Hydrogen can be transported using a variety of ways. Some of the most common modes include transportation using pipelines, tube trailers, ships/barges, and railways. We shall begin this article by first discussing gaseous Hydrogen transportation through tube trailers.

The company is the world’s best hydrogen tube trailer supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Hydrogen can be transported as a gas by using tube trailers. As gaseous Hydrogen is produced at a low pressure, it must be compressed for storage into these tubular vessels for transport. The hydrogen in this process is compressed to around 180 bars (around 2600 psig) or higher and then transported to the desired location through a trailer, hence the name tube trailer! The most common types of trailers are steel tube trailers, but recently composite tubes have been designed and constructed that have much higher capacities (560-900kgs of H2). The ideal materials for these tubes have high tensile strength, low density and rarely interact with the hydrogen (minimum H2 evaporation). Some examples include austenitic stainless steel, copper, or Aluminium alloys.

Hydrogen tube trailers

Trailer based transportation is normally used to transport Hydrogen over shorter distances (<1000kms) between the production plants and the end usage site. This is because as discussed in our earlier article, gaseous hydrogen shows the lowest density of storage, and thus cannot efficiently store hydrogen over long distances.

The second method of transporting Hydrogen is using pipelines. Pipelines can transport Hydrogen through much farther distances than tube trailers. The USA has almost 1600 miles of Hydrogen pipelines, most of which are owned by merchant hydrogen producers. These pipelines are mainly concentrated where large petroleum and chemical plants are situated e.g., the Gulf Coast region. Hydrogen transport through pipelines is a low-cost possibility which could transport large volumes of the gas over long distances. This has made it a lucrative possibility amongst many countries, and thus has been used often for a variety of applications.

Hydrogen transport through pipelines [3]

 

But it also comes with its fair share of challenges! It has been seen that existing pipelines cannot efficiently transport Hydrogen over long distances. This is due to several reasons. Firstly, as discussed in our earlier article, Hydrogen being the lightest element tends to leak swiftly through normal pipelines. This results in substantial losses if the pipeline transports Hydrogen over longer distances. Thus, specialised pipelines with ultramodern materials need to be fabricated if this issue is to be resolved. Fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) have been seen as potential solutions in this case. They are also more cost effective in that their installation costs are almost 20% lower than steel pipelines (because they can be obtained in larger sections, thus reducing the cost of welding). Secondly hydrogen can cause embrittlement in steel and welds used to fabricate pipelines. This can lead to the loss of ductility in the material, thus leading to higher crack propagation and finally component failure. Finally, there is also a need to develop durable, dependable, and lower cost hydrogen compression technology for reducing energy losses over long distances.

 

The second main method of transporting Hydrogen is through the process of liquefaction. Hydrogen is stored as a liquid in tanks, and then transported to the destination through liquid tankers. The Hydrogen in this method is first liquified by cooling it to below -235 degree Celsius (-423 degrees F), and then sent to delivery trucks for transportation to various locations. At the end point, Hydrogen is then vaporized to a high-pressure gaseous product for use in applications such as dispensing. Trucking liquid Hydrogen over long distances is also more economical than transporting gaseous Hydrogen due to liquid H2 being capable of holding a larger quantity of hydrogen per unit volume (I had shown this in a figure in my last article too!). The main drawback with liquid based transportation of Hydrogen includes potential for the “boil-off” of Hydrogen from the container.

Liquid Hydrogen Storage Vessels

The boil off rate is defined as the percentage of stored hydrogen which is lost per day from a particular storage vessel. The boil off rate can be minimized by decreasing the surface area to volume ratio of the vessel, thus spherical tanks are commonly used for storing liquid Hydrogen in this case as shown below. Advanced insulation can also be used to reduce the heat transfer due to conduction, convection, and radiation (storage vessels are double walled with a vacuum between them to reduce conduction and convection, and the space between these walls also contains materials such as alumina coated polyester sheets to reduce heat transfer due to radiation). Thus, due to extremely low surface to volume ratios and excellent insulation, spherical vessels can have boil -of ratios as low as 0.1% per day!!

