OneH2, Inc., a North Carolina-based company, has launched a new cylinder technology for high-pressure hydrogen tube trailers designed for use on roads. This new cylinder technology, which has been developed and invested in over several years, operates under a unique special permit issued by the U.S. Department of Transport.
OneH2 has already been operating fleets of hydrogen transport trailers for materials handling applications, using a 520 bar design. However, this new 931 bar design allows for direct fills of higher-pressure, 700 bar automotive and heavy vehicle applications. This makes hydrogen-fueled transport much more economical.
By transporting hydrogen gas at higher pressures, OneH2 eliminates the need for extra processing that is required by other delivery methods such as lower-pressure gaseous transport. These other delivery methods require further compression at the point of use. In the case of liquid hydrogen, post-delivery processing often includes several stages of vaporization and compression before the hydrogen is usable as a transport fuel. All these processes add cost, time, and can impact reliability. When factored into the price of the fuel, this can be significant, especially at scale.
Nishanth Gorukanti, General Manager Operations & Maintenance for OneH2, said of the technology:
“OneH2 is very excited to launch the 931 bar high-pressure tube trailers in the market. This system design will help to store larger quantities of gaseous hydrogen for transportation, thereby avoiding any use of onboard compression on the trailer or compression systems at the retail point of use. OneH2’s product development team, along with our partners, have put a lot of effort into designing the system and providing the market with a safe, reliable, and efficient system.”
OneH2 offers 931 bar trailers that are made up of different combinations of high-pressure cylinders that can contain up to 27 kg of gaseous hydrogen at 931 bar pressure. This is three times higher than the cylinder technology OneH2 previously used.
The trailers can be configured with different capacities, with the maximum configuration including up to 18 cylinders, which can hold up to 486 kg of fuel-cell grade hydrogen for automotive use. For those who have space constraints, OneH2 also offers smaller trailer configurations with 6 cylinders that can hold up to 160kg, making it more maneuverable in tighter environments.
To ensure maximum utilization of onboard hydrogen, OneH2 uses a patented cascading function that allows each cylinder to act as its own cascading bank. This method draws from different cylinders in a smart way to refuel the vehicle while keeping the remaining inaccessible hydrogen gas in storage cylinders to a minimum.
The trailer includes key features that optimize performance and safety, such as onboard hydrogen gas sensors, on-tank actuator valves for isolation, telemetry to report the status of the trailer on-road, safety interlocks, and a temperature and pressure relief device (TPRD) for each tank.
The cylinders are designed and tested in accordance with international standards that provide specifications for the design, construction, and testing of type IV composite cylinders.
OneH2 also offers 931 bar Mobile Fuelers that use the same cylinder technology. The refueler includes an onboarded dispensing system for both 350 bar and 700 bar pressure, which makes the trailer a portable fueling station.
This mobile and portable refueling station allows customers to receive hydrogen at any location and immediately refuel vehicles. It requires minimal investment in on-site equipment, reducing permitting and construction headaches.
OneH2’s breakthrough technology allows for more efficient hydrogen solutions, enabling economically advantageous fueling infrastructure to meet the growing demand of hydrogen vehicles.
