The German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is leading a European research project called ‘NICOLHy’ aimed at developing new types of storage tanks for liquid hydrogen. The project, conducted in collaboration with four European partners, seeks to increase the capacity of suitable tanks by a factor of forty while reducing costs by 80 per cent.
The focus of the research is on the long-distance transport of liquid hydrogen, such as its transportation by ship from producing countries to Europe. Unlike hydrogen tanks in fuel cell vehicles for the road, the project aims to enhance storage methods for liquid hydrogen to address challenges related to its extremely low temperature and high energy density.
Currently, large LH2 storage tanks are designed similarly to those used for liquefied natural gas, with a spherical shape and a complicated double wall for thermal insulation. However, these spherical tanks have limitations, including a capacity limited to around 5,000 cubic meters and a lengthy production time of over a year.
The NICOLHy project proposes a new approach using Vacuum Insulation Panel (VIP) thermal insulation, a principle already used in building insulation but not yet in hydrogen storage. This method involves a double wall with a vacuum and a filling material made from a highly porous powder, which minimizes the loss of cold or heat input. Compared to spherical storage tanks, this VIP insulation would only be around two centimeters thick, allowing for larger capacity tanks at a reduced cost.
Robert Eberwein, an expert for hazardous goods tanks at BAM, stated, “Initial results show that the VIP insulation principle can be successfully used for the storage of liquid hydrogen. Overall, the capacity can be almost doubled compared to spherical storage tanks, costs can be reduced by 80 percent and energy efficiency and safety can be increased at the same time.”
The NICOLHy project consortium includes the University of Bologna, the German Aerospace Centre, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the National Technical University of Athens. The research aims to accelerate the establishment of liquid hydrogen in the German and European energy industry by developing modular storage technology that is more efficient, cost-effective, and safer than current methods.
