LNK Energies, a startup developing a hydrogen system for heavy-duty trucks, aims to make the fuel easier to store and use by carrying it in liquid form and releasing hydrogen onboard.
The technology uses liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), which absorb hydrogen and release it when needed. LNK says it has reduced the reactor that extracts the hydrogen from shipping-container scale to roughly the size of a mini fridge.
Unlike conventional hydrogen storage, which requires high-pressure tanks and energy-intensive compression, the system would process the carrier on the truck. The released hydrogen could power a modified combustion engine, with engine waste heat helping run the reactor, or feed fuel cells that generate electricity for electric motors.
The liquid carrier can be stored and dispensed much like diesel, potentially allowing operators to use existing fuel stations. LNK estimates that a truck using its system could cost 13% less to own and operate than a diesel equivalent. The company also projects it could compete with diesel at a fuel price of $6.50 per gallon after 50 to 100 trucks are built; these are company projections, not results from commercial deployment.
A laboratory demonstration reactor currently powers a small engine. LNK plans to install a larger version in a commercial truck within 18 months. The company is also set to present its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.
If the system performs as projected, it could offer truck operators another route to lower-emission transport while making use of familiar fueling infrastructure.
