TurboTime: Part 1: The Hydrogen Rainbow

Published on: July 14, 2023

What are all the different colors of hydrogen? Each color has its own source—green hydrogen comes from solar, wind, and other renewable sources, for example. It’s important to know where hydrogen comes from as we map out the energy landscape to understand the implications of using certain types of hydrogen over others.

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz break down the different segments of the hydrogen rainbow. Hydrogen is a wonderful fuel for gas turbines, and it matters where it comes from in an operating condition context. This is because the compressibility and pressure change depending on their source. Different processes also introduce impurities, which can drastically change the physical properties of the gas. A key misunderstanding of hydrogen is that it’s not a primary energy source, which means it needs to be made because it’s not naturally present in sufficient quantities as say natural gas, oil, or coal. This supply-and-demand challenge is one of the big hurdles with hydrogen that the industry is currently seeking to overcome.

Be sure to check out the September/October issue of Turbomachinery International for a continuation of this discussion.