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Marshall Miller
Institute of Transportation Studies
November 15, 2004
Outline
• Hydrogen fueling station hardware
• Compression
• Storage
• Dispensing
Hydrogen Station Types I
NEARBY HYDROGEN
PLANT (E.G. NG
TRUCK DELIVERY (E.G., FROM
REFORMER)
NG REFORMER AND
COMPRESSION PLANT)
H
Station Capacity by Station Type
MOBILE FUELERS
K-BOTTLES DELIVERY
LIQUID HYDROGEN
DELIVERY AND STORAGE
ON-SITE ELECTROLYZER
ON-SITE REFORMER
HYDROGEN PIPELINE
Tube Trailer
• Full tubes are delivered with tractor
• Empty tubes are picked up and refilled
• Stores ~ 250 kg
Liquid Storage Tank (1500 gal)
Compressor
Stuart Electrolyser
Dispensor Nozzle
CaFCP Station
Station Design
• Determine hydrogen demand
– Kg/day (random fueling)
– Kg/fueling interval (e.g. fleets)
• Production/delivery, compression, buffer
storage sized to ensure hydrogen supply
– Costly to be too conservative
– If hardware undersized, cannot meet demand
Component Sizing
• Compressor, reformer
– Steady state throughputs (scfh)
– Reformers generally want to be operated all
the time
– Compressors can be on/off
• Buffer storage
– Cascaded system to increase storage
efficiency
Hydrogen Gas
• Lightest element
• Odorless
• Tasteless
• Colorless
• Environmentally Benign
• Flammable
Key Physical Properties
• Molecular weight: 2.0016
• LHV: 120,020 Kj/kg
• Boiling point: 20 degrees K (-423 F)
• Specific gravity: 0.070 (air = 1)
• Specific volume: 191.98 scf/lb (422.4
scf/kg)
• Flammability limits: 4.1 – 75% by volume
(in air)
Flammability
• Easy to ignite
– Very low energy necessary to ignite
– Static can cause ignition
– Hydrogen can ignite when valve is opened
• Burns with an almost invisible pale blue
flame (cannot see during the day)
• Flammability limits are very large
compared to other fuels
Flammability (cont.)
• Flammability range in air is much wider than
gasoline or natural gas (< 20% by volume)
• Minimum ignition energy ~ one order of
magnitude less than gasoline and natural gas
• But -
– Minimum H2 ignition energy at ~29% (very
hard to reach)
– At low concentrations, ignition energy is about
the same for all three gases.
Cryogenic Hazards
• Cold burns from contact
• Embrittle materials (they may fail sooner)
• Large expansion ratio (1 gallon = 113 scf)
• Boil off released in vent stacks
• Gas warms quickly
• Liquid air may drip from lines
Hindenburg
• Public associates Hindenburg with unsafe
hydrogen fire
• Fire was caused by high volatility paint on
surface of blimp
• Although hydrogen eventually ignited, no
deaths were caused by hydrogen fire