THIS PROJECT WILL RESEARCH AND PROTOTYPE AN ONBOARD HIGH-CAPACITY LIQUID HYDROGEN (LH2) STORAGE SYSTEM, INCLUDING BALANCE-OF-PLANT (BOP) COMPONENTS, FOR ULTRA-CLASS MINING TRUCKS THAT WILL REDUCE THE TIME-BETWEEN-REFUELING OF FUEL CELL POWERED VEHICLES, INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS AGAINST DIESEL-POWERED MACHINES, THUS ACCELERATE THE ADOPTION OF FUEL CELL VEHICLES IN THE MINING INDUSTRY. TYPICALLY, THE MINING INDUSTRY TENDS TO ADOPT NEW TECHNOLOGIES AFTER THEY HAVE MATURED TO A HIGH TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVEL (TRL) AND DEMONSTRATED THEIR CAPABILITIES. FOR AN LH2POWERED MACHINE TO DEMONSTRATE THIS CAPABILITY AGAINST EXISTING DIESEL-POWERED MINING EQUIPMENT FACTORS SUCH AS COST AND PERFORMANCE MUST BE CONSIDERED, OF WHICH FUEL MANAGEMENT PROCESSES ARE KEY ELEMENTS. TO SUCCEED, THIS PROJECT MUST MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL STOPPAGES IMPOSED BY AN LH2 SYSTEM. THEREFORE, TANK CAPACITY MUST BE MAXIMIZED, BOIL OFF LOSSES MINIMIZED, AND DORMANCY MUST BE OPTIMIZED. A LIQUID HYDROGEN STORAGE VESSEL WITH A CAPACITY IN EXCESS OF 200 KG WILL BE DEVELOPED BY A SUPPLIER AND INTEGRATED INTO A KOMATSU 930-E HAUL TRUCK. ALSO, THIS SYSTEM MUST DEMONSTRATE DURABILITY AND SAFETY IN THE HARSH CONDITIONS OF A MINING APPLICATION. TO CONTEND WITH THIS ENVIRONMENT, THE TANK SUPPLIER WILL BE GIVEN VIBRATION AND G-LOADING DATA TO DRIVE THEIR DESIGN AND WILL COLLABORATE WITH KOMATSU ENGINEERS TO ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF HOSES, TUBES, AND VALVES FROM DEBRIS. THE OVERALL DESIGN MUST ALSO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PERSONNEL WHEN INTERACTING WITH THE BOP SYSTEM$2,520,955
· FY2025 · Department of Energy