The “International Clean Energy System Technology Utilizing Hydrogen (World Energy Network)”: WE-NET is a research program directed at the development of the technologies needed build a hydrogen-based energy conversion system. It proposes to set up a world energy network to convert renewable energy, such as hydropower and solar energy, into a secondary and transportable form to supply the demand centers, and to make possible the utilization of existing power generation, transportation, town gas, etc.
Within the framework of this program Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hitachi and Westinghouse Power Corporation are working to develop an hydrogen-fueled combustion turbine system designed to meet the goals set by the WE-NET Program. The hydrogen–fueled power generation cycle will be able to satisfy the requirements of an efficiency based on the lower heating value higher than 70% and of reliability, availability and maintainability equivalent to current base-loaded natural gas-fired combined cycle. The use of hydrogen will eliminate emissions of CO2 and SOx and significantly reduce those of NOx.
This paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of some concepts of hydrogen fuelled cycles which have been studied in the WE-NET program and makes a comparison of their performance.
Dynamic modelling and experimental validation of scroll expander for small scale power generation system
