Newest U.S. Hydrogen Fueling Station Opens in CA

THE COMING OF H
Newest U.S. Hydrogen Fueling Station Opens in CAFueling Station SpecificationsDispensed product: Pure gaseous hydrogen
Delivery pressures:
• 350 bar (5,000 psig)
• 700 bar (10,000 psig)
Flow:
• 25 kg/day capacity
• 5 to 10 cars/day
• Average fill 3 to 6 minutes
Supply mode: Trucked-in liquid hydrogen
Storage capacity:
• 1,500 gallons (liquid)
• 22,000 cubic feet (gas)
(Source: Air Products)

IRVINE, CA (Feb. 27, 2007) – With automakers such as BMW as project collaborators, the country's newest hydrogen filling station officially opened in late February at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Launched by Air Products, the station marks the latest milestone in establishing a solid hydrogen infrastructure in the United States.

"We at BMW believe that hydrogen will replace petroleum in the long-term,” says Tom Purves, chairman and CEO of BMW of North America and chairman of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. “To accomplish this, we must begin to take steps now, in order to ensure a smooth transition to a hydrogen-based economy in the future."

The new station is the first in California capable of dispensing hydrogen at 700 bar, or 10,000 pounds per square inch, which in some cases can nearly double a vehicle’s driving range. The new fueling station will offer hydrogen in gas form from the onset, and planning is under way for the addition of liquid hydrogen dispensing in late 2007.

Fuel Dispenser Features

Dual nozzles: The Air Products' Series 200 dispenser is upgraded to offer both 350 bar and 700 bar dispensing capability.• 350 bar nozzle: Unique fueling nozzle does not require use of personal protective equipment while fueling or separate grounding connection for the vehicle. Operates in both vehicle communications and non-communication modes.• 700 bar nozzle: For safety, non-interchangeable nozzle cannot be inserted in 350 bar fuel cell vehicle. Operates in both vehicle communications and non-communication modes.

User interface: An electronic screen provides step-by-step fueling instructions, similar to retail gasoline dispensers.
(Information and photos source: Air Products)

Other automakers Toyota, Nissan, Honda, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler are also expected to use the station to fuel demonstration vehicles that are not yet commercially available.

“The world looks to California as the testing ground for next-generation automobile technologies. The shift to a hydrogen economy is not an incremental change to society, but rather a dramatic and fundamental shift in the way that individuals will operate their vehicles in the future,” says Scott Samuelsen, director of UCI’s National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC). “UCI has played an integral role in leading this transformation, and we are excited to be taking an important next step with the opening of this state-of-the-art hydrogen refueling station.”

The new hydrogen fueling station at the University of California, Irvine was launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and California's South Coast Air Quality Management District, and is supported by automobile manufacturers with hydrogen-powered vehicles.

(Sources: BMW, UCI, Air Products)