Dottorato in ENERGIA E AMBIENTE

Titolo della tesi: Design procedure and experimental study of green hydrogen transport and storage systems

This thesis investigates the design, techno-economic assessment, and experimental validation of hydrogen transport and storage systems. The study is structured into a modeling section and an experimental appendix. First, a comparative analysis of hydrogen maritime transport is conducted, evaluating various hydrogen carriers (liquid hydrogen, ammonia, and synthetic natural gas) on trade routes from Morocco, Norway, Brazil, and Australia to Italy. A multi-criteria analysis incorporating energy efficiency, environmental impact, geopolitical factors, and economic feasibility is performed to identify the most viable options. Second, a simulation of hydrogen pipeline transport from North Africa to Italy is presented. The study assesses the feasibility of repurposing existing natural gas infrastructure for hydrogen transmission and evaluates its energy and cost performance under different production scenarios (green and blue hydrogen). Third, the research explores an alternative transport pathway based on Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs) for medium-distance road transportation. A detailed techno-economic study is conducted, including a sensitivity analysis on key parameters such as transport distance and hydrogen demand. Finally, the thesis includes the development of an experimental test bench for characterizing hydrogen storage systems and powertrain applications. The experimental validation provides critical insights into system performance and operational efficiency.