Daimler Truck and Linde Engineering recently announced subcooled liquid hydrogen (sLH2), a jointly developed refueling technology. According to the companies, sLH2 allows for higher storage density, greater range, faster refueling, lower costs and superior energy efficiency over gaseous hydrogen.
Daimler and Linde say the new sLH2 pump slightly increases the pressure of the liquid hydrogen, allowing a 40-ton heavy-duty truck to fill up with 175 lbs. of liquid hydrogen in about ten to fifteen minutes, supplying a range of more than 630 miles. At the same time, the companies claim the required investment for sLH2 hydrogen refueling stations are two to three times lower, and operational costs are five to six times lower.
Daimler Truck and Linde Engineering aim to establish sLH2 as a common refueling standard for hydrogen-powered trucks and make the technology openly available to all interested parties via an ISO standard.
“Zero-emission transport needs three factors: the right battery-electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, the required infrastructure network and cost parity for ZEVs compared to diesel trucks. In terms of vehicles, the transformation is in full swing. In terms of hydrogen infrastructure, we are reaching a major milestone today: With sLH2, hydrogen refueling becomes as convenient as today’s refueling with diesel,” says Andreas Gorbach, member of the board for Daimler Trucks. “We now call on other OEMs and infrastructure companies to follow our approach and jointly make this technology an industry standard.”
“Subcooled liquid hydrogen considerably increases the efficiency of hydrogen refueling systems,” says Juergen Nowicki, executive vice president and chief executive officer of Linde Engineering. “This and further advantages make sLH2 a practical, CO2-neutral alternative to diesel in the heavy-duty vehicle sector. The technology we have developed with Daimler Truck will help pave the way for the development of a robust refueling network, which is essential to keep vehicles moving and supply chains intact.”
The first public sLH2 fuel station was inaugurated in Wörth am Rhein, Germany, with an energy consumption of 0.05 KWh/kg.—which Daimler and Linde say is approximately 30 times less energy that what is required by conventional gaseous hydrogen refueling stations. The sLH2 station will also be used by selected logistics customers for initial customer trials with the Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck from mid-2024.
