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Suitability and Energy Sustainability of Atmospheric Water Generation Technology for Green Hydrogen Production

Author

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  • Lucia Cattani

    (SEAS SA, Société de l’Eau Aérienne Suisse, Technical Office, Via dell’Industria 13/A, 6826 Riva San Vitale, Switzerland)

  • Paolo Cattani

    (Independent Researcher, Via Piermarini 4/L, 26900 Lodi, Italy)

  • Anna Magrini

    (Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

  • Roberto Figoni

    (Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

  • Daniele Dondi

    (Department of Chemistry, Section of General Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

  • Dhanalakshmi Vadivel

    (Department of Chemistry, Section of General Chemistry, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy)

Abstract

This research investigated the suitability of air-to-water generator (AWG) technology to address one of the main concerns in green hydrogen production, namely water supply. This study specifically addresses water quality and energy sustainability issues, which are crucial research questions when AWG technology is intended for electrolysis. To this scope, a reasoned summary of the main findings related to atmospheric water quality has been provided. Moreover, several experimental chemical analyses specifically focused on meeting electrolysis process requirements, on water produced using a real integrated AWG system equipped with certified materials for food contact, were discussed. To assess the energy sustainability of AWGs in green hydrogen production, a case study was presented regarding an electrolyzer plant intended to serve as energy storage for a 2 MW photovoltaic field on Iriomote Island. The integrated AWG, used for the water quality analyses, was studied in order to determine its performance in the specific island climate conditions. The production exceeded the needs of the electrolyzer; thus, the overproduction was considered for the panels cleaning due to the high purity of the water. Due to such an operation, the efficiency recovery was more than enough to cover the AWG energy consumption. This paper, on the basis of the quantity results, provides the first answers to the said research questions concerning water quality and energy consumption, establishing the potential of AWG as a viable solution for addressing water scarcity, and enhancing the sustainability of electrolysis processes in green hydrogen production.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucia Cattani & Paolo Cattani & Anna Magrini & Roberto Figoni & Daniele Dondi & Dhanalakshmi Vadivel, 2023. "Suitability and Energy Sustainability of Atmospheric Water Generation Technology for Green Hydrogen Production," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:18:p:6440-:d:1233945
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shi, Xunpeng & Liao, Xun & Li, Yanfei, 2020. "Quantification of fresh water consumption and scarcity footprints of hydrogen from water electrolysis: A methodology framework," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 786-796.
    2. Lucia Cattani & Paolo Cattani & Anna Magrini, 2021. "Photovoltaic Cleaning Optimization: A Simplified Theoretical Approach for Air to Water Generator (AWG) System Employment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Schill, Wolf-Peter, 2020. "Electricity Storage and the Renewable Energy Transition," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 4(10), pages 2059-2064.
    4. Diego Bairrão & João Soares & José Almeida & John F. Franco & Zita Vale, 2023. "Green Hydrogen and Energy Transition: Current State and Prospects in Portugal," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, January.
    5. Lucia Cattani & Anna Magrini & Valentina Leoni, 2022. "Energy Performance of Water Generators from Gaseous Mixtures by Condensation: Climatic Datasets Choice," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-24, October.
    6. Mohammed Sanjid Thavalengal & Muhammad Ahmad Jamil & Muhammad Mehroz & Ben Bin Xu & Haseeb Yaqoob & Muhammad Sultan & Nida Imtiaz & Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, 2023. "Progress and Prospects of Air Water Harvesting System for Remote Areas: A Comprehensive Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-27, March.
    7. Mengbo Zhang & Ranbin Liu & Yaxuan Li, 2022. "Diversifying Water Sources with Atmospheric Water Harvesting to Enhance Water Supply Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-17, June.
    8. Lucia Cattani & Anna Magrini & Paolo Cattani, 2021. "Water Extraction from Air: A Proposal for a New Indicator to Compare Air Water Generators Efficiency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, January.
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