EffHycient – Lightweight material design to increase the capabilities of mobile LH₂ equipment for an efficient and sustainable delivery infrastructure for transport on rail and road
The project aims to enable the production of lightweight tanks for the liquid hydrogen (LH2) transportation. The lightweight design is possible by using high-strength aluminum alloys as well as friction stir welding (FSW), which is a highly reproducible and robust process. The reduced weight of the tank allows novel, but heavy equipment to be transported for faster refueling as well as higher amounts of LH2, which both enhances the efficiency of the LH2 distribution.
Motivation
Various climate protection strategies have set the goal of reduced global CO2 emissions. Due to the growing demand for climate-friendly fuels, the importance of hydrogen as an energy source is increasing. This trend influences the value chain and drives research in the fields of production, storage, distribution, and use of hydrogen. The project EffHycient focuses on the storage and distribution aspects.
Because of its higher energy density, and the resulting higher transport volumes, liquid hydrogen (LH2) is considered particularly efficient. However, the increased demand for LH2 requires an expansion of the existing supply infrastructure. In addition to pipelines, distribution by road and rail is necessary, especially for decentralized applications. To guarantee economic profitability, LH2 transportation must be highly efficient. So far, the high mass of the transport system and the long refueling times have impaired the cost-effectiveness of LH2 transport. Concerning road transportation, the permissible total mass is particularly important for high economic efficiency.
Research objective
The aim of the project EffHycient is to enable the production of lightweight LH2 tanks for transport on rail and road. To achieve higher gravimetric capacities, the mass of the vessel will be reduced using high-strength aluminum alloys. Characterized by a high robustness and repeatability, FSW is a welding technique, which is particularly suitable for aluminum alloys. Therefore, lightweight design can be applied to a large extent. Furthermore, reducing the mass of the tank is necessary to accommodate innovative, but heavy refueling equipment, which decreases the loading time, and facilitates the transport of larger amounts of LH2. Thus, the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of LH2 distribution is increased.
Approach
In a first step, a product-side system analysis will be carried out, followed by an analysis of the product- and process-related requirements as well as an identification of the manufacturing process chain steps. Afterwards, suitable tools, clamping techniques, and process parameters will be identified. A process monitoring system will be developed, which ensures high seam quality during welding. Subsequently, the development steps will be validated using a tank prototype. Finally, a cost-benefit analysis and transferability studies will be carried out to check the economic viability and feasibility.
Results
An efficient LH2 distribution is one requirement, which must be met for establishing hydrogen technology competitively in the transport sector by 2026. A mass-reduced tank is necessary to increase the possible load and enable the transportation of heavy refueling equipment, thereby reducing CO2 emissions during transportation. Through the increased gravimetric capacity, the refueling time is reduced and a high cost-effectiveness of LH2 distribution is ensured.
Acknowledgement
The project EffHycient is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) with a total of 1,396,675.00 euros as part of the "National Innovation Program Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology". The funding guideline is coordinated by the NOW GmbH and implemented by the Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
