USA, California
Pennsylvania based Air Products and the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have unveiled a new 700 and 350 bar (10,000/5,000 psi) pressure capable vehicle fueling station on the UCI campus. The 700 bar fueling station is a first in the United States to be sited at a location with wider accessibility for vehicle fueling demonstrations.
The station is the first deployed by Air Products as part of the California Hydrogen Infrastructure Project (CHIP) with the United States Department of Energy (DOE), along with project collaborators Toyota, Honda, BMW and Nissan.
The higher pressure station allows for a greater range between refuels for suitably equipped vehicles with on-board storage capable of higher pressures. "This is really a milestone project in the continued development of fueling station technology. The dual-pressure dispensing capability allows drivers to select the pressure at which to refuel their hydrogen fueled vehicles. This station is the first in California and the United States with the ability to dispense hydrogen at varied and advanced pressures, and to be sited in public view," said Ed Heydorn, business development manager for Air Products.
Air Products designed, engineered, installed, and will maintain the dual pressure station with funding from the DOE and California's South Coast Air Quality Management District. Planning is underway for the addition of a separate liquid dispensing unit which can directly fill vehicles that carry liquid hydrogen on board as a fuel. Toyota, Honda, and Nissan's hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and BMW's hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicle, which uses liquid hydrogen, anticipate fueling at the station. The National Fuel Cell Research Center at UC Irvine operates the station, which is open to authorized users in furtherance of the DOE project. Air Products has installed prior 700 bar stations for private use at vehicle original equipment manufacturer facilities.
The fueling station features non-interchangeable fueling nozzles, which reduce the potential for user error. The stand-alone dispenser features a familiar gas station-like interface designed for ease of use and safety. The station has the capacity to fill approximately five to 10 vehicles per day, depending on vehicle fuel capacity. Computerized vehicle communications help optimize the refueling process, and vehicle fill times are approximately three to six minutes.
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