Compression solution makes hydrogen refuelling 25 percent cheaper
The breakthrough of hydrogen-powered vehicles depends to a large extent not only on refuelling costs but also on a well-developed network of functioning filling stations that can offer hydrogen at favourable prices. The COSMHYC project was launched in January 2017 with the mission to achieve this goal by developing a combined compression solution based on a mechanical compressor and a metal hydride compressor. The developed solution will facilitate the refuelling process considerably and contribute to a reduction of the hydrogen price of up to 25% of the current price.
During the first half of the project, the focus was on defining the technical requirements for the two compressors. The consortium had investigated different applications of hydrogen compression and decided to focus the development on the refuelling of fuel cell vehicles, buses and trains as well as on the refuelling of compressed hydrogen trailers. The hybrid compression solution will therefore be designed to provide hydrogen at 700 bar from all possible sources.
Based on the technological requirements defined by the Ludwig-Boelkow Systemtechnik consulting firm, the COSMHYC team started the technical development and finalized the design for the hybrid compression solution and associated components.
Greater capacity, greater efficiency and longevity at lower production costs: After a few months of development, significant progress has already been made in the performance of the mechanical compressor. The design has been optimized to achieve a higher capacity volume as well as increased performance in terms of energy efficiency and longevity. This helps to reduce the operating costs of hydrogen filling stations.
In addition to the mechanical compressor developments, innovative materials for the metal hydride hydrogen compressor have been identified that will allow significant savings in production costs. In addition, the design of the compressor was adapted to the specific requirements for larger flow rates. The next steps are to design and test the prototypes.
More information: https://www.cosmhyc.eu
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