(Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Pullach / Germany) Daimler Truck AG and Linde Engineering have jointly developed a refueling technology for liquid hydrogen. According to the companies, the system, called "sLH2" (subcooled liquid hydrogen), offers several advantages compared to gaseous hydrogen: higher storage density, greater range, faster refueling, lower costs, and improved energy efficiency.
Opening of the first public sLH2 pilot station in Wörth am Rhein (from left): Juergen Nowicki, Executive Vice President Linde plc and CEO of Linde Engineering, Petra Dick-Walther, Rhineland-Palatinate State Secretary for Economic Affairs, and Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Directors of Daimler Truck AG , responsible for Truck Technology. © Daimler Truck AG
The first public sLH2 filling station has now been opened in Wörth am Rhein and will also be used by logistics customers for initial customer tests with the Mercedes-Benz “GenH2024” truck from mid-2. “To decarbonize transport, we need three factors: the right battery and hydrogen trucks, the necessary infrastructure and cost parity between zero-emission and diesel vehicles,” says Andreas Gorbach, Member of the Board of Directors of Daimler Truck AG.
Lower investment costs
According to Jürgen Nowicki, Executive Vice President Linde plc and CEO of Linde Engineering, this technology “paves the way for a comprehensive refueling infrastructure that logistics chains depend on today.” In addition, sLH2 “reduces the investment required for a hydrogen filling station by a factor of two to three, and the operating costs are around five to six times lower.”
In September 2023, Daimler Truck covered 2 kilometers with a prototype of the Mercedes-Benz “GenH80” truck approved for public roads with 1.047 kilograms of liquid hydrogen on board. © Daimler Truck AG
The filling station has a capacity of 400 kilograms of liquid hydrogen per hour. In contrast to the previous refueling technology with liquid hydrogen (LH2), the sLH2 pump increases the pressure slightly. This turns the hydrogen into “subcooled liquid hydrogen” (sLH2). “In this state, a very robust and stable refueling process results, which reduces energy losses during refueling to a minimum,” it says.
No data transfer is necessary between the gas station and the vehicle, which reduces the complexity of the refueling process. © Daimler Truck AG
Data transmission between the gas station and the vehicle is not necessary, which further reduces the complexity of the refueling process. At the same time, refueling capacity will be increased. Liquid hydrogen can be filled into two connected 253-kilogram tanks on either side of the truck chassis at minus 40 degrees Celsius without the need for special safety equipment. Refueling a 40-ton truck with 80 kilograms of liquid hydrogen takes around 10 to 15 minutes for a range of over 1.000 kilometers.
Lower space requirement
With an energy consumption of just 0,05 kilowatt hours per kilogram, the station requires around 30 times less energy compared to refueling with gaseous hydrogen. The gas station also has a very small space requirement of just 50 square meters (without a gas pump) and enables configurations in which several gas pumps are possible for the parallel refueling of trucks as well as the refueling of several vehicles one after the other. The liquid hydrogen storage capacity holds four tons, which is enough for around ten hours of continuous refueling. The capacity can be increased to over eight tons per day by refilling in the meantime.
“Robust and stable refueling process”: In contrast to previous refueling technology with liquid hydrogen (LH2), the sLH2 pump increases the pressure slightly. This turns the hydrogen into “subcooled liquid hydrogen” (sLH2). © Daimler Truck AG
The companies aim to establish the technology as the standard for hydrogen-powered trucks and make it accessible to all interested parties via an ISO standard. A collaboration between Linde and Daimler Truck has been in place since the end of 2020.
In June 2022, the first pilot test refueling station was commissioned, tested, and modified at Daimler's development and testing center in Wörth. By September 2023, Daimler Truck had covered 1.047 kilometers with a road-legal prototype of the Mercedes-Benz "GenH2" truck carrying 80 kilograms of liquid hydrogen. The company plans to launch the series production version of the fuel cell truck in the second half of the decade.
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Daimler Truck and Linde are setting a new standard for liquid hydrogen refueling with sLH2 technology. © Daimler Truck AG
