Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0468-0889

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Derek Johnson

Committee Member

Cosmin Dumitrescu

Committee Member

Christopher Ulishney

Abstract

To combat global warming, alternative fuels are being investigated. Hydrogen is at the forefront of this movement, advertised as having zero emissions due to the products of the energy reaction being only water. However, studies over recent decades indicate that hydrogen in the atmosphere acts as a form of greenhouse gas (GHG) by increasing the lifespan of methane in the atmosphere. Models are attempting to estimate the possible effects of a transition to a hydrogen-fueled economy but lack empirical data to provide confidence to these estimated values. There is little data that quantifies hydrogen from anthropogenic sources.

To address this need, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has funded projects to provide quantitative measurements from the real world. West Virginia University (WVU) is part of these projects, aiming to quantify hydrogen emissions in the hydrogen transportation sector. Currently, most commercially available hydrogen sensors focus purely on safety, rather than quantification. Therefore, WVU researchers developed two quantification devices: the hydrogen full flow sampler (H2FFS), and the hydrogen portable emissions measurement system (H2PEMS). The H2FFS is a constant volume sampler based on past devices used by WVU researchers. The H2PEMS is a hydrogen specific PEMS unit that attaches to vehicles, providing on-road data rather than in-laboratory dynamometer testing. The performance and ability of these devices was investigated, and measurements were taken from a number of hydrogen generation and fueling sites, as well as from light- and heavy-duty hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (HFCEV). These calculated emission rates were used along with estimates of hydrogen consumption, to provide a percentage loss value for the hydrogen transportation sector.

The H2FFS and H2PEMS were maintained through verification testing at an error of less than 15%, and experiments were completed to determine sensor performance. More precise estimates of accuracy were calculated using mean average percent error (MAPE). For the site investigated in this document, the H2FFS provided a percentage loss value of 3.9%, though due to an emission source that exceeded the range of the H2FFS, this value is a minimum estimate. Two buses are discussed in this work: a 2024 New Flyer, and a 2017 El Dorado. The H2PEMS was implemented and derived a percentage loss for these buses as 3.28% and 2.37% respectively. These values align with previous loss estimates from literature. The H2FFS measurement range was estimated as 0.06 – 4289 g/hr, while the H2PEMS measurement range is estimated as 0.01 – 589 g/hr.

Download

Share

COinS