UW Research Group Publishes Two Articles in Leading Hydrogen Energy Journal

A University of Wyoming research group led by Chengyi "Charlie" Zhang, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, published back-to-back articles in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, the leading journal for hydrogen research.

Dubbed the Construction and Innovation Lab, the group includes graduate and doctoral students, as well as postdoctoral researchers dedicated to advancing the field of construction research and innovation.

The first article, titled "Techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen integration into existing pipeline infrastructure: A case study of Wyoming," became available in early November and was written by graduate research assistants Danish Kumar, of Tando Bago, Pakistan, and Saksham Timalsina, of Sindhupalchowk, Nepal, along with Zhang. The paper delves into the complexities and challenges of cost estimating for hydrogen infrastructure.

The second paper, "Integrated assessment of levelized costs of hydrogen production: Evaluating renewable and fossil pathways with emission costs and tax incentives," followed in quick succession and became available in late November. It was led, once again, by Kumar, with additional authorship contributions from Zhang and Eugene Holubnyak, director of the UW School of Energy Resource's (SER) Hydrogen Energy Research Center (H₂ERC).

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the levelized cost of hydrogen from renewable sources and fossil-based production pathways with carbon capture and storage. Additionally, the paper integrates emissions assessments, evaluates tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act and employs sensitivity analyses to offer a holistic view of economic viability and critical cost considerations.

Both publications are a result of support from the Phase I request for proposals seed funding opportunity issued by H₂ERC.

"This milestone marks the beginning of what we hope will be many contributions to the field of hydrogen energy development," Zhang says. "Danish and Saksham did an exceptional job on their research, and we are excited about the work that can be built upon this foundation and the opportunities that it has created for them both. We are especially grateful to SER, H₂ERC and Eugene Holubynak for supporting this research. More papers will follow as we continue to explore innovations in energy infrastructure with a focus on efficiency, safety and resilience."

Zhang's were among seven research proposals that were chosen to receive seed funding from H₂ERC in 2022, and again in 2023 for the three down-selected proposals under Phase II.

"These publications demonstrate the important collaboration between the School of Energy Resources and the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences," Holubnyak says. "Our main goal in the exception funding allocated by the Wyoming Legislature for hydrogen research was to ensure it was used to support UW professionals pursuing cutting-edge research in the area of hydrogen production, use and storage in Wyoming. Dr. Zhang's group has been extremely engaged in pushing the envelope, and we look forward to more things to come from the group resulting from Phase II."