Publications

Despite significant advancements in hydrogen storage technology, a challenge remains to provide affordable hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for light duty road vehicles. This paper suggests a new method using swappable hydrogen tanks for distributing and dispensing fuel which will reduce the upfront cost of hydrogen refuelling stations, reduce the energy consumed to dispense high-pressure hydrogen and increase the efficiency of distribution over standard tube trailers. In the analysis, current systems for transporting and dispensing gaseous hydrogen fuel account for a significant amount of energy consumed calculated at ~23 MJ kg-1 for the given scenario. The swappable delivery system only consumes ~9 MJ kg-1, because compressing hydrogen at the point of production has removed the need for station gas handling plant and allows for a greater transport efficiency. This represents a significant 60 % saving and presents a case for an alternative refuelling method to address the issues faced by hydrogen vehicles.