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

Lucia Cattani, Paolo Cattani, Anna Magrini (), Roberto Figoni, Daniele Dondi and Dhanalakshmi Vadivel
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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

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-20

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.

Keywords: green hydrogen; atmospheric water electrolysis; atmospheric water harvesting (AWH); air-to-water generator (AWG); water extraction from air; air-to-water integrated systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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