Swappable hydrogen storage for road vehicles.

Despite significant advancements in hydrogen storage technology, a challenge remains to provide affordable hydrogen refueling infrastructure for road vehicles. This article suggests a swappable hydrogen tank method for distributing and dispensing fuel. Swappable refueling may reduce the upfront cost of hydrogen refueling 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 23.8 MJ kg-1. In contrast, the swappable delivery system consumes only 9.7 MJ kg-1; because hydrogen is compressed at the point of production, transport is 5x more efficient and removes the need for gas handling equipment at every station. This 60% energy saving and the anticipated equipment reductions present a case for an alternative refueling method to address the issues facing hydrogen vehicles.