Carbon Dioxide Tracking Device for Hydrogen Production
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current carbon dioxide tracking methods for hydrogen production, such as the Guarantees of Origin (GO) system, do not accurately reflect the actual carbon dioxide emissions during hydrogen production, as they allow for offsetting without physical tracking, leading to inaccurate accounting of emissions.
Innovation Solution
A carbon dioxide tracking device that includes communication and processing units to receive data from hydrogen generators, calculate emissions based on local electrical energy consumption, and uses a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) for encryption and certification, ensuring tamper-proof emission tracking and reduction measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the Guarantee of Origin (GO) system is used for carbon dioxide tracking, then hydrogen production can be certified as green on balance, but the actual carbon dioxide emissions are not accurately reflected because the system allows offsetting without physical tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carbon tracking system into location-specific monitoring units that track electricity consumption and associated CO2 emissions at each hydrogen production site independently. This segmentation enables precise local measurement rather than aggregated balance-sheet accounting, directly resolving the contradiction between certification reliability and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary certification platform that receives verified location-specific emission data from hydrogen producers and issues certificates based on actual measured emissions. This intermediary layer ensures both accurate measurement at the source and reliable certification output, bridging the gap between physical tracking and formal certification.
2Adaptability or versatility
If Guarantees of Origin are purchased to offset emissions, then hydrogen can be certified as green, but time and place do not coincide between energy generation and consumption, enabling carbon tracking on balance rather than physical tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality tracking by measuring and certifying CO2 emissions specifically at each hydrogen production location based on local electricity consumption patterns. This location-specific approach ensures that the certification reflects actual physical conditions at the production site, preventing the temporal and spatial mismatches inherent in the GO system while maintaining adaptability through standardized measurement protocols.
3Ease of operation
If the current GO framework is used, then consumers can offset carbon dioxide emissions in their balance sheet, but they do not report their actual carbon dioxide emissions and cannot time consumption to reduce emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where actual CO2 emission data is continuously measured, reported, and used to provide real-time information to consumers about their emission footprint. This feedback loop enables consumers to make informed decisions about timing their electricity consumption to coincide with low-emission periods, transforming the static balance-sheet offsetting into dynamic, information-driven emission reduction while maintaining operational simplicity through automated reporting.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device for carbon dioxide tracking is described. The device comprises a first communication device configured to receive initial data from a hydrogen producer concerning a quantity of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen producer and an initial quantity of electrical energy used for the production of that quantity of hydrogen; a first processing device configured to obtain second data concerning a quantity of carbon dioxide emitted, which is associated with the consumption of a second quantity of electrical energy at the location of the hydrogen producer; the first processing device further configured to assign a quantity of carbon dioxide emissions to the quantity of hydrogen produced by the hydrogen producer based on the first and second data; and a trusted platform module configured toto encrypt and certify the amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the amount of hydrogen produced, and a second communication device designed to send the encrypted and certified data.