【Outlook for Marine Engineering】Will hydrogen stations become the next focus of engineering design?

“Over 10 years ago, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in China cost over 6 million yuan, while a hydrogen refueling station cost more than 10 million yuan; today, a vehicle costs around 1 million yuan, and a hydrogen refueling station with a capacity of 500 kilograms only costs about 5 million yuan. This is the result of cost reductions brought about by technological advancements and the wider adoption of such technologies in the market. ”

Sichuan and Chongqing will make every effort to promote the development of the hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicle industry, focus on advancing key core technologies, and continuously improve the upstream and downstream industrial chains. Over the course of two years, 400 hydrogen-powered logistics vehicles will be deployed in phases along the hydrogen corridor; by 2025, around 1,000 such vehicles will be in use. Hydrogen refueling stations will also be established, and hydrogen supply bases will be set up in areas such as Liangshan, Panzhihua, Ya’an, Tongnan, and Changshou. The goal is to create a hub for the development of hydrogen energy and fuel cell industries that is based in the Chengdu-Chongqing region and serves as a center that extends its influence to the western part of the country.  

How to store hydrogen? There are issues with both efficiency and safety when storing it at high pressure. Common adsorbents do not adsorb hydrogen, while the catalysts used for ultra-pure hydrogen have a strong adsorption capacity for hydrogen; developing such catalysts might be a good idea

This is the issue of upstream and downstream coordination, which also represents business opportunities

The hydrogen energy industry chain mainly includes hydrogen production, storage and transportation, hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen fuel cells, and downstream applications in vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cells constitute the core of the hydrogen energy industry, accounting for around 40% of the total value of a vehicle. In terms of hydrogen production, it can be further divided into hydrogen production from natural gas, coal, coke oven gas, and water electrolysis. Currently, the largest share is accounted for by hydrogen production from coal, at around 62%. Regarding hydrogen refueling stations, a total of 118 such stations have been built in China to date, with 101 of them already in operation. Sinopec plans to build 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations or stations that combine hydrogen refueling with gasoline refueling by 2025, which is 8.5 times the number of hydrogen refueling stations in the country in 2020.

The heat value of hydrogen is 12.74 MJ/Nm3; a 50L tank at 20 Mpa contains 127.4 MJ of energy. The heat value of methane is 39.82 MJ/Nm3, so a 50L tank at 20 Mpa holds 398.2 MJ of energy. The heat value of 92 octane gasoline is 44 MJ/kg; a 50L tank filled with 92 octane gasoline can hold 36.5 kg of it, resulting in 1606 MJ of energy. Considering a thermal efficiency of 40% for gasoline engines, and 100% for hydrogen fuel cells, a vehicle with the same weight will have a range that is only 1/5 that of a gasoline vehicle, and 1/3 that of a natural gas vehicle

It’s still the same weakness: the range is insufficient. But I see that the truck has a row of cylinders on its back, which should solve this issue

I still haven’t figured out this issue. Hydrogen is produced from natural gas, and hydrogen is used as a fuel; however, the process of producing hydrogen involves energy consumption and carbon emissions. So why is it necessary to promote the use of natural gas for hydrogen production? ====================== For vehicles of the same weight, the range of those powered by hydrogen is only 1/5 that of gasoline-powered vehicles, and it’s 1/3 that of those powered by natural gas

【Haichuan Hydrogen Energy】Can store 8 kilograms of hydrogen, providing a range of 600 kilometers. Hydrogen-powered vehicles produced in Chengdu will be used for the Winter Olympics https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3276077-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum) 【Haichuan Hydrogen Energy】The Chengdu-Chongqing hydrogen corridor is accelerating the development of the hydrogen-powered vehicle industry https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3276060-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum)

To date, 118 hydrogen refueling stations have been built in China, of which 101 are in operation. Sinopec plans to build 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations or stations that combine hydrogen refueling with gasoline refueling by 2025, which is 8.5 times the total number of hydrogen refueling stations in the country in 2020.