Verne and LifeGuard Technologies to develop high-flow, flexible hoses for cryo-compressed hydrogen refueling.
Verne and LifeGuard Technologies announced a Memorandum of Understanding to develop high-flow, flexible safety hoses for cryo-compressed hydrogen fueling of heavy-duty vehicles. The two companies will collaborate to accelerate the development of the refueling hoses with the goal of entering commercial production in 2027.
Heavy-duty transportation is responsible for 12% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and current zero-emission solutions do not meet the needs of heavy-duty vehicles. Battery electric trucks provide limited range and add 5,000+ pounds to the weight of the truck, reducing the payload available to haul cargo. Current hydrogen trucks, which store hydrogen as a compressed gas onboard, offer improved performance relative to battery electric trucks but still fail to meet the required range and payload of heavy-duty vehicles. Cryo-compressed hydrogen (CcH2) achieves an 87% improvement in density relative to 700 bar compressed hydrogen and a 33% improvement over liquid hydrogen, allowing CcH2 trucks to achieve diesel-equivalent range and payload.
Development of new infrastructure and components is required to support commercialization of CcH2,and Verne and LifeGuard’s partnership will establish a US-based supply of high-flow CcH2 safety hoses that enable fueling of trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles. The partnership will combine LifeGuard’s expertise in safety-critical solutions for cryogenic fluid transfer and Verne’s expertise in CcH2 and access to world class testing facilities. The partners will collaborate to develop and test hoses suitable for refueling heavy-duty vehicles with CcH2in less than 10 minutes.
Cryo-compressed hydrogen is a platform technology with applications across heavy-duty transportation and hydrogen distribution. The flexible hose technology can be adapted to serve sectors including trucking, aviation, port vehicles, mining and maritime transportation.
Verne develops cryo-compressed hydrogen storage tanks and refueling equipment that converts gaseous hydrogen into CcH2. In 2023, Verne completed drive testing of a CcH2 storage system onboard a vehicle and demonstrated a world-record 29 kg storage tank at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, equivalent to the tank size that would be used in heavy-duty trucking. Verne recently announced the first demonstration of CcH2 onboard a Class 8 Truck, set to take place in late 2024.
Verne is focused on developing the supplier base for CcH2. In November2023, Verne announced a partnership with ARTA to develop nozzles and receptacles for CcH2 fueling. Last month, Verne and Cryostar announced a new partnership to develop pumps for “future-proofed” hydrogen fueling stations. Verne’s partnership with LifeGuard Technologies is an important next step in enabling the full ecosystem of suppliers for CcH2 fueling solutions.
Ted McKlveen, Co-founder & CEO of Verne, said:
The trucking industry is demanding greater vehicle range and lower weight than current zero-emission options offer, and cryo-compressed hydrogen is well placed to meet the need given its greater hydrogen storage density.
“LifeGuard is a best-in-class developer of flexible safety hoses and is the ideal partner for developing the solutions needed to enable a massive transition to CcH2.”
Andy Abrams, Executive Vice President of LifeGuard Technologies, said:
At a time when the hydrogen industry is on the cusp of massive expansion, it is critical that safety leads the way.
“Now, high-flow CcH2 hydrogen transfer hoses will have the same technological safety features that our CNG, LPG,NH3 and high pressure hydrogen and atmospheric gas hoses have enjoyed for more than 20 years,”
“We look forward to working with Verne, a true leader in the hydrogen industry, and to offering this new hose design to our Compressed Gas and Petrochemical customers through our global network of locations helping to drive LifeGuard Safety Hose adoption even further into the hydrogen industry.”
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Verne and LifeGuard Technologies to develop high-flow, flexible hoses for cryo-compressed hydrogen refueling. source
