Apr 11, 2008

Speeding up Hydrogen Refueling

Filling vehicles with hydrogen is about to get faster and easier, thanks to technology Linde is bringing to North America.

One question that has loomed as we approach what might become a “Hydrogen Economy” is, how do we go about refueling all the hydrogen-powered cars we might eventually see? Current hydrogen refueling stations are few and far between, plus the refueling time at many of them is obnoxiously long. But now Linde, a gases and engineering company, claims it is the first company capable of meeting a new industry target designed to reduce the time it takes to fill hydrogen-powered vehicles dramatically.

The proprietary, 700-bar fast-fill technology was first developed for hydrogen refueling stations in Europe. The technology enables Linde to fill cars completely in as little as three minutes, said Mike McGowan, head of hydrogen solutions for Linde North America.

“Linde is focused on finding ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions,” McGowan said. “Expanding our vehicle refueling capabilities in North America gives customers greater access to our strong hydrogen supply network and world-class engineering expertise.”

Several Linde representatives were among the speakers at the National Hydrogen Association’s 19th annual conference, held recently in Sacramento, Calif. They addressed the challenges faced by the hydrogen energy industry regarding the quality of hydrogen used in fuel cells and its effect on system performance as well as on emerging applications for hydrogen-fuelled utility vehicles, such as fork lift trucks, tractors and tugs.