Blue hydrogen

recipienti di hidrogeno sul prato con pale eoliche sullo sfondo

In order to understand what blue hydrogen is, it is necessary to delve into the subject of hydrogen in general and why this fascinates all those involved in the search for renewable energy sources.

This very statement of ours already deserves a fist caution, which we will address shortly.

In concrete terms, we are not just talking about blue hydrogen, but several other colours, each with its own peculiarities.

Of course, associating different types of colour with hydrogen is simply a taxonomy because we are basically talking about an element that, in its nature, is not only colourless but, when in a gaseous state, also invisible.

The different colours, therefore, refer to the different ways in which it is extracted from molecules and the different possible combinations thereof.

Returning however to the subject of our article, blue hydrogen refers to low-carbon hydrogen.

Let us see together what this is all about.

Hydrogen as an energy vector

Calling hydrogen an energy vector means to remember and recognise that we are not really talking about an energy source, but as mentioned in the title, a vector.

Energy vectors in general are compounds that transfer energy from one form to another; this transfer is possible precisely because of their physical and chemical characteristics.

The energy coming from an external energy source is stored and then released at the right time, also considering that it does not necessarily have to be made available immediately; this is why we also talk about storage.

The difference therefore between an energy carrier, such as hydrogen, and a primary energy source (such as oil, wind, or solar energy) is substantial:

an energy carrier must literally be produced, primary energy on the other hand is present in nature and does not have to undergo any transformative process.

Two elements contribute to distinguishing the different nature of hydrogen:

the type of energy, which we could call the source and the process by which it is produced.

Blue hydrogen therefore means hydrogen produced from natural fossil fuels, such as gas, but not only…, the production plant, in fact, includes a system for capturing and storing all the CO2 produced during the process.

Blue hydrogen is produced without climate-damaging emissions; in fact, natural gas is split into hydrogen and CO2 via a process called SMR (Steam Methane Reforming) or ATR (Auto Thermal Reforming).

Carbon dioxide, on the other hand, is ‘captured’ through a process called Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS).

Hydrogen as fuel

Hydrogen as a fuel is very much in favour of the ecological transition, because it is the only fuel that, regardless of how it is used, produces no polluting emissions.

Decidedly abundant in the universe (it is present at a rate of 90%), the hydrogen molecule in the presence of oxygen originates part water and part energy.

It therefore burns like a fuel, but without giving rise to substances that are harmful to the environment; moreover, it differs from other fuels in that it contains the highest energy content per unit of weight, in fact when compared to gasoline, its energy density proves to be three times higher.

Using it as a fuel does not seem to pose any particular problems, because as already pointed out, its emissions are less polluting than other known fuels.

The fact that the automotive sector has long been interested in hydrogen is not new, but research and experimentation is also quite lively in other contexts such as, for example, the domestic sector and in particular boilers.

Thinking of hydrogen as a fuel would in fact mean:

  • producing energy while avoiding emissions of harmful substances
  • improving any other fuel as mixing it with hydrogen would increase its efficiency.

Another interesting way to use hydrogen is to power combustion cells (some cars are already equipped with them) or to power devices that provide electricity to the crew on board spaceships, if as liquid fuel.

In order to support high-tech applications Tubiflex has long been active in hydrogen applications to support a global transformation process towards Carbon Neutrality.

Having said all this, the question is rather obvious: why is it not a real energy panacea?

Because its production is not so simple and in nature it is only found combined with other elements such as:

  • water
  • hydrocarbons

The process then of separating the hydrogen molecule (H2) alone requires not only more energy, but also a significant economic and environmental cost.

Fortunately, however, research into the application and benefits of hydrogen is quite active and responsive, and this will certainly enable suitable and useful solutions to be found so that its use will be increasingly widespread.

Hydrogen as an energy source

Hydrogen as an energy source could be a misleading title, because as mentioned in the first lines of this article, it cannot be considered a source of energy, but a vector of it.

It could be compared to electricity both for its versatility and possible applications, but unlike electricity it is a chemical energy carrier, i.e. characterised both by molecules than by electrons.

The are substantially two ways through which hydrogen can supply energy:

  • thanks to combustion
  • in combination with oxygen

If in the first case the process can be defined eco-sustainable only in part, in the second case the ecological soul of hydrogen is universally recognized.

