Whilst English scientist Henry Cavendish may have first isolated hydrogen as an element in 1766 – and it has always been the most abundant in the universe constituting 75% of normal matter – did you know it is still difficult to detect?
Hydrogen is widely viewed as a critical part of Australia’s clean energy future with over $225 billion worth of projects currently in the pipeline. Manmade hydrogen will ultimately be generated by environmentally friendly, water splitting methods to be used as fuel, manufacturing chemicals, and energy storage however, naturally occurring underground reservoirs – only recently understood – can help accelerate the transition to a green hydrogen economy.
The challenge to finding these natural hydrogen sources lies in current detection technology which must be in direct contact with hydrogen of sufficient concentration, a problem when hydrogen rapidly disperses in our atmosphere. With several clients asking about aerial surveying for natural hydrogen reservoirs, world leading provider Xcalibur Smart Mapping sought-out Australia’s brightest researchers at Curtin University to help develop a stand-off detector able to accurately identify low concentrations of hydrogen seeping from the ground from an airborne platform.
Described as a “hard problem,” Professors Charlie Ironside and Mervyn Lynch jumped on the opportunity to put their vast experience in photonics and particle physics to the test.
“Hydrogen is an invisible gas that plays an important and expanding role in the economy – we are using quantum technology to make the invisible visible and develop an instrument for stand-off detection of hydrogen. Trailblazer’s and Xcalibur’s support have been vital in taking the project to the next stage, exploring for natural hydrogen emanating from the earth’s surface as a possible commercial source of carbon-free fuel,” said Professor Ironside of the project’s potential.
In true Trailblazer fashion, Xcalibur has committed one of their employees – experienced geophysicist Andrew Lockwood – to the darkness of Curtin’s laser labs to advance an early proof of concept using Raman LiDAR: an active, ground-based, laser remote-sensing instrument. Using the unique vibration signatures of the hydrogen atom, this combined team are already having success identifying hydrogen from a 2m distance with optical methods.
In speaking to his role in the project Mr Lockwood said: “I had already considered the application of Raman LiDAR to a few industrial gas monitoring problems, including the detection of fugitive and natural hydrogen emissions and this was the perfect opportunity to join forces with the eminent remote sensing and physics professors at Curtin. It’s a refreshing change to swap the tools of the corporate world for those of the machine shop and laboratory, and a great reminder of why I became an applied physicist in the first place.”
Helping Xcalibur to achieve their goal of becoming the only provider of aerial surveys for hydrogen will unlock significant commercial opportunity for Curtin in other areas of the hydrogen economy. While hydrogen is a powerful and sustainable energy carrier, it does come with risks to be managed. As more and more hydrogen generation, storage and transportation infrastructure comes online, there will be significant demand for safety controls such as a stand-off hydrogen detection instrument which can scan wide areas and detect hydrogen leaks before they can reach concentrations of concern.
Xcalibur’s Vice President of Technology, Teo Hage said the technology had groundbreaking potential for the hydrogen industry.
“Raman Lidar technology will consolidate Xcalibur’s technological lead in exploring for natural hydrogen and additionally will enable the rapid and precise monitoring of hydrogen leaks from airborne platforms. With rapid growth in both applications, the commercial opportunities for Xcalibur and its clients are substantial.”
The outcomes being generated from this project for Curtin and Xcalibur will be reported on in the coming months. To keep track of these exciting developments, sign up to our newsletter.
