[Emvi]

Volvo has unveiled a new hydrogen-powered truck capable of traveling up to 1,000km (620 miles) on a single tank, with water vapor the only thing emitted from the vehicle.

The fuel cells used are powered by hydrogen, and Volvo Trucks has started to test vehicles using this new technology. Volvo intends to use this CO2-neutral option in the second half of the decade.

A fuel cell truck generates its own electricity from the hydrogen onboard instead of being charged from an external source. The only byproduct emitted is water vapor. Volvo Trucks already offers battery-electric trucks and trucks that run on renewable fuels, such as biogas.

“We have been developing this technology for some years now, and it feels great to see the first trucks successfully running on the test track. The combination of battery-electric and fuel cell electric will enable our customers to completely eliminate CO2 exhaust emissions from their trucks, no matter transport assignments,” said Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks.

The fuel cell electric trucks will have an operational range comparable to many diesel trucks and a refueling time of less than 15 minutes. The total weight can be around 65 tons or even higher, and the two fuel cells have the capacity to generate 300 kW of electricity onboard.

Source

[Jeroen]

I am very glad to see hydrogen getting more and more traction these days for all kinds of application. I have never been a huge fan of EV and batteries. I never understood why the various industries waited this long with research into hydrogen. It’s all because of Musk of course. He pushed for electrical and battery and you have to give the man credit. He managed to sway the public and legislators all over the world his way. Just about all car manufacturers did jack all for decades and when they looked up had no other way then go electrical too. Because the public and politician want electric. Can you imagine how far we would have gotten with hydrogen if this much energy, pardon the pun, had been poured into hydrogen for a couple of decades.

To be fair, hydrogen alone will not be sufficient for our energy transition. We are going to need electrical/battery too. But hydrogen is relatively simple to use in heavy application such as these trucks and busses. But also many heavy industries, which tend to use lots of electricity, gas and oil, can be relatively easy converted.

Hell, my own central heating boiler can ran straight off hydrogen, doesn’t need anything other than maybe a little tuning! Here in Western Europe serious efforts are now underway to start using hydrogen in a big way. Heavy industries first.

Big problem should always be tackled with the 80-20 rule in mind. Focus on where you get the largest impact. Don’t worry about the remaining 20%. ICE powered private cars are no doubt a considerable factor in emissions, especially in major cities. But if you zoom out and take a somewhat broader view, it is other industries and applications that make up the majority of pollution. The world really should have focused more on those too.

Electrical traction and battery application have gone through several major innovation cycles these last two decades. And no mistake, we do need electrical traction. Also, battery technology is hugely relevant in other that cars too. We are seeing the first use of home batteries in combination with solar panels here in the Netherlands already. An excellent solution of course.

Let’s see where we are with hydrogen in a decade or so. I hope the innovation curve will be a steep, similar to what we have seen on electricity/batteries.

Jeroen

[srini1785]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

I am very glad to see hydrogen getting more and more traction these days for all kinds of application. I have never been a huge fan of EV and batteries.

Hydrogen powered vehicles are also EV's. There is a fuel cell based on Hydrogen-Oxygen and it powers a motor with battery assist.

I never understood why the various industries waited this long with research into hydrogen.

Its because of the risks involved with storage and handling of Hydrogen which is the most combustible gas in the whole world.

It’s all because of Musk of course.

Give the man a break.

He's a business man who like Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos etc is a good brand ambassadors for his own company.

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by srini1785

Hydrogen powered vehicles are also EV's. There is a fuel cell based on Hydrogen-Oxygen and it powers a motor with battery assist.

Yes, obviously for this particular application. But we have had engines running directly on Hydrogen for at least a decade. A lot of research and development has gone into it. Many engine suppliers have engines that run on hydrogen. Quite a few have engines that can run on multiple types of fuel.

