The Macro-System Model is a DOE-funded effort to improve cross-cutting hydrogen system analysis by linking together hydrogen models to enable consistent assumptions and sensitivity analysis surrounding the fuel consumption of FCEVs. Version 1.3 of the MSM has been developed and is available to the energy analysis community through a graphical user interface (GUI). The MSM links H2A Production, HDSAM, GREET, HyDRA and physical property information from HyARC to estimate the economics, primary energy source requirements, and emissions of multiple hydrogen production/delivery pathways.
The MSM will help you:
- Estimate the expected costs of hydrogen production, delivery, distribution and dispensing for a variety of hydrogen pathways
- Estimate well-to-wheel energy use and emissions associated with each pathway using parameters that are consistent with the cost estimation
- Perform sensitivities on the key cost, energy use and emissions parameters
- Select a geographic location within the U.S. to make the results region-specific
- Estimate cost, energy use and emissions associated with vehicle production and sale
- Combine fuel pathway and vehicle results to estimate life cycle energy use and emissions and the total cost of vehicle ownership
- Compare hydrogen costs/emissions for different locations/pathways
Here is an example of one type of output from the MSM:
The MSM team also has additional capabilites that can be requested or performed by advanced users. Those capabilities include:
- stochastic capabilities to provide uncertainty ranges around the results
- optimal succession of hydrogen production/delivery/dispensing pathways depending on a hydrogen demand growth curve specified by the user
The MSM has been used in analyses to compare hydrogen pathways and to understand the effects of varying parameters on costs, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. A report on that work is available.
To use the MSM, contact us at msm@nrel.gov
For an overview of the MSM and detailed description of its use, see the MSM user guide