Spherical vessels for Liquified Hydrogen storage

Another way of transporting Hydrogen is using ships or barges. Shipping is normally used for long – distance transportation of Hydrogen, and as it shows high operational costs, it normally transports liquid hydrogen or ammonia (as a carrier of H2) as compared to gaseous H2 which has a lower energy density, and thus cannot be efficiently transported over long distances. It has been seen that Ammonia is the most efficient due to its highest energy density (3,730 kWh/m3) when it is stored at -33 degrees Celsius. Liquid hydrogen on the other hand shows an energy density of 2,350 kWh/m3 at -253 degree Celsius.

Hydrogen transport through ships

Thus, if we assume same sized vessels, it will take more than 3 vessels of Liquid Hydrogen to transport the same amount of energy as two shipments of liquid Ammonia! Ammonia also would show a lower boil off rate than liquid Hydrogen. According to a study by the Hamad bin Khalifa university in Qatar, transporting 160,000 m3 of liquid H2 from Qatar to Japan would result in a boil off rate of 13.77%, while Ammonia would only lose 0.325%! This would massively save costs too. This is because the Liquid Hydrogen production price is around $7.15/kg, so the amount of cost losses equating to the above boil off rates would be around $270.5m each year.

Ammonia losses on the other hand (for a production price of $0.48/kg) would only equate to 4.1 million. Finally, the capital costs of a vessel carrying the above-mentioned storage of hydrogen vs ammonia would equate to 216m and 162m, respectively. This equates to savings of a whopping 54 million dollars (although these figures had been calculated way back in the year 2006).

Thus, from the following content we can conclude that there are plenty of ways transport Hydrogen, each one differing from the other in terms of distance of transport and end use application. As each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, no one method can be concluded as being the “best”. As time passes, new innovations would be discovered to further improvise transportation techniques and reduce costs. This would be fuelled by an increasing demand of Hydrogen & Hydrogen based services as the world moves towards a greener future.

REFERENCES

 

 

 

For more hydrogen refuel stationinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Hauling hydrogen

Transporting hydrogen by road looks set to become a major business globally given the rising interest in vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells and the lack of a comprehensive network of hydrogen pipelines. Manufacturers of specialised trailers able to undertake the work are in line to benefit, reports Steve Banner

Commonly referred to as tube trailers, they are built to accommodate a stack of long steel or carbon fibre cylinders which hold gaseous hydrogen under compression, typically at from 180bar upwards. The cylinders are carried in a protective frame. Demand for these trailers is rising worldwide, with Fairfield Market Research estimating that the global market for them will be worth almost $500m (£411m) by 2026.

Key players in the sector include Spain’s Calvera Hydrogen, which has developed a 45ft tandem-axle semi-trailer which carries carbon fibre cylinders full of hydrogen at 517bar. That means it has the highest working pressure of any tube trailer currently available, the Zaragoza-based company contends.

Able to carry more than 1.3 tonnes of gas, it was developed in conjunction with Shell and will be used to replenish its hydrogen filling stations. Complying with both European and US regulations, it will be initially deployed in Germany and the USA. Not to be outdone, Costa Mesa, California, USA-based Hexagon Agility has come up with the Titan 450, a 40ft tandem-axle trailer it describes as a mobile pipeline. With a likely price tag of around £650,000, such trailers do not come cheap. That of course presupposes you can obtain them at all, thanks to a regulatory obstacle that is hampering the supply of tube trailers and related equipment in a post-Brexit world.

The Department for Transport (DfT) points out in a guidance note that since 1 January 2023 it has only been possible to put transportable pressure equipment on to the Great British market if it has had its conformity assessed and approved by a GB-appointed body.

