Hydrogen – key element for the energy transition
Hydrogen (H2) is seen as the energy carrier of the future. This is because it has enormous potential for decarbonizing industry, heat and power generation and mobility – provided it is produced in a climate-neutral way using renewable energies as so-called green hydrogen by means of electrolysis or power-to-gas processes.
In the following, we shed light on the status quo of the transformation from fossil fuels to more sustainable raw materials, but also provide an overview of the DURAG GROUP's product portfolio. Because our proven measurement technology and combustion solutions are already equipped today for the special requirements of hydrogen use for the future – in short: we are H2-ready!
Are you not yet using hydrogen in your industrial processes? Then be one step ahead of your competitors. Because if you act as a far-sighted pioneer today, you will be able to act immediately in times of an expanded hydrogen infrastructure, while your competitors will have to wait for lengthy conversions.
Global CO₂ emissions from industry
Coal, natural gas and oil-based key industries such as iron and steel, cement, chemicals and some others contribute significantly to global CO2 emissions. They emit a total of around 9.3 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year – this corresponds to around 25% of total global emissions.
The pressure to act for more sustainable industrial processes is therefore obvious and also politically established: as part of its Green Deal, the European Union is aiming to achieve climate neutrality for all its member states by 2050. As an interim target, the EU has set itself an emissions reduction of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. This is flanked by the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which include greater environmental protection and sustainability.
Hydrogen is seen as a key building block for decarbonization and an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, as it emits limited exhaust gases when it burns. As the DURAG GROUP, we support these efforts not only with our proven solutions for measuring emissions and thus for monitoring the targets set. Indeed, large parts of our product portfolio are also H2-ready.
Steel industry: decarbonization thanks to hydrogen
Climate-neutral steel is one of the best-known examples when it comes to the future greening of industrial production. This is to be achieved, for example, with the hydrogen-based blast furnace route, which has enormous potential for reducing emissions compared to the conventional method: the use of one ton of green hydrogen would save 26 tons of CO2. This would require the following process conversion: Instead of extracting oxygen from the iron ore for raw iron production using carbon, H2 is added and only water is produced as a waste product.
Hydrogen also opens up further potential applications in the steel industry:
- Direct reduction: substitute for natural gas in shaft furnaces
- H2 injection: substitute for coal in blast furnaces
- H2 burners: Substitute for natural gas
- H2 plasma melt reduction: substitute for coal
At the DURAG GROUP, we contribute to the transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen in the steel industry with our video and thermography systems. We visualize various high-temperature processes and provide temperatures and temperature distribution, e.g. of steel melting in the blast furnace and the cooling process of steel slabs with up to 100% hydrogen combustion. This helps our customers to drive forward the gradual conversion from gas to hydrogen.
H₂ fuel cells for electricity and heat
Fuel cells can be used to convert hydrogen into electricity and heat - a highly efficient and environmentally friendly method of generating energy. The graphic below illustrates the various applications of hydrogen fuel cells – whether as a drive in vehicles, as hydrogen power storage for photovoltaic systems or for fuel cell heating systems and combined heat and power plants. The hydrogen quality is crucial for the performance of the fuel cell.
Gas analyzers – all depends on the purity
With the increasing expansion of hydrogen use, H2 purity is becoming particularly important – for example for PEM fuel cells for mobility. This is because even the smallest impurities in hydrogen can lead to impaired service life and poorer performance. Gases contained in hydrogen, such as sulfur and halogenated compounds, even irreversibly destroy the fuel cell.
This is where the products from AP2E, a member of the DURAG GROUP, step in: the ProCeas® gas analyzers measure the purity of the hydrogen extremely precisely and contribute to the smooth functioning of the applications. For this purpose, the AP2E technology monitors for example the proportions of impurities like CO, HCHO, NH3, H2S, COS and H2O at the H2 station.
The ProCeas® gas analyzer is based on OFCEAS technology and sets new standards in terms of selectivity, sensitivity and precision. In terms of spectral resolution, ProCeas® is around 2,000 times more sensitive than other measurement technologies such as NDIR (Non-Dispersive Infrared) or FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared). It therefore measures the gas concentrations down to the part per trillion (ppt) – regardless of whether it is green or blue hydrogen.
The spectroscopic measurement process is carried out using a laser in which the light beam safely penetrates the gas. The impurity is measured based on the absorption of the light. This is because the different gas molecules absorb at different wavelengths. The light from the laser is reflected back and forth several hundred thousand times between mirrors in the measuring chamber to obtain the result.
ProCeas® has already proven itself many times in practice – for example at research institutes and H2 manufacturers. Click here for more details on exemplary references:
Flame monitors for optical monitoring of hydrogen flames
The flame monitors of the DURAG GROUP have been detecting fuels in the ultraviolet radiation range for more than 30 years. These include all gases, even hydrogen. In addition to standardized fuels such as natural gas, industry also burns all types of mixed gases in which hydrogen is sometimes the only combustible gas. Our UV cells as well as the photodiodes in the UV range are ideally suited to detecting hydrogen flames in all their variants.
Show H2-compatible flame monitoring solutions
Furnace cameras and VTA systems for hydrogen combustion
It is of central importance for the industry to recognize combustion and process changes quickly and quantitative in order to be able to make the most precise adjustments possible and increase economic success. Our product portfolio is already equipped for the use of hydrogen and offers powerful solutions for visualizing combustion furnaces with H2 combustion.
Our high-resolution furnace cameras enter the combustion zone and provide a wide view of the furnace and the process. The furnace cameras are designed so that they can easily remain in the combustion chamber 24/7 even at high combustion temperatures generated by hydrogen flames, thus providing continuous information.
Our thermography and analysis software calculates the temperature distribution from our live images and analyzes combustion imbalances or changes in the process.
The VTA software can be connected to the process control system via digital interfaces and thus contribute to the optimization of the combustion process. Real-time data from the combustion chamber makes a valuable contribution to increasing efficiency and optimizing the process.
Industrial and pilot burners for up to 100% pure hydrogen
HEGWEIN has recognized the enormous potential of hydrogen for many years and has established gas ignition and pilot burners that are specially developed for operation with hydrogen-containing gas mixtures or 100% pure hydrogen.
The highlight from the HEGWEIN H2-ready portfolio is the adjustable industrial burner, which is equipped with an integrated ignition transformer and an optical flame monitor from the DURAG product portfolio. This modular design allows mechanical and electrical components to be replaced separately according to customer requirements and ensures straightforward installation and commissioning with maximum operational and functional reliability. The high-performance model ensures homogeneous temperature distribution and minimal thermal material impact. It is suitable for all industrial combustion systems, thermal processes, furnaces, boilers, ovens and reactors.
Choose an H2-compatible (ignition) burner with foresight today and avoid lengthy changeovers in the future when the expanded hydrogen infrastructure requires continuous operation.
Your partner in the expanding hydrogen economy
Hydrogen will pave the way to the industrial future. That's why our measurement and combustion technology is already H2-compatible across a wide range of product groups. Do not miss out on this rapid development and make yourself H2-ready – with us as your partner!
Flame monitors
Furnace cameras
Gas analyzers
Gas burners, gas ignition and pilot burners
