The tank system as an optimization factor for the total cost of ownership of hydrogen applications

While battery-electric vehicles already account for almost 100 % of all alternative drive concepts in the passenger car sector today and in the medium term, the medium- to long-term future is open in other transport sectors. Here, concepts of purely battery-electric drives as well as hydrogen-based drives with fuel cells and hydrogen combustion engines continue to be discussed. One of the most important factors for the success of a drive technology, especially in commercial applications, is the total cost of ownership (TCO).

In the case of TCO in long-distance transport, fuel costs play a decisive role and account for the largest share of the cost per km. Therefore, in the use of hydrogen-based propulsion concepts, the cost of hydrogen procurement plays a central role, which in turn is determined in equal parts by hydrogen production costs and distribution costs (including the refueling station). The existing hydrogen refueling station network is essentially based on on-site liquid storage and uses high-capacity compressors to fill the high-pressure gas storage tanks (350 or 700 bar) of current hydrogen vehicles. The capital and operating costs of the compressors significantly determine hydrogen costs and have a corresponding impact on TCO performance. Storage systems based on in-vehicle liquid hydrogen storage can positively influence overall cost performance by modifying the refueling system accordingly and have an impact on the capital cost of the storage systems. This analysis examines and compares these cost effects in comparison to battery electric drives