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ROAD TRHYP to maximize hydrogen tank transport capabilities

European consortium aims to develop an innovative hydrogen trailer to improve the amount of hydrogen gas transported using Type 5 thermoplastic composite tanks.

Grace Nehls
Edited by:  Grace Nehls
Senior Managing Editor, ÂÌñÏ×ÆÞ and Products Finishing

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Shown here is a multi-element gas container (MEGC), with a top view of a MEGC (top left), the project’s developed Type 5 cylinder (top right) and a pallet-sized MEGC hydrogen trailer side view (bottom right). Source (All Images) | ROAD TRHYP project

The ROAD TRHYP project, started in January 2023, aims to develop a new type of hydrogen transport trailer using thermoplastic composite tubes (Type 5). These tubes would enable higher pressure storage (700 bar) than current steel or composite tubes, leading to increased hydrogen transport capacity (up to 1.5 tons) and efficiency.

The project consortium — Air Liquide (France), Covess (Belgium), Arkema (France), Efectis (France), Segula Technologies (France), Envitest (U.K.), Institut Pprime (France) and Politechnika WrocÅ‚awska (Poland) — are targeting these current challenges in hydrogen transport: 

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  • Existing trailers use low- to medium-pressure tubes. This limits the amount of hydrogen that can be transported and increases the environmental footprint of the final product.
  • The number of transport rotations between production and delivery sites is high due to the limited hydrogen capacity of current trailers.
  • Due to the required dispensing pressure, hydrogen must be compressed again at the station, which increases the cost of the final product.

Therefore, ROAD TRHYP’s objectives include: 

  • Design Type 5 700-bar tubes: Develop and test Type 5 tubes that are lighter and can store more hydrogen than existing Type 4 tubes.
  • Develop a decontamination methodology: Ensure hydrogen purity by decontaminating Type 5 tubes to meet fuel cell standards.
  • Demonstrate the safety of Type 5 tubes: Conduct bonfire tests and develop safety protocols for Type 5 tubes and trailers.
  • Demonstrate KPIs and environmental impact: Design a full Type 5 trailer, perform lifecycle and cost analyses, and manufacture a demonstrator to showcase the advantages of Type 5 tubes.
  • Formulate regulatory recommendations: Identify gaps in existing regulations and make recommendations for the use of Type 5 tubes in hydrogen transport.

The project’s expected outcomes will be the ability to transport 1.5 tons of hydrogen in a trailer at 700 bar, lower the capital expenditure (CAPEX) of hydrogen storage and increase tube gravimetric capacity by more than 5.3%.

Since ROAD TRHYP’s launch in 2023, consortia have successfully designed a gaseous hydrogen trailer to transport 1.5 tons of hydrogen, and a thermoplastic Type 5 cylinder with gravimetric capacity higher than 7%.

ROAD TRHYP is supported by the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking. The project will conclude in June 2026.

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