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Metal Hydride Hydrogen Storage and Supply Systems for Electric Forklift with LT PEMFC Power Module

This work presents results of the development of a hydrogen storage and supply system for a RX60-30L 3-ton electric forklift (STILL) equipped with a GenDrive 1600-80A low temperature PEMFC power module (Plug Power). The system combines hydrogen storage in a compressed H2 composite cylinder (CGH2 ; part of the power module) and a metal hydride (MH) extension tank thermally integrated with the power module. An externally liquidheated-cooled hydrogen storage and supply MH container has been developed and tested at HySA Systems. The stainless steel container (OD51.3 x L800 mm ; empty weight 5.7 kg) was filled with 3.2 kg of a MH material (AB2-type hydrogen storage alloy) ; the formation of the MH bed was achieved according to an in-house advanced solution which provides easy activation of the MH material and fast H2 charge / discharge thanks to the improved heat exchange between the MH material and the circulating liquid. The test results showed (i) acceptable H2 storage capacity (~450 NL H2 after 10–15 minutes long charge at P≥80 bar and T~30 oC) and (ii) stable H2 supply at the flow rate (FR) up to 10 NL/min, or 1.3 times higher than required for full-load operation of the FC module fuelled from a MH extension tank comprising of 20 MH containers connected in parallel. It was found that the developed “distributed hybrid” CGH2 + MH system had the same hydrogen storage capacity (~19 Nm3 H2) as the separate CGH2 tank charged at P=350 bar, but at a lower H2 charge pressure (≤185 bar) allowing significant reduction in indirect costs associated with hydrogen refuelling. The work also presents hydrogen refuelling station (dispensing pressure up to 185 bar) with the integrated MH compressor for the forklift refuelling.

Fuel cell forklift; fuel cell power module; hybrid hydrogen storage; compressed gas; metal hydride; refuelling

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