Messer Americas

Benjamin Traskunov

Through this article, Benjamin Traskunov explores the multifaceted role of hydrogen in various industries, particularly in mobility and public transport. Drawing parallels to electric vehicles, he emphasizes that while hydrogen is a versatile energy source, it is not the only solution; each energy type has its specific applications and challenges.

As an engineer, I view all my knowledge as a tool to address a problem or improve the efficiency of an existing process. Hydrogen, to me, plays a similar role in multiple industries. Whether aerospace, manufacturing, chemical or, in my experience, mobility, this simple molecule can do it all. This jack-of-all-trade ability does not mean that it is the only energy source we will use. Just like an electric vehicle (EV), it has use cases that suit it perfectly and others that do not.

Building on this, one trend that I would like to describe in this article is one I have been seeing for years in the mobility space, specifically in transit / public transport. We all have electrical outlets in our homes and offices, but when it comes to charging a massive battery within the same time as a diesel fueling event, the cost of the installation is only one of your major problems. How will the electrical utility supply this? How will you guarantee that the power at night (the usual time when transits fuel their fleet) will be renewable? These two issues (which are a small part of a whole list of considerations for EV Bus upgrades) have led many larger transits to switch to hydrogen.

Just like EV buses, this fuel source has its own challenges. The fuel is not always 100% renewable; cheaper options are usually made from fossil fuel sources. Renewable options, as of now, have a higher cost.

The molecule (H2) has a high energy density per unit mass but not volume. This forces (pun intended) the station operators to pressurize the gas to 350 bar (standard pressure for larger vehicles) or seven hundred bar (standard pressure for light-duty vehicles).In addition to this, cryogenic hydrogen (only a few degrees Celsius above absolute zero) can be used to increase the energy density per unit volume further. This requires temperature control and specific materials, which can further increase the cost.
" Automated fueling stations for hydrogen are becoming a practical solution for transit operators, making the shift from diesel to hydrogen increasingly appealing."
Still, with all this said, gaseous and predominantly liquid (cryogenically cooled gas) hydrogen is becoming the favorite for many transits in California and across the world. A fueling experience for a gaseous or liquid station is identical if not faster than some diesel or compressed natural gas [CNG] fueling stations.

Everything in the station is automated, and the energy source purchasing/handling experience fits well with many transit schedules and understanding. This has led many transit operators, with one hundred buses and more, to seriously consider hydrogen over electric vehicles as the new upgrade for their aging fleet.

With all this said, even as a big believer in hydrogen, I will not claim that it should be the one and only fuel source for our vehicles (land, sea or air). Each of these categories can benefit from a molecule that, at the tailpipe, has no harmful emission and, even at the source, can have a net-zero carbon footprint. These fuel-cell electric vehicles (hydrogen-powered cars), in a way, are also EVs. The hydrogen reacts with oxygen in the air and sends a current through a battery (which then powers a motor).

Whether you think CNG, EV, internal combustion or FCEV will dominate our world, I encourage you to think of an engineer whose many tools can address some problems better than others. We are working towards a brighter future; whether it is one lightbulb or the other, it should be decided on a case-by-case basis and not a one-fits-all approach.