Mar 26 2008
Filling vehicles with hydrogen is about to get faster and easier, thanks to technology Linde is bringing to North America.
Linde, a world-leading gases and engineering company, is the first company capable of meeting a new industry target designed to dramatically reduce the time it takes to fill hydrogen-powered vehicles.
“Linde is leading the industry with our proprietary, 700-bar fast-fill technology, first developed for hydrogen refuelling stations in Europe. The technology enables us to completely fill cars in as little as three minutes,” said Mike McGowan, head of hydrogen solutions for Linde North America.
Industry experts see shortened refuelling time as an essential component to improve consumer acceptance and adoption of hydrogen-fueled vehicles.
“Linde is focused on finding ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions. Expanding our vehicle refuelling capabilities in North America gives customers greater access to our strong hydrogen supply network and world class engineering expertise,” McGowan said.
Robert Adler, head of research and development for Linde Gas GmbH in Vienna, will discuss Linde’s 700-bar refuelling capabilities in a presentation at the National Hydrogen Association’s 19th annual conference, held March 30 through April 3 in Sacramento, California. Linde, a conference Gold sponsor, also will be available in booth #301 to discuss the company’s flexible and cost-effective engineered solutions for supplying and refuelling hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Linde, one of the earliest entrants into the hydrogen energy arena, is a leader in the safe production, storage and distribution of hydrogen. Linde is the world’s only company with the in-house technology to refuel all types of hydrogen vehicles, regardless of the mode of on-board storage.
Linde has equipped over 70 hydrogen refuelling stations in 15 countries, supplying hydrogen for projects large and small. Amounts supplied range from a few hundred cubic feet of compressed hydrogen in cylinders to thousands of tons of liquid and gaseous hydrogen delivered by pipeline or tanker truck.
“Linde has partnered with a variety of manufacturers, including automotive, forklift and battery makers on multiple projects. This experience, combined with our global size and scale, enables us to execute projects safely and successfully. It also gives us the expertise to deliver new and sustainable energy solutions that contribute to a greener world and cleaner environment,” McGowan said.
Several Linde experts will also speak at the Compressed Gas Association’s annual hydrogen seminar, held on April 3 as part of the overall conference.
Bob Boyd, hydrogen solutions project development manager, Linde North America, will speak about traditional hydrogen applications in the electronics, chemicals, glass and oil industries, as well as address the challenges faced by the hydrogen energy industry regarding the quality of hydrogen used in fuel cells and its effect on system performance. Michael Ciotti, hydrogen solutions project manager, Linde North America will speak on emerging applications for hydrogen fuelled utility vehicles, such as fork lift trucks, tractors and tugs.