Since this is chemical energy, unlike electricity, it can be transported in a stable way, just as it happens with other sources such as: oil, coal or natural gas.

Also due to this molecular nature, hydrogen can be combined with elements such as carbon and nitrogen,  so as to produce fuels that can be used as raw materials for different types of industries, helping to reduce emissions of pollutants.

Hydrogen energy of the future

Can we consider hydrogen as the energy of the future?

Undoubtedly it can be considered a fuel in favor of the energy transition and certainly attentive to the theme of climate change, but the current framework cannot overlook the difficulties of its production cycle.

Some of the current technologies to produce it in fact have rather high costs and others are not today “eco-sustainable”.

What is certain is that it is an eclectic resource that could, in the not-too-distant future, support several sectors.

An ambitious project is that of zero emissions by 2050 and to achieve this goal, it is estimated that hydrogen-based fuels (extracted from renewable sources) will have to feed between 10 and 12% of global energy consumption.

Our country has therefore planned a series of investments for the development of hydrogen and certainly a new energy culture is emerging.

The chemical and refining industries have already worked on the use of fossil hydrogen, but other sectors, on the other hand, still require very high costs for their decarbonisation.

Another aspect to consider is the adaptation of production facilities or the need for a restyling of existing ones, so that they can work with hydrogen; this would involve, on the one hand, a more complicated technical management and, on the other hand, huge investments.

However, it remains an opportunity to discover and know, because regardless of what today can still be considered nodes to be solved, the next decades will be significant to consider the hydrogen energy of the future.

The industrial and transport sectors in general are likely to be among the first to benefit from hydrogen. The latter in particular, if electrification is not really a viable alternative, could thanks to hydrogen face a bright future… After all, we have not yet remembered, hydrogen is mainly the fuel of stars.

Paris Le Bourget – Paris Air Show 2023

padiglione fiera

Le Bourget Paris 19-25 June 2023 is one of the most important events in the aviation and aerospace industry, now in its 54th year. 

The Paris Le Bourget event takes place every two years and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world, including industry professionals, government representatives and aviation and aerospace enthusiasts. It is a unique opportunity for aeronautics and aerospace companies, such as Tubiflex S.p.a., to present their innovations, establish new collaborations, and confront themselves with competitive realities. 

Paris Air Show

The Paris Air Show originated back in 1908, when part of the motor show was dedicated to aircraft for the first time.

The Paris Air Show, the name under which it debuted in its first edition, is now known as the Salon international de l’aéronautique et de l’espace de Paris-Le Bourget in France, or more directly, the Salon du Bourget. 

It is held at Le Bourget and since the 1970s has been able to maintain the attention and interest of all those involved in aviation and aeronautics either out of interest or profession. 

This international trade fair has been the site of important historical aviation events, such as the first international aviation exhibition in 1909 and Charles Lindbergh’s first non-stop transatlantic flight in 1927. 

Today, it attracts visitors and participants from all over the world, offering the opportunity to see the latest technological innovations in aviation and meet industry leaders. 

Participating in the Paris Air Show means for companies to be a protagonist in one of the most significant and internationally resonant events, as well as having the chance of new business opportunities, presenting their expertise (know-how) and forging new partnerships. 

The fair is divided into different sections: 

  • commercial aviation
  • military aviation 
  • general aviation
  • space aviation

Exhibitors present their technologies, equipment, products and services, offering visitors the opportunity to see them first-hand and interact with company representatives. 

The presence of Tubiflex S.p.a with the Piedmont Region, in the space and aviation sectors is confirmation that Italian excellence has international recognition and consensus. 

Aeronautical Components

Among aeronautical components Tubiflex S.p.a has developed excellent projects that find application in the aerospace sector, where quality standards are among the highest. 

Tubiflex production finds applications 

  •     in air conditioning systems 
  •     in hydraulic and draining systems for the engine compartment 
  •     in the protection of temperature and pressure switches 
  •     in assembled hoses for the ECS system

Tubiflex will be present at stand F 299 Hall 1, but for more information about the company’s mission please visit our website Tubiflex.com

Hannover Messe

Capannone con scritta

On the international trade fair scene, a place of absolute importance is reserved for the Hannover Exhibition, better known among trade professionals as Hannover Messe, in whose translation from German we find all the meaning of the event; we are in fact talking about the industrial fair par excellence. 

