‐Redlands, a lab‐ scale plant currently implemented at QUT, and
2. SUT hydrogen plant, a lab‐scale plant similar to the QUT mini‐Redlands that will be designed and developed as one of the main contributions of this project.
Partners: Origin Energy, Queensland Government Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning, Swinburne University, Queensland University
Project Researchers: Dr Ali Yavari, Associate Professor Mahnaz Shafiei, Professor Ian MacKinnon, Dr Saman Ashgahri Gorji, Dr Jonathan Love
Duration: 2 years