It has to bear a ‘Rho’ mark, named after the Greek letter (P) to show that this is the case. The European Union’s ‘Pi’ (Π) conformity mark is no longer acceptable. Pi-marked equipment placed on the market prior to 1 January can still be used if it complies with the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (as amended). Different arrangements apply in Northern Ireland.

However, in practical terms, it does not matter whether items are ‘Rho’ or ‘Pi’ says Robin Futcher, managing director of Southampton-based Commercial Fuel Solutions (CFS). The requirements are exactly the same, as is the equipment concerned.

The rule change means, however, that many overseas suppliers will not be interested in obtaining the extra verification needed to sell their products on this side of the Channel given the size of the market outside Great Britain and the opportunities it presents, he contends. British customers will enjoy less choice as a consequence.

For the moment, the UK market for big-capacity tube trailers is likely to be limited, at least so far as servicing the needs of the transport industry is concerned, given the comparatively modest number of vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells in service.

Their current needs may be more readily served by the compact tandem-axle fuel bowser CFS has developed. “It could benefit major fleets that are currently trialling a small number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles,” Futcher observes.

A drawbar trailer, CFS’s bowser can transport up to 74.5kg of gaseous hydrogen at a pressure of up to 500bar from a production side to a transport depot. “In energy terms that’s the equivalent of 220 litres of diesel,” he says. It does so in seven composite-and-metal tubes weighing an average 145kg apiece housed inside a steel shell.

The trailer grosses at no more than 3.5 tonnes, he says, and can be towed by most 4x4 double-cab pick-up trucks. Still, the driver has to be licensed in line with the requirements of ADR and his or her employer must employ someone qualified as a DGSA (Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser; see also pp24-25), says Futcher; obligations which would also apply to the operation of full-size tube trailers.

SAFETY FEATURES

CFS’s trailer has been constructed with safety as a priority. “Should the hydrogen leak, then none of the electrical equipment on it is an ignition source,” Futcher says. This should hopefully go some way to reassuring nervous insurers. “If you mention hydrogen they become absolutely petrified, despite the stringent control measures that are in place,” he remarks.

At a likely £175,000 to £225,000, the bowser will not come cheap – the cylinders alone cost over £9,000 apiece – but should last 15 to 20 years and cope with up to 20,000 refuelling cycles, says Futcher. “Bear in mind that at present a hydrogen refuelling nozzle can cost £6,000 to £7,000 compared with just £200 for a petrol refuelling nozzle.”

The trailer’s maintenance requirements are modest, and include periodic inspection of the cylinders and dispensing system by a competent person.

CFS’s bowser should be available to deliver fuel to transport depots by road and dispense it by next October at the latest, Futcher says. One for use solely off-road on construction sites is scheduled to appear in mid-2024.

Liquefy hydrogen by cooling it to -253°C and deliver it in an insulated cryogenic tanker and you can transport approximately three-and-a-half times more than if it stays in its gaseous form. Liquefaction is an expensive process, however, and some of the hydrogen will be lost through evaporation.

Handling such a cold fluid has safety implications, especially if there is a spillage. “If that happens, then you need to evacuate the area, but you may find it difficult to see where you are going because of the fog that will be created,” comments Futcher.

Different derivatives of hydrogen are under development which should overcome some of the drawbacks of transporting it purely as either a liquid or a gas, he says. “They include cryo-compressed hydrogen, which is best described as a sludgy gaseous hydrogen,” he observes.

If you are already storing hydrogen on site but have neither the room nor the budget for a permanent filling station, then it is worth noting that Logan Energy has developed a horsebox-sized trailer that functions as a mobile refueller. Connect it to a hydrogen cylinder at one end, and a vehicle at the other, and it will fill the latter at pressures of up to 450bar, says the Wallyford, East Lothian, company. “Its automated compressor ensures a vehicle can be filled in one go,” it adds, “with no attendant required.”

Author

Related Companies
Department for Transport

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies .

Want more information on hydrogen gas tube? Feel free to contact us.