The first edition dates back to 1947 and in the course of its long tradition it has been able to renew itself, evolve while always remaining one of the most sought-after and significant showcases in the panorama of technology and industry. 

The Hannover 2023 trade fair is even more charged with meaning and expectation, after the last few years of being forced into a mute state due to the pandemic landscape. 

It has always been able to bring together not only the various industrial and technological excellences, but also politics and economics for a global approach aimed at a transversal vision of ideas, plans and technological innovation. 

Technology Fairs 

The Hannover Messe can be described in all respects as a distinguished representative of technology fairs. 

We do not know what other challenges are accepted by the various trade fairs in the world of industry and technology, but certainly the Hannover Messe technology fair accepts and promotes the transformation of the industry sector to cope with some important factors: 

  • current difficulties in supply chains 
  • the topic of green transition 
  • supply issues 
  • awareness of the importance of protecting the environment 
  • the expensive energy 

Alongside numerous new generation start-ups, the Italian industrial landscape continues to be an important partner in the technology fair or Messe Hannover.

Tubiflex SPA will be present in Hall 5, Stand D54 and will once again make its contribution as an exhibitor, bringing its expertise in the various sectors such as:

  • aerospace 
  • naval 
  • power generation 
  • industrial 
  • railway vehicles

Technology Fair 

The confirmed presence of all Italian exhibitors at the technology and industry fair is further proof of the Italy-Germany alliance towards economic and commercial aspects. 

The Hannover Messe can be considered among the most important European trade fairs in the field of industry and automation; specifically for 2023 it will cover, during its five days, topics such as: 

  • aerospace 
  • drives
  • energy
  • software
  • computing
  • artificial intelligence 

Trade fairs in Hannover 

Among the trade fairs in Hannover, the Hannover Messe, which covers an impressive 120,000 square metres of exhibition space, can be considered to all intents and purposes a simultaneous exhibition of several trade fair events; these will also allow the various exhibitors to get to know different companies, also operating in different sectors, with which they can forge important relationships. 

A distinctive feature of the trade fair is that, although it will be held in Germany, the target market will not only be the German market but the global one, thus enabling the construction of a fertile and favorable ground for healthy confrontation and fruitful competition in all sectors of industry. 

Industry 4.0 Events 

It is impossible to refer to Industry 4.0 events without mentioning the Hannover Messe. It is precisely thanks to Industry 4.0, or the fourth industrial revolution, that not only in Italy but worldwide we are witnessing a real economic transformation. 

In the specifics of the Italian reality, since 2016, the year in which the first industrial plan referring to Industry 4.0 was issued, the concept of Industry 4.0 has undergone a continuous evolution with the firm intention of pursuing a precise project, that of automated and interconnected industrial production. 

Without going into the specifics of what this entails in terms of industrial renewal, it was precisely at the Hannover Messe, in not-so-distant 2011, that the Industry 4.0 ‘concept’ was used for the first time. 

In this regard, to better outline the mission of this new industrial manifesto, a real working pool was created on the subject of Industry 4.0, which led, about a couple of years later, to the drafting of a report with precise guidelines and suggestions. Reasonably, therefore, one associates the Hannover Fair with the more generic but perfectly identifiable concept of innovation fair. 

Hannover Fair 

The Hannover Fair, therefore, welcomes an important programmatic manifesto: industrial transformation. 

Tubiflex SPA, which since 1951 has combined attention to detail with technological innovation and the highest quality finished product, participates in this transformation by offering its decades of experience in the production of hoses, expansion joints and fluid conveying systems. Thanks to the perfect balance between Competence, Innovation and Quality, Tubiflex is positioned as a leading company in the sectors in which it operates. 

You can find us at our headquarters in Orbassano (Turin) and at Stand D54 Hall 5 at Hannover Fair from 17 to 21 April 2023. 

Regasifiers in Italy

impianto rigassificatore

Having risen to prominence due to the gas-related energy crisis, regasification plants in general and regasification plants in Italy have known a notoriety and interest that was probably not foreseen. 

What seemed to be a reality only for ‘experts’ has entered the homes of Italians and the main television news formats.

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