Have a look at this magnificent engine:

Today, Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) debuted its 15-liter hydrogen engine at ACT Expo in Long Beach, California. This engine is built on Cummins’ new fuel-agnostic platform, where below the head gasket each fuel type’s engine has largely similar components, and above the head gasket, each has different components for different fuel types. This version, with expected full production in 2027, pairs with clean, zero-carbon hydrogen fuel, a key enabler of Cummins’ strategy to go further faster to help customers reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“We’ve established significant goals as part of our PLANET 2050 sustainability strategy, including a target of zero emissions,” said Srikanth Padmanabhan, President, Engine Business, Cummins Inc. “Reducing well-to-wheels carbon emissions requires innovation of both energy sources and power solutions. While use cases for battery electric and fuel cell electric powertrains are promising, the pairing of green hydrogen in the proven technology of internal combustion engines provides an important complement to future zero emissions solutions.”
Cummins announced the testing of hydrogen internal combustion (ICE) technology in July 2021, and has made impressive early results, already achieving production power and torque targets (over 810 ft-lbs torque and 290 hp from the medium-duty engine). Additional testing on Cummins’ more advanced prototypes will begin soon. With Cummins’ significant global manufacturing footprint, the company can quickly scale production.
The industry needs multiple solutions to meet the needs of all on- and off-highway customers and all applications considering the variation in duty cycles and operating environments.
The engine will be a zero-carbon fueled solution for multiple markets. Cummins intends to produce hydrogen internal combustion engines in both the 15-liter and 6.7-liter displacements, believing that these engines enable the industry to take action and reduce GHG emissions yet this decade, ultimately accelerating carbon reduction.
“Working with Cummins to navigate the journey to zero emissions means working with an experienced partner that has the right knowledge, tools, and resources to ensure a smooth transition,” said Jim Nebergall, General Manger, Hydrogen Engines at Cummins Inc. “Our customers are responding favorably to this practical technology. These engines look like engines, they sound like engines, and fit where engines normally fit,” he continued.
Hydrogen internal combustion engines use zero-carbon fuel at a lower initial price of a fuel cell or battery electric vehicle with little modification to today's vehicles. Accelerated market adoption of hydrogen engine powered vehicles is driven by the technology’s high technology maturity, low initial cost, extended vehicle range, fast fueling, powertrain installation commonality, and end-user familiarity.
“Heavy-duty trucking is critical to the global economy and is one of the hard-to-abate sectors of the economy,” said Daryl Wilson, Executive Director of the Hydrogen Council. “We are encouraged by progress at Cummins in the development of hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines and look forward to continued advancements that can help us reach cost-effective decarbonization of economies worldwide.”

source: https://www.cummins.com/news/release...ngine-act-expo

These sort of engines are for power generation, but will also find their way into trucks and busses soon. The main issue here is you need infrastructure (filling stations) to be able to operate them long distance. In the Netherlands our natural gas transport pipe line infrastructure is now being adapted to transport hydrogen. At first primarily for heavy industries. They are likely to be the first users of these sort of engines.

In addition a lot of work has also been done on converting gas turbines, as used in Power stations to hydrogen turbines. Here is an interesting article about some of the work GE has been doing. What makes it interesting is that these hydrogen turbines can also run on what is known as low quality hydrogen. (cheaper and easier to produce)

https://www.ge.com/gas-power/future-...d-gas-turbines

I don’t think we will see hydrogen turbines making it into trucks and busses. Regular gas/diesel fired turbines have been used in a few trucks in the USA quite some years ago. It was never a success. You can’t get away from converting the inherent very high RPMs into very low RPM, meaning hugely complex gearing, transmission and clutch system. But for high power generation, pumping and so they are ideal.

Compared to the development of battery and electrical vehicle propulsion and infrastructure (grid, chargers etc) we still have a long way to go obviously. Like I mentioned earlier, they should have started earlier.

Originally Posted by srini1785

Its because of the risks involved with storage and handling of Hydrogen which is the most combustible gas in the whole world.

Sorry, but that is simply not true. Unfortunately, the world and in particular the internet has a completely incorrect understanding of risk associated with hydrogen. That is not to say it is without risk. Any flammable and or combustable type of product requires appropriate safety measures obviously.

So how dangerous is hydrogen fuel? In many situations where a vehicle is located outdoors hydrogen is safer than conventional liquid fuels or natural gas. This in no way implies that hydrogen is not dangerous — there are many situations where hydrogen, like any other fuel or energy storage device, can cause an accident. As one life-long hydrogen expert said to me once, “Hydrogen is no better, nor worse, than any other fuel. You just have to know the rules for working with hydrogen.” Hence our work and mission.

Source: https://hydrogen.wsu.edu/2017/03/17/...hydrogen-fuel/

The above link makes for good reading and is very illustrative on what are the inherent risk of hydrogen and what not. Many of us are likely to think of hydrogen as petrol, but then in a gaseous stage, at pressure. That sends alarm bells ringing. But the properties of hydrogen are very different. That’s is why it also ignites and burns very differently from conventional (carbon based) fuel.

Jeroen